freeline-99 - Flipbook - Page 228
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
DOM
PHILLIPS
GARNETT
GAYNER
i n the silly hours of the m o r n i n g b ec o m e a r u n n i n g j o ke .
P rebaiting is a must too, i f yo u h o p e to we a n t h e s e c a rp o f f
t h eir natural diet . And wh i le any fo o l ca n s ub d u e a b i g f i s h i n
a featureless pond, the stu p e n do us ly t h i ck we e d h e re m a ke s
a nything but the toughest t a c kl e a l i a b i li t y. So yes , we ’ re g re a t
o n the theory, just not so h o t o n c a tc hi ng any t h i n g.
The sun glows red before i t d row n s o n t he wa te r. T he m o o n
i s up, and in the fadi ng l i gh t , yo u c an fo l low t h e b ri d g e i n
t h e distance, hear the hiss o f t h e ro a d an d n ow a n d a ga i n t h e
wayward howl of a siren . A n d he re we are l i ke h i tc hh i ke rs
s t uck on a verge, a thin stri p o f g re en b e twe e n c a na l a n d rive r,
s teel barrier one side, a lo n g an d m u d dy d ro p o n t h e o t h e r.
B ut these are things I try n o t to dwe ll o n .
The electricity pylons lo o m i n a g re at row t h ro u gh t h e
f i e lds across the river beh i n d us . A j ury o f c o rm o ra n t s s p a n
t h e wires like bad langua ge sc rawl ed o n b l a c k l i n e s. I t ’ s t h e
wait that is the real test , t h e re al ki l le r. Ha n g i n g a b o u t a n d
h o ping… waking up in the d r i z zl e a n d wa i ti ng , a lways wa i t i ng .
B ut perhaps it‘s the chasm b et we en a h ug e f is h a n d a b s o lu te ly
n o thing that compels us. A s a ny d i e h ard an gl e r u n d ers ta n d s ,
fo r the possibility of sudd e n el a ti o n to ex i s t t h e re m u s t a l s o
b e the pos sibility of failure .
The stat istics alone are l et h al . Ta ki n g a s i p f ro m a d i rt y
m ug, Norbert attempts the ma th e ma t i c s o f t h e i mp o s s i b l e : S i x
n i ghts; Two rods per man, aro u n d te n k i lo s o f b a i t , t h i r t y o r s o
m ozzie bites, several litre s o f te a a n d a h un d re d o f N o rb e rt ’ s
s k inny roll ups, three doze n o r s o c as t s fo r t h a t p al t ry v i t a l
f i gure… and one lost carp , h o o ke d fo r a ll o f t h i rt y gl o r i o u s
s e conds before becoming n o th i n g mo re th a n s l a c k l i n e a n d
words I can’t repeat . We have p r i m e b a i ts a n d s p ec im e n ta c k l e ,
FREELINE 10 4
