freeline-97 - Flipbook - Page 209
WAYNE IZZATT
f reak of bad luck would a lways se e m to h ap p e n to m ess t h e
c h ance up. I was in credi b ly f r us t ra te d, a s I k n ew c a rp we re
d e molishing my prebait . I h a d w i tn e s se d t h e m d o i n g s o f ro m
u p trees and in the margi n , bu t o n ly wh en I wa s o n my way
o u t the gate or the nearest sw i m wa s ra n do m ly t a ke n u s u a l ly
m i nutes before I arrived o r wa s m ov i ng ove r, a n d eve ry t i m e
I did get on the active sp o t , th e we at h er a lways s e e m e d to
a b ruptly turn for the wor s e b a n g o n t he s a m e t i m e, a n d t h e
f i s h would vanish again. It fe lt l i ke a c urs e, an d i t wa s s t ar ti n g
to drive me mad.
When you find yourself laughing back at the pit with bloodshot
eyes and a grin that resem b le s J ac k N i cko l s o n i n T he S h in i n g ,
a n d, through gritted teeth, te ll i n g t he s o l i ta ry m a g p i e t h at h a s
b e en following you aroun d to g o f * ** h i m s e l f , yo u k n ow i t ’ s
t i me for a holiday! So, on e d ay i n l ate M ay, I a rr ive d fo r a
s e ssion, having done a wo rk n i gh t t h at we e k o n ly to b e s o u l
d e stroyed by losing my fir s t b i te t ha t s p ri n g . I wa s m e t a ga i n
w i th the familiar sight of t he we at h er b e i n g b a n g - o n fo r a
p rebaited spot , but the nea re st sw i ms ha d ra n d o m ly a l s o a t
t h e same time become the m o s t p o p ul ar an d we re ta ke n . I ju s t
ke pt on driving down the tra ck , a n d s o o n fo u n d mys el f ga zi n g
over the idyllic home o f the Wa r ri o r ’ s M a te .
The lake has a low stock o f mi rro r s , o n ly a ro u n d a d o z en o r
s o I have been told , mixe d i n w i t h a la rg e r h e ad o f p r i s t i n e
c o mmons, so to pick out o n e p a r t i cu l ar m i rro r wa s n o t a
re alistic goal for a man o f hu m b le ex p e rt i s e s u ch a s m e , b u t
d i d I dare dream? Of cour s e I d i d . I a lre ady h ad a s t ro ke o f
fo rtune arriving at the pi t , a s t h e sw i m I h a d i n mi n d a s my
s t arting point was free, d es p i te b e i n g a p o p u l a r o n e , a n d I
fo und out afterwards that I h ad p as s e d an d wave d to t h e a n gl e r
FR E ELINE 97
