Free Line 109 — October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 214
ALEX
GRAHAN
PAUL HANSON
STEVE
BENNETT
BRIGGS
STEVENS
2oz fish, I was still buzzing and well happy for him.
After two months of working from dawn till dusk, it was finally ready. The
River Monkey was born! I’ve cut the story on this one short, as I’ve started
a Facebook page for it (River Monkey), which you’re welcome to look at
or like. After the initial Launch and joyrides with friends and family, it was
finally time to get fishing. I still wanted a carp from the granite section but
struggled to find somewhere I was happy to fish. That was until on the last
lap of the section on my first fishing trip, when I remembered the occurrence
I’d had the year before in the Fallen Tree swim.
I quickly spun the boat round and headed to the spot. I first had to make
sure the bigger boat fitted in the same hole as Project G, and it did. I quickly
deposited a bucket of Wraysbury Baits Red Hot Squid on one spot and headed
back home. I returned to the boat a couple of days later, which was now the
15th of August. After the long journey up the other end of the section, I was
relieved to find the swim empty. The boat was moored up with minimal fuss,
and the rods went out just before dark. A procession of bream then followed
on the left and middle rods until daylight. I thought it was a bit strange that
I’d not had anything on the right-hand rod, as it was on that spot I’d put the
majority of the prebait on. When I picked up the rod, I found out why. It was
snagged solid! I tried everything I could to get it free, but eventually pulled
for a break. I hate doing that, but it was making a mess of the swim. I tied on
another complete setup and cast it back to the spot.
By then it was starting to rain, and I was on the phone to a friend, Ryan
Boyda, telling him about the endless bream when the right-hand rod finally
went. I threw the phone down on the bed and shouted to Ryan to hang up. I
fully expected it to be yet another bream, but something was different. The
fish came straight towards me, went under the boat and attempted to get
down the upstream margin, the same as the ‘occurrence’ that I’d had the year
before. I had to ‘give it the butt’ and beast it out. When it eventually surfaced,
it looked a good fish with a massive head and wide across the shoulders. I
FREELINE 100
