freeline-96 - Flipbook - Page 252
BOBBY
JACK
THOMPSON
COOTE
around to 26lb! I really couldn’t believe I had managed a brace
of thirties and a mid-twenty in two short days. What a perfect
way to end my time at this magical place and walk away with a
big grin on my face and my head held high.
I had pretty much finish ed e di ti n g my v i d e o o f Fo rbid d e n
Ro utes 2 when one hot eve n i n g a f te r wo rk , I t h o u gh t I wo u l d
p u ll into the golf course la ke fo r a l o o k . O ve r t h e ye a rs I t h i n k
I have caught pretty much eve ry t h i n g t h at sw i m s i n t h e ve ry
l ow stock lake, all excep t a 2 0 lb f ul ly s ca l ed m i rro r t h a t I ’ ve
s e en countless times. T ha t l o o k t u rn e d o u t to b e o n e o f t h o s e
h o urs that couldn’t have g o n e a ny b e tte r. A f te r s p ot ti n g th e
f i s h, I ran back to the van to g ra b th e ki t . T h e re i s o n e r u l e I
s e t myself when fishing th i s la ke , a n d t h a t i s to ke e p to o n e
s i de, whic h is covered by wo o d s . T h e o t h er s i d e i s l i te ra l ly
o n the green of a golf cour s e , b u t s ee i n g t he f i s h o n th a t s i d e
was more than enough en c o u ra g em en t I n ee d e d to b re ak my
own rule. This fish was rath e r wi s e an d to o k a l o t l o n g e r t h a n
ex pected to entice wi th th e b re ad , b u t eve n t u a l ly I m a n ag e d
to get him to take it . I’m n o t s ure why, b ut wh e n p e o p l e a re
g e tting close and time is o f t h e es s e nc e , eve ry t h i ng s e e m s to
g o wrong with the fight . T h i s f i s h m an a g e d to we e d me u p
fo r around five minutes, a n d I co ul d he a r th e g o l fers g e t t i n g
c l oser and closer. With ve ry li t t le t i m e to s p a re , i t c a m e o u t ,
a n d I managed to get the f i s h n e tte d a n d d i s a p p e a red i n to t h e
woods wit h my prize for t he s ho t . A s th e la ke c o n t i n u e s i n to
t h is area, I could release he r s afe ly w i t ho u t b e i n g c a u gh t . T h i s
f i s h was just as incredi ble a s I b e l i eve d i t wo u l d b e a n d s u re ly
was the perfect end to thi s i n s ta l me n t .
I really don’t know how I am go i n g to to p t hi s am a zi n g s p r i n g ,
b u t I am certainly go ing to t r y ! B r i n g o n Fo rb i d d e n Ro u te s 3 !
FREELINE 10 8
