freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 218
MICHAEL BOND
T h e following morn ing, I wa s wo ke n by my a l ar m a b s o l u te ly
o n e-toning, and the spool wa s i n m el td ow n – t h e t y p e o f ru n yo u
j u st know is a carp! I grabb ed t h e ro d a n d li f te d in to a p owe rf u l
f i s h. It had kited right duri n g t he i ni ti a l r u n, t a k i n g a ro u n d 4 0
ya rds of line. I had to wade o u t i n to t he p i t to ch a n g e t h e a n gl e
b e fore it took me through an ove rh an g i n g t re e to my ri gh t . As
I c lamped down on the fis h , s to p p i n g i ts f i r s t ru n , i t c a m e u p
t h rough the water layers an d ro l le d o n t h e s u rfa c e a bo u t 5 06 0 yards o ut . The distinctive s c a le p at te r n wa s cl early v i s i b l e,
a n d I knew exactly which o n e i t wa s – t he b i g ’ u n – t h e wh o l e
re ason why I was there! I j u s t e as e d t h e c lu tc h o f f o n t h e re e l
a n d gingerly dragged her towa rd my hu n g r y n e t .
S h e charged up and down t h e ma rg i n fo r a fe w m i n u te s b u t
eventually went in the ne t se c o n d ti me af te r s o me d es p e ra te
l a st minute bids for freed o m , t h e t y p e o f p owe rf u l k i c ks a n d
l u nges that convince you i t’ s a b o u t to fa ll o f f a n d l e ave yo u r
p oxy rig in a tree. But in t h e n e t s h e eve n tu a l ly we n t , a n d I
k n ew I needn’t recast – th e jo b wa s d o n e . T h e o t h er t wo ro d s
were wound in and the ca ll wa s ma d e. N ow I h a d a c h o i c e o f
t h ree people I could call t h at mo r n i n g to c o m e a n d d o t h e
s h ots, including a guy 2 0 0 ya rd s dow n t h e b a n k , b u t wh e n
yo u have a pal who lives te n m i n ute s away, a p a l who’ s b e e n
c h asing the same fish for t h re e ye ar s , a p a l wh o’ s b i rt h d ay i t
was that morning too… how co ul d I n o t c al l h i m? S o S a m wa s
c a lled, and he arrived in h i s c a r a ro u n d 2 0 m i n u te s l ate r. I
was greeted with the “dea th s t a re ” (I ’ d c au gh t h i s f i s h o n h i s
b i rthday), so there were t wo a n gl er s s a t by a l a ke a t 7a m i n
t h e morning – one is ecstat i c a n d t h e o th e r ? H m m … n o t s o t s o
m uch! Ha ha ha! Thankf ully S a m to o k s o me a m a z i n g s h o ts t h a t
m orning and really di d the s ca ly mi r ro r j u st i c e
FREELINE 92
