Free Line 108 — September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 156
MARK COOKSON
t i m e h a d p a s s e d , s o I q u i c k l y w o u n d i n a n d t h e n fo u n d my s e l f
s e a rc h i n g fo r t h o s e e l u s i ve S t o n e a c re s c a r p . G o i n g b a c k t o t h e
a re a , I t r i e d t o p u rs u e o n e t h e d ay b e fo re . N o t h i n g m u c h wa s
o c c u r r i n g , b u t I d i d n o t i c e t h e f i s h w e re m o re o f f t h e w i n d n o w,
t w e n t y t o t h i r t y ya rd s s ay. T h i s t i m e , i n ste a d o f u s i n g a b r i g h t
p o p - u p , I s w i tc h e d t o a Kr i l l wa f te r a n d p l a c e d i t p e r fe c t l y o n
t h i s l i tt l e g rave l p a tc h w h i l e n o t h i n g wa s t h e re . I n ste a d o f
sta n d i n g u p t r y i n g t o wa tc h t h e m ta ke my h o o k b a i t m e s s i n g
w i t h my b ra i n , I d e c i d e d t o s i t b a c k a n d p a t i e n t l y wa i t .
A b o u t a n h o u r p a s s e d , a n d o u t o f t h e b l u e my ro d w e n t i n t o
m e l td o w n . M y h e a r t ra c e d a s I q u i c k l y j u m p e d u p t o g ra b my
ro d , t h e c a r p st r i p p i n g 5 0 / 6 0 ya rd s o f l i n e g o i n g l e f t t o wa rd s
s o m e o ve r h a n g i n g t re e s , s o I w e n t st ra i g h t i n t h e l a ke w i t h n o
h e s i ta t i o n . A f te r a te n - m i n u te b a tt l e , w h i c h fe l t l i ke a h o u r, I
g o t t h e f i s h a b o u t t w e n t y ya rd s a way f ro m t h e b a n k . I t h e a d
a n d ta i l e d , t r y i n g e ve r y t h i n g t o d i tc h t h e r i g . I t l o o ke d b i g , a n d
I s a w i t s h e av i l y p l a te d s c a l e s , a n d t h e n I k n e w w h i c h f i s h t h i s
wa s . S tay i n g c a l m , I s l o w l y wa l ke d o u t f u r t h e r i n t h e l a ke , a s
n o w t h e f i s h ’s h e a d wa s u p , a n d i t l o o ke d re a d y fo r t h e n e t . At
t h e f i rst t i m e o f a s k i n g , i t w e n t o ve r t h e c o rd _ G E T I N !
A s l o o ke d d o w n , i t t o o k my b re a t h a way. T h e re wa s t h e N o . 9
B u s ! I c o u l d n ’ t b e l i e ve i t , a f te r c o m i n g c l o s e t o c a tc h i n g i t t h e
d ay b e fo re . A q u i c k p h o n e c a l l t o M y l e s , w h o i n fo r m e d D a n , h e
wa s s o o n ro u n d w i t h S c o tt a n d Pe te t o g i ve m e h a n d a n d ta ke
s o m e r i d i c u l o u s l y g o o d p h o t o s . I t t i p p e d t h e s c a l e s a t 4 3 l b 4 oz
a n d wa s a n e w P B fo r m e j u st t o p u t t h e i c i n g o n t h e c a ke . I t
wa s t i m e t o g e t h e r b a c k , s o w e t o o k a c o u p l e o f wa te r s h o t s ,
a n d I g o t a t ra d i t i o n a l L i n c h s o a k i n g . I wa tc h e d h e r d r i f t o f f
i n t o t h e d e p t h s t o f i g h t a ga i n a n d m a ke s o m e b o d y e l s e ’s d re a m
come true.
FREELINE 46
