freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 170
JOHN ANDERSON
p a radise, yet again trouble st r u c k, bu t t h an k f u l ly t h i s t i m e fo r
l e ss upsetting reasons. A s t r ug gl i n g b u s i n es s ba c k h o m e f ro m
b a d management in place wi t h my f i n ge r o f f t h e p u l s e m e a n t
t h at on the 24 th of Novemb e r 2 0 1 4 , I h ad to g o b a c k .
I could write for hours a b o u t G i ll h am s , b u t yo u s i m p ly h ave
to experience it yourselve s. In t h re e v i s i t s t h ere , I c a u gh t
i n excess of 50 Siamese c a r p to 1 3 2 l b , M e ko n gs to 1 80 l b ,
a rapaimas to 240lb and a n u mb e r o f s t un n i n g s ma l l e r s p e c i e s .
Fo r me, I had a lucky o ppor t u ni ty, t he wh o le ex p eri e n c e wa s a n
i n credible chapter in my li fe . I me t s o me t r u ly a m a z i n g p e o p l e
a n d will be eternally grate f ul to S t ua r t G i ll h a m for eve ry t h i n g
h e made possible. Happy as I a m to d ay, I wi l l m i s s i t a lways …
Back to reality, an d after a fe w m o n th s g e t ti n g t h e b u s i n e s s
b u zzing again, I’d misse d mo st o f t ha t s e as o n . Fee li n g
overwhelmed as I am still to d ay, b e i n g s o l uc k y to ex p er i e n c e
what I have over the year s , my ‘ he a lt hy o b s e s s i o n’ a n d t h i r s t
fo r that UK 40 was now b i g ge r t ha n eve r. S o m e 7 0 % o f my
f i s hing life has been carpi n g . S u re ly my c h a nc e c o u l d b e s o o n ?
I was loving Blackwater mo re th a n eve r, t ak i n g t h a t wa l k ro u n d
w i th binoculars permanen tly aro u n d my ne c k . M y f i r st s e a s o n
b a ck was more than great , b e ari n g i n mi n d I d i d n’ t s t ar t u n t i l
J a nuary. I only lost o ne f i s h , l a nd e d 2 6 , b ro ke my P B t w i ce
w i th five over 35lb includ i n g o n e at 3 9 lb 1 0 o z b e fo re c l o s i n g
a t the end of May for spaw n i n g an d re st ! I wa s s o c l o s e.
September 2015 came an d B l ac k wa te r re o p e n e d , b u t t he n
c a me a much a different s to ry ! I d i d n’ t h ave t h e c h a n c e to
f i s h a great deal that seas o n , an d t he fo l low i n g s e a s o n h a d
m e totally stumped. Yes, we ’ve a ll h ad o u r s h a re o f b l a n ks ; a
f r uitless week in France c an h a p p e n, b u t f ive m o n ths o n yo u r
own water without a sniff ? So me t hi n g re al ly wa s n’ t r i gh t . N ow
FREELINE 44
