freeline-99 - Flipbook - Page 191
DICK GAYNER
BOBBY
COOTE
n i ce 20lb common. We had a g o o d l au gh th a t n i gh t an d d o z e d
o f f happy with our start . We b o t h g o t up a s i t wa s ge t t i n g
l i ght , and to our horror we c o u ld s e e a n o th e r a n gl e r wal k i n g
towards us with his kit . T hi s wa s a b i t o f a sh o c k , a s we re a l ly
weren’t expecting to see anyo n e t ha t e arly, a n d w i th f i s h i n g
g e ar too…
The lad introduced hi mse lf a n d s a i d h e h a d b e e n b ait i n g e a rly
m ornings for a while furth e r dow n t h e b an k . T h i s wa s h a n dy,
a s he had something go in g o f h i s ow n , s o we wo u l d n’t c l a s h
w i th our angling, and wi t h h i m b e i n g t he re ea rly m o r n i n g s
t h at would explain why ou r p a t hs h a d n’ t cro s s e d u n t i l n ow, as
I was always at the lake in t h e eve n i n gs . T h e l a d ha d n o t b ee n
t h ere for long and he was i nto a g o o d f i s h , a re a l ly g o o d o n e
fo r the lake. We wen t to give h i m a h a nd w i th t h e we i gh i n g a n d
p h otographing of this qui te s p e c i al co mm o n t h a t b roke ove r
t h e 30lb b arrier and migh t n eve r h ave b e en c a u gh t be fore . I t
wasn’t one I recognised. T he re i s so me t hi n g a b o u t a b i g c a rp
t h at helps form long -term f r i en d s h i p s , a n d t h i s f i s h c e rta i n ly
d i d that . We were all buzzi n g t h at d ay fo r o u r n e w m a te , B o b by.
W ithin a couple of hours we we n t f ro m ‘ wh o t h e f u c k i s t h i s ? ’
to seeing what time we we re me et i n g t he n ex t m o r n i n g fo r
m ore laughs and stories.
We gave the spot anothe r h i t o f ba i t , as i t wa s re a s o n ab ly
q u iet fish-wise. Mark and I ma n a ge d a c o u p l e o f f i sh th ro u gh
t h e day. We were going to si t th e s u mm e r d ay o u t i n t h e me ga
b u sy public access boating la ke ( no t fo r t h e fa i n t h ea r te d ) wh i l e
B o bby was doing his favoure d i n - an d -o ut ap p ro a c h d oi n g ea rly
m ornings. (We later went o n to ca l l i t ‘ do i n g a B o b by ’, a s t h i s
a p proach was working so we ll fo r h i m .
On June 17 th , the spot wa s to p p ed u p a n d re a dy to g o . M a rk
FR E ELINE 6 7
