When the hair was brown instead of grey and the Tom Sellick `tache was essential (1985) I was merrily fishing the River Leven which runs out of L. Lomond and into the Clyde. Nice bright April day and the river was low and clear. Normal guidelines would suggest small lures or flies.
Had a section of river more or less to myself so did not need a few steps between casts. A nice wee fresh run fish showed itself some 20 yds out, probably around the 7 -10lb mark. It hung around in the one lie so I chucked various things at it, fly, then spinners, worm even prawn (was legal then). No takes but I`m tenacious so went through the armoury again still nothing and still it was head and tailing. Had forgotten the guidelines for low water so was on a 4inch yellow belly.
Ballifs arrived in the landrover, I knew them well so we started to chat, me with my back to the river. Heard the splash again from the same area so without really looking I fired a back cast which landed some 20 ft or so downstream from where I had intended. Crash, wallop and the 10ft spin rod arched over, 12lb mono screamed out and I felt the thud, thud and slow head shaking of a heavy fish. Never saw more than a flash of the flanks in the clear water but it was deep down, probably 10ft or so. Tried to get downstream so it was fighting me and the current but having to move around bushes and things it proved not to be easy. Roughly 400 yds downstream from the take and around 40 mins later it started to come closer to the surface, jesus feck said one of the ballifs,(they had followed in the landrover), or words similar, a feckin` monster. By this time the line was singing, just 12lb mono and I was shortening the range so managed to screw the drag up a bit, this allowed the fish to be brought close to the bank. One of the baliffs slipped down the bank and with a single lunge gaffed it and fired it over our heads and smacked it into a low wall. It lay there, obviously was not getting returned as it was now bleeding bad from the gills and the gaff hole. I dispatched it and the baliff stuck and old set of scales on, 32lb of springer on the dot.
Managed to get it to a tackle shop a wee bit later and weighed it on new scales where it came in at 29lb 12oz, so not a 30, perfectly happy with the actual weight.
All of that and the time, an hour or so, I had covered the nearby small fish I never knew this beastie was lying deep. Never know the minute.
Had a section of river more or less to myself so did not need a few steps between casts. A nice wee fresh run fish showed itself some 20 yds out, probably around the 7 -10lb mark. It hung around in the one lie so I chucked various things at it, fly, then spinners, worm even prawn (was legal then). No takes but I`m tenacious so went through the armoury again still nothing and still it was head and tailing. Had forgotten the guidelines for low water so was on a 4inch yellow belly.
Ballifs arrived in the landrover, I knew them well so we started to chat, me with my back to the river. Heard the splash again from the same area so without really looking I fired a back cast which landed some 20 ft or so downstream from where I had intended. Crash, wallop and the 10ft spin rod arched over, 12lb mono screamed out and I felt the thud, thud and slow head shaking of a heavy fish. Never saw more than a flash of the flanks in the clear water but it was deep down, probably 10ft or so. Tried to get downstream so it was fighting me and the current but having to move around bushes and things it proved not to be easy. Roughly 400 yds downstream from the take and around 40 mins later it started to come closer to the surface, jesus feck said one of the ballifs,(they had followed in the landrover), or words similar, a feckin` monster. By this time the line was singing, just 12lb mono and I was shortening the range so managed to screw the drag up a bit, this allowed the fish to be brought close to the bank. One of the baliffs slipped down the bank and with a single lunge gaffed it and fired it over our heads and smacked it into a low wall. It lay there, obviously was not getting returned as it was now bleeding bad from the gills and the gaff hole. I dispatched it and the baliff stuck and old set of scales on, 32lb of springer on the dot.
Managed to get it to a tackle shop a wee bit later and weighed it on new scales where it came in at 29lb 12oz, so not a 30, perfectly happy with the actual weight.
All of that and the time, an hour or so, I had covered the nearby small fish I never knew this beastie was lying deep. Never know the minute.
