freeline102 - Flipbook - Page 97
EXCLUSIVE
mirror slipping over the net
cord. In the rain she was
unhooked safely in the net,
the rod quickly repositioned
on the spot before getting
s o m e p h o t o s d o n e. G e t t i n g
off the mark early settled the
nerves and confirmed the
approach was right.
A few hours later the rig h t-
immovable weight. From the
first few seconds I knew this
f i s h w a s d i ff e r e n t . I t d i d n ’t
t a k e l i n e. It si m p l y h e l d i t s
g r o u n d, d e e p a n d h e a v y i n
f r o n t o f m e. E v e r y m o v e m e n t
felt slow and powerful.
G r a d u a l l y sh e b e g a n t o
c o m e m y wa y. U n d e r t h e r o d
t i p q u i c k e r t h a n I e x p e c t e d,
h a nd rod was away again. T h i s
o n e felt heavier, ploddi ng d e e p
b e fore eventually revea l i n g
i t s elf as a stunning 33l b mi r r o r.
Two bites . Two quality f i s h .
O n Monument 1. In Februa r y. I
w as already more than h a p p y.
But as anglers, we’re n e v e r
q u ite satisfied.
The rain continued and
I retreated to the bivvy to
cook some food and warm
up. Bite time felt like it had
passed. I started tying up
fresh rigs, thinking ahead
to the night and possibly a
m o r n i n g o p p o r t u n i t y.
Then the right-han d r o d
p u lled up tight. The re was n o
s c reaming run — just s o l i d,
I initially assumed it was
another good 30. But when I
t r i e d t o l i f t he r i n t h e w a t e r,
s h e w o u l d n ’t r i s e. S h e j u s t
c i r c l e d i n f r o n t o f m e, h e a v y
a n d d e l i b e r a t e. T h a t ’s w h e n
t h e t h o u g h t c r e p t i n . Co u l d
this be one of the 40s?
M y k n e e s w e r e s h a k i n g.
Ti m e f e l t l i k e i t h a d s l o w e d
d o wn . T h e f i g h t s e e m e d t o g o
o n f o r e v e r, t h e f i s h k i t i n g a n d
h o l d in g d e e p b e f o r e e v e n t u a l l y
r i s i n g s l i g h t l y. T h e n s h e r o l l e d .
I n t h a t sp l i t s e c o n d, I r e a l i s e d
e x a c tl y wh a t I w a s a t t a c h e d
to. It was the biggest fish in
t h e l a k e.
T h e r e st o f t h e f i g h t f e l t l i k e
a b l u r. S o m e h o w, a f t e r w h a t
BigCarp 95
