freeline102 - Flipbook - Page 187
BARY OCONNOR
p roject , to remove the silve r f i s h t h at we re in a b un d a n ce a n d
were surprised at what c a me o u t . A l th o u gh p ri n c i p a lly to
re move the silver fish, inev i ta b ly a fe w ca rp g o t c a u gh t u p i n
t h e net . To our amazement th i r te en o f t h em we re over th i rt y
p o unds. To say it was an eye o p en e r wa s a n u n d e r s t ate m en t .
We drive p ast Christine eve ry t i m e we g o to f i s h Pep p e r. We ’ ve
h a d no more than a few o f s e s si o n s o n Chr i s t i n e i n a l l t h e
ye ars we’ve been fishing a t Co t t i n gto n . T h es e we re m o s t ly
s o cial sessions where the f i sh i n g wa sn’ t t he p r i n c i p a l re a s o n
fo r being there. This was al l ab o u t to c h a ng e th o u gh .
Having spoken to Gary an d D ar re n , th e ow n e rs o f Co t t i n g to n
L a kes Fishery, they kindly a g re ed to l et u s f i s h i t exc l u s ive ly.
T here were two reasons fo r t h i s: O n e wa s o bv i o u s ly to s e e
i f and what we could catc h. T h e o t h er re as o n wa s t ha t we ’ ve
b e en thinking of how we c o ul d ex p a n d o ur E l i te Ca rp M as te rs
c o mpetition next year and wa n te d to ex p l o re t h e p o ss i b i l i t y
o f incorporating Christine as we ll as Pe p p e r. Any way, a d a te
was set for our session, an d t he la ke wa s o u r s fo r s eve n t y- t wo
h o urs. We invited two angl ers to j o i n u s o n t h i s s e s s i o n . O n e
was Paul (Mango) Mander s o n wh o i s a b ai l i f f a t Co t ti n g to n
a n d also a very good frien d o f o u rs . M a n go i s a g o o d a l l - ro u n d
a n gler, and he helps us ru n t he E l i te Co m p e t i t i o n to o . T h e
o t her angler who would be jo i n i n g u s wa s Sc o t tt G e ez e r G ra n t .
S c ottt is also a very goo d f r i e n d an d to p ca r p a n gle r wh o we
h ave fished with before. A l l fo u r o f us we re exc i ted at t h e
p rospect of having a serio u s g o o n Ch r i s ti n e .
The date was set for the b e g i n n i n g o f M ay, wh i c h s o o n c a me
a round. Ben couldn’t ma ke th e f i rs t day b e c a u s e o f wo rk
c o mmitments, but the rest o f u s we re t h ere n i c e a n d e a rly.
We couldn’t get on the lake u n ti l a ro u n d mi d d ay, s o we we n t
FR E ELINE 6 5
