freeline102 - Flipbook - Page 198
ASH
BARRY
GEDEN
OCONNOR
b o ilies. His setup was muc h t h e s am e a s m i n e . W hy c h a n ge
s o mething that works ok? B e n a n d I are n o t o n e s fo r c h o p p i n g
a n d changing. We prefer to re ly o n ri g s t ha t h ave s e r ve d u s
well in the past . It wasn’ t lo n g b e fo re B e n h a d a t we n t y o n
t h e bank. It was a beauti f u l m i r ro r th a t we i gh e d i n a t 2 2 l b
6 o z. Later that even ing, B en h a d a n o th e r t we n t y a t 2 5l b 8o z.
By now, Ben had made his ma rk o n Ch r i s ti n e a n d wa s p l e a s e d
w i th the two twenties he’d ca u gh t . T he n i gh t p as s e d by b u t n o t
w i thout incident . Scottt la n d ed a 2 0 l b 2 o z m i rro r a n d a n 18 l b
m i rror. Not to be outdone, I c hi p p e d i n wi t h 2 1l b c o m m o n a n d
a 19lb 10oz mirror. Ben a nd M a n g o a dd e d to t h e to t al w i t h a
d o uble each.
Next morning the sun wa s u p e a rly a nd so we re we . We we re
h o ping the carp would sh ow, a n d t hey d i d n’ t d i s a p p oi n t u s
– n ot all showing in o ne p l a ce b u t i n c e r ta i n a re a s aro u n d t h e
l a ke. We’d all caught , but i t wa s s ti l l a c o n f i d e n c e b o o s te r to
s e e the carp showin g arou n d t h e la ke . I wa s t h e f i rs t to c a tc h
o n that morning, an d it wa s a f i n e c o m mo n o f 2 9 l b 2 o z. T h e
s e ssion was going well. I co ul d s e e S co tt t wa s p l ay i n g a n o t h er
o n e, so I reeled in and we n t ro u n d to n e t i t fo r h im . He wa s
h aving a r ight row with it b u t g ra du a lly g o t i t to t h e n e t . As
i t neared the net we could s e e i t wa s a g o o d c o m mo n. W h e n i t
was in the net we had a lo o k a t i t , a nd b oy i t wa s a l u m p . We
d u ly weighed it and the scal e s s to p p ed a t 3 5 l b 8 o z . Wow, wh a t
a carp. Scott was well plea s e d wi t h i t .
Later that day, I had a s c re am e r o n my ri gh t h a n d ro d . As
I picked the rod up, the li n e wa s c u t ti n g t h ro u gh t h e wa te r
ve ry fast towards the bank o n my r i gh t . B e c a u s e t h e wa te r i s
s h allow, the carp was maki n g a b ow wave a c ro s s t h e wa te r. B en
h a d seen the run an d was o n h i s way ro u n d to m e . He a rrive d
FREELINE 76
