freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 208
MICHAEL BOND
I didn’t hear much about t he B l u e L a g o o n du ri n g th os e e a rly
ye ars of Jay running it , ju s t th e o d d f i s h c o m i n g o u t h e re a n d
t h ere, some scaly mirrors a n d so me re al ly n i ce o l d c o mm o n s
b u t nothing of any real ma g n i t ud e . T h en i t d i d a c ra c ke r, a
s c aly 40-p lus fish (think Ke mpy ’ s L i n e ar m e e t s t h e Cl i e n t) , a
re al banger of a fish, and I j us t k n ew t h at I h a d to h ave i t .
I c ontacted Jay and asked a b o u t t h e ava i la b i l i t y o f t i c ke t s . I t
would seem that the infamo u s re p u ta t i o n o f t h e B l u e L a g o o n
was still running rampan t , as wh en I f i n a l ly g o t d ow n to
a c tually fish in April, the ban ks we re v i rt ua l ly e mp t y ! I c o u l d n’ t
b e lieve my luck – just two o r t hre e l i ke mi n d ed a n gl e r s o n t h e
p i t , each with their own lit tl e p l a n to o u tfox t h i s u n n a m ed a n d
re latively unknown mi d-40 s c aly. T he l a ds I m et o n t h e b a n ks
o f the Blue lagoon, normal ly d u r i n g p re b ai t i n g s e s si o n s , we re
ve ry respectful of each ot he r ’ s “ li t t le p la n s ”, an d we j u s t l e f t
e a ch other to get on with o ur ow n li t tl e zo n e s an d re p o rte d
b a ck to each other what we we re w i t n es s i n g a ro u n d th e p i t
( well… almost everything any way ) .
I h ad heavily baited an are a kn ow n a s t he S h e l f fo r a fe w we e ks
p r ior to actually fishing w i th h em p , b o i l i e a n d p e ll e t , p o p p i n g
d own every other night to to p u p my s p o t s . I t ’ s a n are a w i t h a
ve ry shallow margin up to ab o u t 5 f t d ee p th a t ex te n d s a ro u n d
2 0 yards into the pit , an are a t ha t t h e f i s h l ove i n t h e s u n ,
b e fore dropping off sharp ly to a ro u n d 2 2 f t a t t h e b o t to m o f
t h e shelf ( where I had bee n s n e ak i ly b ai t i n g ) . T h e f i r s t wa rm
s p ring southwesterlies we re h i t t i ng t he p i t t h a t we e ke n d , a n d
I c hose to fish all three ro d s at t he b o t to m o f t h e s h el f . I wa s
s u re that the fish would b e p a tro l li n g u p an d d ow n i t s s te e p
s i de as the warm wind SHO U L D p us h th e m my way, I t ho u gh t …
I went to sleep that night t hi nk i n g th a t i t wa s o n ly my f i r s t
FREELINE 82
