freeline-96 - Flipbook - Page 236
BOBBY
JACK
THOMPSON
COOTE
s u rrounding trees. As I pe e le d t h e m es h b ac k , I c o u l d s ee t h e
s u n reflecting off the p late s o f t hi s i n c re di b le f i s h . I t wa s o n ly
a mid double, but what a lo o ke r, a n d a n i n c re d i b l e m om e n t
a n d photo I managed to ca p t u re . I c he c ke d th e co as t wa s c l ea r
a n d returned to the lake to re le a se t he f i s h i n to i t s n a tu ra l
e nvironment … of course o n ly a f te r g iv i ng i t a l i t tle p e c k o n
t h e head.
T h ere was something abou t t hi s f i r s t d ay o f s pr i n g t h a t b ro u gh t
o u t the greed in me; the s u n wa s s t i l l b li s te ri n gly h o t , a n d
I c ould see the fish hadn’ t s p o o ke d o f f t he o t h e r f i s h b e i n g
c a ught . When I say greed, n o r m al ly I wo u ld b e p a c ke d u p a n d
o n my way before I got my c o ll a r fe lt , b u t I ju s t co u l d n’ t re s i s t
o n e more cast . After mana gi n g to g e t b a c k to t h e wate r’ s e d g e ,
I c ould see a big, dark sha p e h ea d i n g towa rd s me . It l o o ke d a
p retty reasonable size, bu t I c o u ld n’ t q ui te m a ke o u t i f i t wa s
a common or mirror. I qui c kly p i nc h e d a b i t o f Hov is ’ s fi n e s t
o n to the hook and made t h at c as t j u s t i n f ro n t o f t h e s h a p e ,
l e tting it s ink slowly down t hro u gh t he wa te r. T h e n ex t th i n g I
k n ew, I saw a big pair of li p s e n gu l f my b re a d , s o I l i f te d i n to
i t and connected with the m ov i ng o b je c t .
T h en all hell broke loose w i t h t he wa te r e r u p t i n g as i f s o m e o n e
h a d dropped a barrel into th e l ake . T h e f i gh t wa s ex p l o s ive o n
a l ittle 6ft rod, but so mu c h f un , an d t h e b e s t p a rt o f i t wa s I
m anaged to capture the wh o le t h i n g o n my G o P ro , an d i t wa s
s h own in my latest v ideo. A ga i n wh en t h e f i s h wa s ne t te d a n d
u n hooked in the water, I m ove d o f f to t he s a m e s p o t t h a t wa s
s u rrounded by beautiful w i l d f lowe r s . I co u l d n’ t b e l i eve my
l u ck that in one day I mana ge d to ba g t wo o f t h e l ake ’ s b a n g i n g
re sidents, as this place ha s a ve ry low s to c k . T h i s wa s a ve ry
s p ecial fish, as I had never c a ugh t a b i g co mm o n f ro m t h e l a ke
FREELINE 92
