So on way to my spot I'm pre baiting for a 3 day session on my local canal from tomorrow and it takes me 20/25 minutes to get to the spot and just before I got to the swim I saw in the edge a dead eel and it was at least 3 foot long I took pictures of it and sent some to friends and my brother,now my question is what else could be thrown up in waters that you wouldn't look twice at or thought there would be any surprises lurking.
My Pb from same canal different stretch further down is 32lb and have heard of a bigger one coming out so I guess with miles and miles of water you just never know
My Pb from same canal different stretch further down is 32lb and have heard of a bigger one coming out so I guess with miles and miles of water you just never know
In reply to Post #1
Any canal or river system alway have the potential for surprises, as you will always have your localized area fish, and roamers that never stay in one area for too long.
Eels just have that mystery about them and end up anywhere.
Any canal or river system alway have the potential for surprises, as you will always have your localized area fish, and roamers that never stay in one area for too long.
Eels just have that mystery about them and end up anywhere.
In reply to Post #2
Had a 4lb +..eel a few years ago on a hot summers afternoon, on a big prawn,on a centrepin,..and boy did this eel go for it ,hellish creature and scrap !
Had a 4lb +..eel a few years ago on a hot summers afternoon, on a big prawn,on a centrepin,..and boy did this eel go for it ,hellish creature and scrap !
In reply to Post #2
I fished a lake in Southampton when living there from 2007 to 2014 and the lake was tinyit was by the itchen and that apparently had thrown up a 12lb tench in mid 90's and I had a 3lb crucian in my time there as well on a crab & mussel dumbbell.
Also the itchen done pike over 30lb and big 7lb chub and 16lb barbel too as well as 20lb ghost carp considering the river is not as big as many others in comparison
I fished a lake in Southampton when living there from 2007 to 2014 and the lake was tinyit was by the itchen and that apparently had thrown up a 12lb tench in mid 90's and I had a 3lb crucian in my time there as well on a crab & mussel dumbbell.
Also the itchen done pike over 30lb and big 7lb chub and 16lb barbel too as well as 20lb ghost carp considering the river is not as big as many others in comparison
In reply to Post #3
Wow this one I saw in the margins had got to be 3lb plus
Wow this one I saw in the margins had got to be 3lb plus
In reply to Post #5
I also found a dead one ,like you ,many years ago though,it came from a local brick pit ,it had its head bitten completely off,I weighed it ,gingerly on my old Avons,and it went over 5lb,minus its head..
I've caught them up to three pounds on a tiny cliff pond ,high,high up over looking the Atlantic,no idea how they got there, guess damp weather and old drain systems..
Amazing creature's
I also found a dead one ,like you ,many years ago though,it came from a local brick pit ,it had its head bitten completely off,I weighed it ,gingerly on my old Avons,and it went over 5lb,minus its head..
I've caught them up to three pounds on a tiny cliff pond ,high,high up over looking the Atlantic,no idea how they got there, guess damp weather and old drain systems..
Amazing creature's
In reply to Post #1
funny - i caught an eel last night on a right old urban council estate lake....
was fecking massive! almost as thick as my wrist...
biggest one i've ever caught - didnt fancy weighing it but should have done!
and the bait was homemade fishmeal boilies soaked in supermarket fish sauce
the carp love it though...
As for the original post on this thread - has got to be rivers or canals.... my local river , the carp can get almost 20 miles up stream from the harbour... who knows whats in there...
funny - i caught an eel last night on a right old urban council estate lake....
was fecking massive! almost as thick as my wrist...
biggest one i've ever caught - didnt fancy weighing it but should have done!
and the bait was homemade fishmeal boilies soaked in supermarket fish sauce
the carp love it though...As for the original post on this thread - has got to be rivers or canals.... my local river , the carp can get almost 20 miles up stream from the harbour... who knows whats in there...
Biggest surprise I ever got was finding out there was a dead bloke hanging in the tree behind my swim 
Never knew it at the time, it was only when the police called me a couple of days later to ask me some questions did I realise I'd had company. My mates took the piss something chronic saying I was so boring that people ......etc etc.
Biggest surprise any lake has ever thrown up for me
Never knew it at the time, it was only when the police called me a couple of days later to ask me some questions did I realise I'd had company. My mates took the piss something chronic saying I was so boring that people ......etc etc.
Biggest surprise any lake has ever thrown up for me
In reply to Post #8
Really, so if you didn't know he was there how did you explain you were wearing his watch, shoes and his wallet being in your pocket? Lol
Really, so if you didn't know he was there how did you explain you were wearing his watch, shoes and his wallet being in your pocket? Lol
Shoes were the wrong size 
In reply to Post #3
I bet it did!
I bet it did!
