freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 164
JOHN ANDERSON
s everal years. In fact 19 9 8 , I we n t o f f to Ho l l an d fo r q u i te
s o me time, then Cyprus an d M a j o rc a. Eve n th o u gh f i sh i n g wa s
o f ten talked about often an d o p p o r t un i t i e s c a m e to g o wh i l e
a b road, I didn’t fish o nce!
I n 2002, slightly burnt ou t b u t g r i n n i n g f ro m s o m e awe s o m e ,
i f not a tad crazy, experienc e s , I m ove d b a ck to E n gl a n d . Ab o u t
e i ght years had passed sin c e I la s t f i s h ed p ro p e rly, a n d I wa s
b u sting to catch up with my o ld ma te s a n d du s t d ow n my g e a r.
L o ts of things had changed su c h a s P VA fo a m … h ow g o o d wa s
t h at? Gone were the days o f d r i ll i n g Ch um m i xe rs a n d t h re a d i n g
t h ree onto PVA string. Som e g re at n ew th i n g s h ad p op p ed u p ,
b u t again, I decided not to g et to o c lo ud e d by n ew s t u f f a n d
ke ep it simple with the im p o r t an t th i n g s li ke wa te rc ra f t s t u f f ,
t h e way I remembered bei n g t a ugh t .
I fished most Thursday n i gh ts fo r seve ra l ye a rs ; d ou b l e s we re
c o mmonplace, 20s came o f te n , wh i c h b l e w m e away, a n d my
f i rst 30-pounder was incre di b le . I eve n h a d a 30 - p lu s c o m m o n
o n my float rod! Thi s wa s th e d re am f i s h i n g t h a t D ad an d I
h a d always talked about , an d I wa s we ll an d t ru ly b a c k o n i t ,
s p ending time with my old m a te s an d m a ki n g n e w f r i en d s to o .
I found new venues to try to o : Hu n ts Co rn e r, S an d h u rs t a n d my
f i rst foreign trip to Survij a i n B e lg i u m, n o t a n e a sy wa te r by
a ny standards, but on my s e co n d t ri p I m a na g e d two c o m m o n s
o f 24lb 2oz and 29lb 15o z fo r my ef fo rt s o f f th e s u rfa c e a n d a
m assive 48lb 4oz mirror fro m a b o tto m b ai t . Ch ri s ’ s Juv i g ny a t
M arne Valley was good too , re wa rd i n g me w i t h s eve ra l c a rp to
4 4 lb 10oz and a 52lb 10 o z We ls c a tf i sh .
Reflecting on those first fe w ye ars b ac k f ro m my tim e a b ro a d ,
I h ad to take my hat off to f ri e n ds w i th t he i r c o n t i n u e d p a s s i o n
a n d effort during my abs e n ce , c re at i n g s o m e g re a t wa te rs
FREELINE 38
