Page 15 - RIFFLE4-flip

P a g e | 14 delightful riffle. Of course, that was obscured He had to bend hard into this leviathan from the today by the extra seven or eight feet of deep to get it moving once more and yet again it floodwater. swam upstream, glued to the bottom and unmoveable. Maybe it was not a The angler edged slowly down the bank. Slightly barbel? Perhaps it was a carp or even a to the left of the apex of the bend was a small catfish? It could not be a barbel, not this overhanging bush. That was the spot. He baited powerful. It was not possible. Yet again, the fish up and lowered the meat down and right under stopped and refused to move. The angler the bush. The bait swung into and under the decided it was time for some decisive action. It bank. He angled himself, pointing slightly was time to get brutal with this thing! He towards the bait and closed the bail arm of the tightened up and put a good bend in the barbel reel. He tightened the line ever so slightly and rod. He then placed his other hand half way up looped the line over his finger. It was time to the rod and heaved with all his might. The rod wait, to be patient and to hope. Suddenly he felt creaked and groaned at this ordeal. the line tighten on his finger and the rod tip pulled slowly round an inch or two. It was a Just when he thought the rod or line might snap definite bite, it was too full of life to be anything and he would never get to see his adversary, else and he decided upon an aggressive and something suddenly gave. The fish was prised positive action in response. free of the bottom with immense force. Suddenly it burst onto the surface. Its golden He swept the rod across his left shoulder and he flanks glistened in the sunlight. For a few felt an uncompromising force of resistance on seconds, at most, the fish just stayed there on the other end. As he bent hard into this solid the surface, its dorsal erect and proud. It was mass, his exhilaration started to abate; nothing his. This magnificent, bronzed barbel had been moved. It was solid, unforgiving. He realised he beaten. Never before had he encountered a fish was hooked up on something. There must be a of such extraordinary power. She looked a good snag down there. It was definitely a bite, he was 15lb’s or 16lb’s, possibly more. This would make certain of that. He bent in even harder, hoping for a great story in the pub with a pint of the that something might come free. It was then local ale and the lads listening intently. He that the ‘snag’ started to move. It headed relaxed slightly, knowing it was almost upstream, slowly and purposefully. The over. Then, in the blink of an eye, it turned and immense power of this unknown creature was dived with the most breath-taking power. Then quite staggering! she was gone. The hook had pulled. The adrenalin coursed through his veins. He had He slumped down to the ground in to remain calm, stay in control. This was disbelief. Emptiness crept over him and a feeling something special on the other end, he knew of despair gripped him. He stayed there for a that. Then the fish stopped. He could not move long time, unable to move, unable to do it. It had snagged him this time for sure. Again, anything. Eventually he picked himself up, his hopes seemed dashed. He pulled into the fish packed up his gear and returned to the car. He once more, the rod arching as it approached it could not carry on, not after that. Today the fish full test curve. Suddenly the fish moved again had won and oh boy, what a fish! She was and this time it slowly but surely headed exceptional and what an incredible memory. A downstream a few yards and then, once again, it memory that will stay with him, or possibly stopped. haunt him, forever.