In reply to Post #6
I have had that twice in my life and nearly **** myself both times, don't like em
Once as a kid on a local pond, saw a float in the scum that had washed up, walked out in my wellies, next thing, dead eel of around 3lb wrapped around my leg trying to eat me, aaaahhhhh
Around 4 years ago last time, again, wading out in chesties to have a nosy over the back of the weed, big dirty dead eel pops up around my waster, not nice lol
Regarding big fish, stupid statement but t all depends what's in the water, stock density and how rich they are for me. I know a few canals that hold massive bream and massive chub as well as huge perch, very big pike too. Carp wise, not that lucky that I know of but places like those, if specimen fished, can through up a few surprise no doubt
I have had that twice in my life and nearly **** myself both times, don't like em
Once as a kid on a local pond, saw a float in the scum that had washed up, walked out in my wellies, next thing, dead eel of around 3lb wrapped around my leg trying to eat me, aaaahhhhh
Around 4 years ago last time, again, wading out in chesties to have a nosy over the back of the weed, big dirty dead eel pops up around my waster, not nice lol
Regarding big fish, stupid statement but t all depends what's in the water, stock density and how rich they are for me. I know a few canals that hold massive bream and massive chub as well as huge perch, very big pike too. Carp wise, not that lucky that I know of but places like those, if specimen fished, can through up a few surprise no doubt
been fishing a local club water for 3 years people have been fishing it for 30+ yrs few odd tails of people getting snapped by something huge broken rods alot of match / general coarse fishing goes on here but it could be many of things but the other day i pulled out a 36lb wells cat that nobody has ever landed or knew existed......put a massive scrap in i thought it was for sure a pb carp it still never entered my brain it could ever be a cat but its probs the most significant fish i have caught in a long time which i never even thought of catching from there.. 9 acre water and had easy over 100+ carp out so it really is like the gem of the place...named it and everything still only me now and a select few people now know it exists and hopefully one day will bless somebody else too
One of my waters gave me a big surprise on Friday night. Just on sunset a bloody snake slithered its way past me, about two feet from my bedchair, bold as brass. Ive never seen one in nigh on thirty years of angling. Im guessing they could bite??
In reply to Post #13
Nice one, sounds like you are well pleased
Nice one, sounds like you are well pleased
In reply to Post #14
Probably a grass snake 🐍
Never seen one myself thankfully, only an adder in a glass jar lol which is enough for me. I have a mate who fished Bluebell quite a few years ago and he saw quite a large grass snake in the river Nene. Wouldn't fancy that in the tent
Probably a grass snake 🐍
Never seen one myself thankfully, only an adder in a glass jar lol which is enough for me. I have a mate who fished Bluebell quite a few years ago and he saw quite a large grass snake in the river Nene. Wouldn't fancy that in the tent
In reply to Post #16
I think it was an adder as it was brown with a patterned back.
I think it was an adder as it was brown with a patterned back.
In reply to Post #14
We've got a big old boy or girl (grass snake) that likes to curl up it the long sedge next to one swim which is an area of the lake called the snake pit.
We've got a big old boy or girl (grass snake) that likes to curl up it the long sedge next to one swim which is an area of the lake called the snake pit.
In reply to Post #6
One syndicate I joined in 2014 basically has carp, rudd, roach, tench & jack pike that's what I was told that's it nothing else, a few seasons ago I was given a few kilos of the Complex T when it was being field tested to try so I banged it in all on one spot out in the middle of the lake, within minutes I was getting little plucks and pulls then after an hour the rod arched round and I landed a Bream of about 5lb, the lake has been a syndicate since the late 70's and never a bream recorded being caught I have since seen three in there swimming together all about the same size.
The bigger surprise that evening was that on deploying a fresh rig back to the baited spot within minutes I was getting all the little plucks and pulls again but went on for a few hours until the day was turning to dusk when the rod tore off it was a strange fight and I thought I had foul hooked a carp after a few minutes and edging the fish towards the net I nearly fell backwards when this dirty big eel surface, I've caught eels before plenty but nothing like this it was barking and not happy weighed in at just over 6lb dirty big bugger, I followed it up later that night with one I would estimate at around 3lb.
"Complex T great bait for bream and big eels"
One syndicate I joined in 2014 basically has carp, rudd, roach, tench & jack pike that's what I was told that's it nothing else, a few seasons ago I was given a few kilos of the Complex T when it was being field tested to try so I banged it in all on one spot out in the middle of the lake, within minutes I was getting little plucks and pulls then after an hour the rod arched round and I landed a Bream of about 5lb, the lake has been a syndicate since the late 70's and never a bream recorded being caught I have since seen three in there swimming together all about the same size.
The bigger surprise that evening was that on deploying a fresh rig back to the baited spot within minutes I was getting all the little plucks and pulls again but went on for a few hours until the day was turning to dusk when the rod tore off it was a strange fight and I thought I had foul hooked a carp after a few minutes and edging the fish towards the net I nearly fell backwards when this dirty big eel surface, I've caught eels before plenty but nothing like this it was barking and not happy weighed in at just over 6lb dirty big bugger, I followed it up later that night with one I would estimate at around 3lb.
"Complex T great bait for bream and big eels"
In reply to Post #18
My son's mate,Joss,was on the cliffs as a teenager,he got bitten by an adder,had to be rescued by local coastguard ,which was my brother and work colleague..
Joss was very lucky he didn't have a serious reaction to the the bite..
My son's mate,Joss,was on the cliffs as a teenager,he got bitten by an adder,had to be rescued by local coastguard ,which was my brother and work colleague..
Joss was very lucky he didn't have a serious reaction to the the bite..
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