freeline-98 - Flipbook - Page 208
RICHARD SKIDMORE
who was still trying to fin d h i s te et h ! ! G e t ti n g to G re e n b a n ks
a n d dodging round B owski ll ’s Tre e, I c o ul d j u s t m a ke J ac k o u t
f u rther up the pool in tha t fa mo u s g re en k n i t te d jum p e r a n d
t wo-tone bobble hat . He wa s c ro u c he d un d er a w i l l ow, ro d
i n full bat tle curve. I was s o o n by h i s s i de … “ I t ’ s a g o od ’ u n ,
R i ch,” he said with a twin kl e i n h i s eye a n d t h at w ry s m i l e
a s he played the fish ‘keggy ha n d ed ’ as we s ay u p n o r t h ( l e f t
h a nded). Soon Bill was o n t he s c en e we ar i n g h i s t ra d e m a rk
c h ecked flat cap. He quickly c li m b ed a ne a rby t re e fo r a b e t te r
l o ok and to inform us, “I t’ s de f i n i te ly a g o o d ’ u n .” J a c k wa s
s t i ll in his familiar carpet s li p p ers , s o I q ui c k ly p i c ke d u p h i s
waders and put them on, g ra b b i n g ho ld o f hi s n e t at t h e s a m e
t i me (the one with fish he ’ d c a u gh t re co rd ed o n t h e h a n d l e ) ,
a n d I slipped quietly into t h e ‘M i re …
By now the carp had b e en co axe d c lo s e r to u s by J a ck ’ s
ex pertise when Bill sho ute d,
“It’s that 4ft long commo n , Hi l ti ! I c a n s e e i t ’ s as p l ai n as
d ay!!” Jack kept his cool as th e f i s h c am e c lo se r, w i t h i n to u c h i n g
d i stance now, and I could s ee i t wa s b i g … n o , H UG E ! I t h ad
d e finitely got the beating o f Wa lke r’ s re co rd by a g o o d 1 5 i f
n o t 20lbs. My heart was ra ci ng a s I s t re tc he d o u t th e wa i t i n g
n e t , and the fish slid strai gh t i n … J a ck s h o u te d , “ L I F T ! ”
“ RING” RING” RING”… Th e b lo o dy a l ar m c l o c k wo ke me u p .
“ Why does that always hap p en ? ” I t ho ugh t , a s I d ra gg e d mys e l f
d ownstairs to get ready fo r wo rk . I ’d j u st l e f t s c ho o l a fe w
weeks ago and got a job as an ap p re n ti c e b ri c k l aye r. We we re
p o inting an old glass ki ln u p fo r t he N a t i o n al Tru st – n o h e a l t h
a n d safety in those days. I wa s j us t s a t o n a n o l d s c a f fo l d i n g
b a tting 200ft up, no harn e ss o r a ny t h i n g . T h a t d i d n’ t re a l ly
b o ther me though… my ma i n c o n ce r n wa s how I c o u l d wa n gl e
FREELINE 86
