freeline-97 - Flipbook - Page 63
EXCLUSIVE
MY CARP
OBSESSION
We l l , h e r e s h e i s . T h e o n e
I truly wanted - the original
common.
B a c k i n A p r i l l a s t y e a r, I
photographed this fish for
To m a n d c o u l d n ’t g e t i t o u t
of my head. This season, that
interest turned into fullblown obsession.
Rewind to winter 2023, before
m y ticket even started—I h a d
a gut feeling about on e q u i e t
s wim on the back lake. I s a w
i t as a place that mi ght o n e
d a y do me a specia l one. B u t
I never fished it. Every o n e
s a id the back lake di dn’t d o
big fish. The original common
h a d n e v e r c o m e f r o m t h e r e.
Still, this season I started
baiting it. Not for a lump—just
for the odd quick night where I
could nick a bite. I kept feeding
it, week after week, without
even casting a rod.
L a s t we e k , I f i n a l l y d i d . I
turned up after work, got the
rods out during a break in the
rain, and while scattering my
@trent_baits SAS and pellet
from the island I clocked a
b i g c o m m o n c r u i si n g u n d e r a
s n a g. I a s s u m e d i t w a s B l a c k
E y e — s h e l i k e s t h e b a c k l a k e.
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