freeline-99 - Flipbook - Page 204
BOBBY
STEVE
LEE
BILL
DICK
CRAIG
GRIFFIN
PHILLIPS
GAYNER
BRIGGS
McEVOY
COOTE
o i l of the canal, and he qu i c k ly sc o o p ed h i s n et a ro u n d i t .
I ran up the bank to see wh at he ha d c a u gh t , w i t h m o m c a l l i n g
a f ter me, but I had to see i t! He la i d t he m o n s te r o n th e g ra s s
n ext to the towpath and p a r te d th e m es h . He h e l d h e r u p fo r
m e, and her scales lit up be a ut i f u l ly i n t h e a f te rn o o n s u n sh i n e .
He smiled… “There you go , so n . T h a t’ s wh at l ive s i n h ere – a
b l oody big carp!” At that h e re tu r n e d h er to h e r wa te ry h o m e ,
a n d little did he know th at h e h ad j u st s t a rte d s o m e t h i n g
w i thin me that would live w i t h m e fo reve r, a n d s o m e 2 7 ye a rs
l a ter, that passion still bur n s away as b r i gh t ly a s i t eve r h a s .
Ever since that day I have be e n fa sc i n a te d w i th c arp a n d
c a rp fishing, but I have always h a d a so f t s p o t fo r a b i t o f c an a l
c a rping. I have walked many, m a ny mi le s t ry i n g to ca tc h t h e s e
m arauding urban legends, a n d eve r y s o o f te n I g e t l u c k y a n d
l a nd an urban monster. Le t m e t al k yo u t hro u gh s o me o f t h e
m ore mem orable moments f ro m t he “ c u t” a nd t ry to h e l p yo u ,
t h e reader, catch your own urb a n le g en d !
Doing Your Homework : M y f i r s t b i t o f a dv i c e I c a n g ive to
a nyone is to buy the angli n g we ek l i es , s co ur t h e I n te rn e t an d
walk the canals talking to t h e m atc h g uys . L o o k o u t fo r a ny
i n formation on carp catche s o r m o re s o o f b i g f i s h b e i n g l o s t .
T h is will give you the head s u p o f st re tc he s t h a t co n t a i n c a rp .
I t is also worth sharing in fo r m at i o n w i t h p e o p l e , as t h ey are
m ore likely to disclose in fo r m at i o n to yo u i f yo u he l p t h em
w i th their current target .
A few years back I help e d a yo u n g la d w i t h f i s h i n g a l a rg e
u n disclosed gravel pit and d i s cl o s e d a fe w s e c re t s to h i m t h a t
h e lped him go on and catc h h i s P B . I n re tu rn h e to ld m e o f a
s t retch of canal that co nta i n e d f i s h i n exc es s o f 30 l b a n d eve n
s e nt me the photos to prove i t! T h i s i n fo r m at i o n a lo n e l e d m e
FREELINE 80
