freeline102 - Flipbook - Page 180
ASH GEDEN
d own there that it had m a d e i ts mi s t a ke . I l o o ke d up a t th e
ro d tip to see it pluck and n o d t w i ce , a n d i t th e n j u s t s t a rte d
s l i ding along the deck.
I snatched the rod and s to o d u p to i n s ta n t ly s e e th e l i n e ar
ro ll on its side and surface , l az i ly th row i n g i ts he a d ab o u t f ro m
s i de to side, again coughi n g wa te r. I fe lt a b s o l u tely g u t te d i n
ways to watch all five oth e rs b o lt o f f t h e s p o t , a n d t h e fa c t
t h at I had hooked the L in a ga i n a n d t he re wa s a co m p l ete ly
d i f ferent and possibly eve n b i g g er, u n kn ow n o n e d own t h e re ,
I c ouldn’t help but feel sli gh tly un l uc k y, b u t yo u c a n’ t a lways
c h oose them, and what an awe so me way to re c a p tu re s u c h
a special creature. It was a re al o p p o r t u n i s t bi t of s t al k i n g ,
a n d I don’t think I would c ha n g e t hi ng s eve n i f I co u l d – s o me
t h ings aren’t meant to be a n d wh at i s to b e , w i l l be .
I did return the next mo rn i n g wi t h th e o n e ro d to tr y my
l u ck, but after just half an h o u r o f b e i n g t h ere , i t wa s o bv i o u s
t h ey had done the off like t hey d o , a n d i t wa s b a c k to re a l i t y
o f hunting those highly no m ad i c a n d mys te ri o u s T h ame s c a rp .
They say when your luck’s i n , yo u r lu c k’ s i n , a n d j u s t a s q u i c k ly
t h ese carp can turn up, they va n i sh f ro m yo u r h i gh ly p r i me d ,
b a ited and well sourced o ut s p o ts , i n c lu d i n g t h e k now n a re a s
f rom past and present wh ere th ey li ke to h a n g o u t . Yo u r l u c k
g o es just as easily, and it re al ly h as b e e n t h e c a s e o f b ac k to
t racking them down . They re al ly h ave d o n e t h e d i s a pp e ar i n g
t ri ck now, and since the re ca p t u re o f th e L i n , my la s t b i te f ro m
t h e Thames was on the 25 t h O c to b e r o n a wo rk ove rn i gh te r o n
a n other section of river I ha d a ls o b e e n p u tt i n g a b i t o f t i m e
i n to, a common of around 1 5 lb , b u t th ey are a l l we lc o m e .
Maybe there will be a p a r t t hre e b e fo re t h e c l o s e s e a s o n ;
yo u never know what migh t tu rn u p o n t h e T h a m e s .
FREELINE 58
