freeline-97 - Flipbook - Page 214
WAYNE IZZATT
a n d body twisting attempt s a t s he d d i n g th e ho o k . I m an a g ed to
t u rn her, and she began to ki te o n a t i gh t li ne a l l t h e way i n to
my margin to my right , wh i c h wa s li t te re d w i t h ove rh a n g i n g
b ranches and roots – she wa s n o fo o l . I h a d n o c h o i c e b u t to
h o p into the lake up to my c h e st to g e t t h e b es t angl e I c o u l d
a s I stretched every tendo n i n my b o dy to ex te n d t he t i p a s fa r
o u t as possible and keep t h e p re ss u re o n. I fe l t t he d re a d e d
g rating of line against th e s n ag g y b ra n ch es a s s h e tri e d to
s mash me off in there, and wa s m u tte r i n g to mys e l f , “ N o , n o ,
n o …” over and over like a b ro ke n re co rd a s fe a r o f a l o s s b e ga n
to wash over me.
B u t t h i s i s w h e re my e n d g e a r o f 3 f t o f f l u o ro c a r b o n l e a d e r
a n d t e n ya rd s o f 3 0 l b s b ra i d e d s h o c k l e a d e r c a m e i n t o p l ay,
a n d s l o w ly a n d a g o n i s i n g ly I m a n a g e d t o m a n e uve r t h e f i s h
b a c k t h ro u g h t h e ove r h a n g i n g b ra n c h e s a n d e ve n t u a l ly
p e r s u a d e d h e r i n t o o p e n wa t e r w i t h o u t d i s a s t e r. H e re s h e
p o we re d p a s t m e a t a b o u t 2 0 ya rd s ’ ra n g e , a n d t h ro u g h my
Po l a ro i d g l a s s e s , I c a u g h t a g l i m p s e o f a n o ra n g e - t o n e d f l a n k
w i t h a d i s t i n c t c o l o u r d i f fe re n c e e a c h s i d e o f t h e l a t e ra l l i n e ,
a n d I t h o u g h t t o mys e l f , “ M i r ro r ! ” I c a n t e l l yo u , I we n t ve r y
e a s y o n h e r f ro m t h e n o n n o w t h a t s h e wa s o u t o f t h e wo r s t
d a n g e r z o n e s , a s s h e p l o d d e d f ro m l e f t t o r i g h t i n f ro n t o f m e
fo r s e ve ra l m i n u t e s , a l l t h e t i m e t w i s t i n g a ro u n d . Ya rd - byya rd , I p e r s u a d e d h e r c l o s e r a s s h e t i re d , w i t h my h e a r t i n
my m o u t h , t h e n i n c h - by- i n c h a s s h e f i n a l ly t o o k a g u l p o f a i r,
a n d ove r t h e c o rd s h e we n t .
I looked down and was b l ow n away a t a la rg e a n d p reh i s to r i c
l o oking plated back, and i n th e wa te r, I t i lte d h e r o n h e r s i d e i n
t h e net to make sure it wa sn’ t a re ca p t u re o f t h e Wa rr i o r, a n d
i t wasn’t . I couldn’t believe my l uc k an d s to o d t h e re h o l d i n g
FREELINE 102
