freeline-98 - Flipbook - Page 184
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
PAUL
PHILLIPS
WILKINSON
GAYNER
walked back to my swim a n d o n t he way ba c k , Kev p i p e d u p :
“ Has he got it , Trev. He b e tte r h ad , a s h e wo ke m e u p ! ” S o ,
w i th Kev in tow and back i n my sw i m, t h e re s h e wa s i n my n e t ,
s a fely in the margin. “T h at ’s Cl are a l r i gh t ,” s a i d Kev ’ s fa c e ,
a n d his was a picture. He to o wa n te d Cl are l i ke ma ny o t h e rs .
I ’ l l never forget that captu re – t ha t o n e i s lo c ke d away fo r th e
re st of my days.
Over the years, before an d d u ri n g my t i me t h e re , t h e re h ave
b e en some great anglers, s o m e o f th e m ve r y we l l - k n ow n a n d
s o me not so, but still very g o o d th i n k i n g a n gl e rs . T h e l a te Ro b
Hu tchinson, Kevin M addo c ks , Pe te r M o h a n an d A l a n D ow n i e
h ave all had a go on there i n t h e ea rly d ays w i t h A l a n D ow n i e
h o lding the lake reco rd mi r ro r, a mi r ro r n a me d S p i ke a t 36 l b s .
Kevin Maddocks describe d hi s t i m e o n th e re a s h ard wo rk
a n d considered it to be on e o f th e mo s t d i f f ic u l t la ke s h e h as
f i s hed, even rating it in h i s B e e kay G ui d e to Ca rp Wa te rs a s
ve ry diffic ult .
The lake is a stunning cre sc e n t s h a p e d, l i ke t h e c a n a l i t o n c e
was. Full of reeds, lilies a n d s n ag s w i th ove rh a n g i n g t re e s ,
b u shes and willows. The l ake wa s aro u n d 2 f t to 4 f t i n mo s t
p l aces and slightly deeper th ro u gh mi d d l e to 4 . 5 f t , wh i c h wa s
p o ssibly an old river run. T h e re we re s o m e g rave l a re a s c l o s e
i n but generally it was ex t re me ly si l t y l i ke m o s t es t a te l a ke s
w i th in fact 400-plus year s o f s i lt i n .
Wormleybury was truly a b e au t i f u l p l ac e to b e w i t h foxe s ,
b a dgers and deer roamin g t he fo re st a t n i gh t . T h a t wa s a n
ex perience fishing out in t he wo o d s , a s i t wa s ex t re m ely
e e rie and at night – that b la c k th a t yo u c o u l d n o t m a ke o u t
a nything, not even your ha n d . A l l t he sw i ms we re n a m e d , a n d
even though there were 17 o r mo re th ey d i d n o t i n te rfe re w i t h
FREELINE 62
