freeline-99 - Flipbook - Page 224
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
DOM
PHILLIPS
GARNETT
GAYNER
But I’ve seen them: carp s o s o li d t h ey le ave yo u mes me r i z e d .
D own by t he water works yo u c an s p o t h ul k i n g , b a rrel -t h i c k
f i s h nosing through the cl e ar wa te r. O n s un ny d ays , yo u p i c k
o u t dark backs and dens e s h o u ld e r s , ga p i n g m o u t h s t h a t
c o uld swallow your fist . T h e s e a re k i n d o f c a rp t h a t h ave
c o nsumed whole summers , f l a tte n ed b a n k b a l a n c e s a n d e n d e d
re lationships. And I want to c a tc h o n e. B a d ly.
But out on this semi urba n c a n al , i t i s n’ t j us t c a r p t h a t m a ke
yo u hold your breath. I do n’ t k n ow ma ny an gl e rs wh o wo u l d
p a rk their car overnight h ere , n eve r m i n d c a m p o u t a n d f i s h .
A friend and a blunt object a re n e c es s i t i es , he re i n t h e vi ci n i t y
o f the city ’s fag end as we jo i n a c a s t o f b oy ra c e rs , d ru n ks a n d
t h e odd lost lunatic. Or i s th a t u s ?
Rob Darby, better known as “ N o rb e r t”, i s my u s u a l tow p a t h
c o mpanion, and an angler o f u nfa i li n g h u m o u r b u t d u b i o u s
FREELINE 100
