Free Line 108 — September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 201
TONY SWEETAPPLE
THAMES
CARPER
M y Thames love affair starte d ei gh t ye ars a g o af te r g et t i n g
b o red with match fishing an d t h e s am e d ay t i c ke t wate rs . I
h ave always been fascinate d wi t h la ke s an d rive rs eve r s i n c e
I was a young boy so knew th e rive r wa s t h e c h al l e n g e … a n d
what a challenge it was an d st i l l i s . I s t ar te d f i s h i n g w i t h my
m ate Dan who was already s t ar t i n g to d o we l l . Af te r a fe w
s e ssions, I hooked into my f i rs t T h a me s c a r p . I wa s b u z zi n g –
i t went 18lb 4oz on the scal es , a c o m mo n w i t h a s t ub b e d fa c e .
N ow I wanted more. I ended th a t s e as o n wi t h o n e m o re c o m m o n
o f 17lb. Now I couldn’t wa i t fo r th e n ex t s e a s o n . Th e n ex t
c o uple of seasons I didn’ t d o mu c h, a s a t t h e t i m e I d i d n’ t
d r ive. I did get three new P B s , we ll i f I c a n c o u n t mys e l f t h a t
i s . The first was a 26 lb mir ro r, a n d th e s e co n d wa s f ro m a n e w
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