freeline-99 - Flipbook - Page 230
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
DOM
PHILLIPS
GARNETT
GAYNER
p l unges sideways, already s eve ra l ya rd s dow n t h e c an a l. T h e
d rag sputters for a few sec o n d s b e fo re th e o n ly s en s a t i o n i s a
d e nse, motionless weight .
The weed on the canal i s c h ro n i c i n su m m e r, a n d by th i s
s t age I fear the worst . I ke ep a t i gh t l i n e a nd p ray t h e f i s h i s
s t i ll there. For perhap s five mi n u te s, a l l I g e t i s t h e o c c a s i o n al
t h ump to reassure me we’re s ti l l c o n n ec te d. I t ’ s o nly a s I wa l k
d own the bank and change th e a n gl e th a t t h e f i s h f in al ly b o l t s
fo r the central chan nel a ga i n , an d I b re at h e a h u g e s i gh o f
re lief. As positively as I da re , t he f i s h i s g u i d e d s l owly towa rd s
t h e bank. Along with abou t h a lf i t s ow n we i gh t i n we e d , s h e
s l i des into the net and the u n ive r s e s e e ms to f re e z e .
I shout out loud; Norbert looks almost confused. The fish
in the net is a fantastically solid mirror carp, all gaping
mouth and gold scales. It looks as surprised as us. At
fifteen-pounds-something I’m not about to win any awards
but can perhaps be forgiven for feeling slightly delirious
after all the nights on the bank and years of watching these
solid, somehow untouchable fish in the canal and longing
to catch one.
W h a t s e e m e d i m p o s s i b l e o n ly h o u r s a g o n o w l i e s i n my
h a n d s , a n d t h e o n ly t h i n g t h a t c o u l d m a ke my l i fe c o m p l e t e
i s a f r i e d b re a k fa s t . I ’ m a l re a dy l o o k i n g fo r wa rd t o t h e c a l l
f ro m my b ro t h e r a n d t h e u s u a l q u e s t i o n : “ Yo u ’ re n o t s t i l l
f i s h i n g t h a t b l o o dy c a n a l fo r c a r p a re yo u ? ”
Read more tales from Dom Garnett in Crooked Lines (£9.99).
With two dozen page-turning fishing tales from backwater
Britain to the middle of Manhattan, Dom Garnett’s acclaimed
b o o k m a k e s g r e a t r e a d i n g f o r a n y a n g l e r. O t h e r s t o r i e s i n
t h e c o l l e c t i o n i n c l u d e a j o u r n e y i n t o t h e We l s h h i l l s f o r w i l d
FREELINE 10 6
