november-2026-free-line-part-2 - Flipbook - Page 69
FREE LINE / FIELD JOURNAL
KEVIN HASKINS
FIELD NOTES
I awoke when it got light, went down to the front of the swim, and noticed
the line on that left hand rod was crossing over the right hand line. On
picking up the rod, the line was tight into the overhanging trees to the right
of the swim, and I could still reel something kicking on the end. Something
had picked me up and swum straight towards the bank and into the trees.
I donned the chest waders, and, leaving the rod on the rest with the bait
runner on, followed the line out towards the overhanging trees. Luckily the
line didn t go too far into the trees, and without too much effort, I freed the
line and leader and pulled a tench of about 7lbs out of the snag and into
the open water. I dropped the line and went back to the rod, but on picking
it up, the tench had dropped off on the slack line, which saved me the job
of landing and unhooking it. That was the end of the action for that day,
so no birthday and St. George s Dinton carp for me, and I was feeling a bit
disappointed that I d only had one rod fishing on the spot for the majority
of the night.
I set the traps exactly the same for the second and last night of my trip.
I soon drifted off to sleep for the second night and was again woken by a
couple of bleeps (but this time at about 2am) on the same Fruit and Nut
rod, but this time I was straight out there and on it. Shining my head torch
on the line, I could see it this time cutting across to the left. I grabbed the
rod and wound down as quickly as I could, but it was too late whatever
had picked me up had swum straight into the overhanging trees, but this
time to my left! I again donned the chest waders and followed the line by
head torch into the darkness along the margin to the overhanging trees.
This time, however, the water was too deep for me to go in far enough to
free the line, so I had to give up and leave the rod on the floor with the bait
runner on and deal with it in the daylight of the morning, as I didn t want
to pull for a break just in case there was still a fish attached, even though I
couldn t feel anything on the end this time.
FREE LINE
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