freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 188
KEITH PICKET
i t looked spot-on for it . I c o u ld n’ t wa i t . It wa s fo re c a s t i n g b i g
s o uthwesterly winds up to 6 0 m p h, te mp e ra t u re s o f b et we e n
s i x to twelve degrees and a b i g d ro p i n p re ss u re – p e rfe c t .
So the morning came, a nd I wa s s o o n i n my va n w i th my
c a rp dog ‘Kooper’ ready to ma ke t he ho u r ’ s jo u rn ey d ow n to
Ca nterbury. I arrived at the la ke aro u n d 6 . 3 0 a m . A fte r h av i n g a
g o od look about , I didn’t s e e m u ch to g o o n , s o I de c i d e d to g o
i n a swim called the Right Ha n d B ai l i f f ’ s, a sw i m I h a d f i s h ed
i n previous years and kn ew i t h a d g o o d w i n te r fo r m. Af te r
g e tting set up and havi ng a go o d le a d a b o ut , I h a d s o o n fo u n d
t h ree spot s with some dece n t de p t h be t we e n fo u r - a n d - a - h a l f
to six feet , which was good , s ee i n g a s t ho ugh t h e M i l l i s a fa i rly
s h allow lake and the wate r l eve l wa s p art i c u l a rly l ow a t t h e
t i me. All three rods were s e t up t he s a me , u s in g b lowb a c k ri g s
f i s hed snowman style with t he awe so me J P re c i s i o n wi d e ga p e
h o oks that have been a ma s sive p a r t o f my a rm o u ry t h i s p a s t
ye ar. My bait of choice wa s my eve r -fa i th f u l Xc e l B ai t s V N F
b o ilies, fished over a light s c at te r i n g o f c r u s h e d VN F, s o a ke d
i n VNF liquid.
I t was only couple ho ur s un t i l my m i dd l e ro d l e t o u t two
b l eeps, then another two b l ee p s ! ! I wa s s t ra i gh t o n i t an d l i f te d
i n to a steady, plodding ca r p , b u t a s q u i c k ly as i t s ta rte d , i t
was over. Hook pull – gutte d! Fe el i n g d eva st a te d , a s t h a t c o u l d
h ave been my first fish sin c e O c to b e r, I s o o n s e t ab o u t g e t t i n g
t h e rod back out on the sp o t , a s I wa s cl e arly o n so m e f i s h .
Night soon set in, and oh my g o d , i t h as to b e o n e o f t h e wo r s t
n i ghts I have spent o n the b a nk f ro m a we a t h e r p e rsp e c tive .
T h e wind was insane; I ma n ag e d a b o u t an h o u r’ s s l e ep . At
5 . 30am, the same rod abso lu te ly we n t i n to me l td ow n . I wa s o n
i t like a shot , and before l o n g I wa s s t an d i n g i n a s to r m, we t
FREELINE 62
