Free Line 109 — October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 201
GRAHAM
ALEX
PAUL HANSON
STEVE
STEVENS
BENNETT
BRIGGS
G and set out on the afternoon of the 15th – we were buzzing like a couple
of school kids all the way up the river and into the lock. I love the feeling of
opening day on the river. We made our way through and out the other side
and all the way to the area. After re-cutting out an old swim for Nikk and a
path leading to the boat where I was staying, we were ready for the start.
Fishing-wise, the first night passed without event, but we did have a bottle
of champagne and few beers and cigars to celebrate the start of the season.
We had both prebaited our swims a couple of days before. Nikk went for a
bit of everything, whereas I went for a boilie-only approach – about 15-20kg
of Wraysbury Baits Red Hot Squid and MCNut, which were spread down the
shelf. I hadn’t put out any more free offerings other then my usual ten-bait
stringer on one of the rods and the another just the hook bait, which was
back on my ‘standard’ 18mm hardened hook bait and 16mm bright pop-up
snowman.
We were both feeling a bit worse for wear by the evening. I was confident
that my baits were still fine, and I didn’t want to disturb the swim so left
them out and went to bed. This was a good move, as in the dead of night my
right-hand rod folded over, and the spool on my reel was screaming as loud
as the bite alarm. I grabbed hold of the rod and just managed to stop the fish
going round a post in the water downstream from where I was moored. It
was sending up big, inky swirls in the dark water, pulling the boat round till
the mooring rope tightened up like something from Jaws. It was such a hard
fighting fish, and even when I got it close to the boat, it was it was trying to
pull my arm off, sending lily pads and streamer weed up from the bottom,
which floated off downstream.
After what felt like an eternity, it popped up on the surface, and I managed
to get it in the net and secured it. My heart was racing, so I steadied myself,
put the kettle on and woke Nikk up. We got the carp care, weighing kit and
camera sorted on the bank, and I went back on the boat to get the fish. On
the scales it went 31lb 4oz. At last – my first Thames thirty! This is still an
FR E ELINE 87
