In reply to Post #605
I love the woods where in spring the floor is covered in blue bells. the dark blue violets starts to bloom the silver birch with its silver white bark reflecting the months newly found brightness the pussy willow comes the most conspicuous of all the woodland trees during april showing its catkins of silver down covered with golden pollen
The oak begins slowly to open it leaves dogs mercury starts to cover the woodland floor the ladybirds come out of hibernation they clime the oak and birch to stretch there wings the woods are alive the Tawney owl is a real dweller of the woods the bird is about 15 inches long and lives off the abundance of small mammal prey . the woods provide seclusion that the owl requires. You rarely see the owl flying in the daylight hours. but they do hunt in march and april ,to find food for their young its sense of hearing and vision is fantastic and it will sit high up in the branches watching the woodland floor it is able to pinpoint any small mammals on the woodland floor such as wood mice rats voles and shrews which are then swallowed whole. nothing better to hear down the woods is the tu-wit-Tu-woo its plumage is a rich brownish grey and is marked with light brown streaks the female is larger than the male and lays two to four round white eggs and will be found in the hollow of a tree or can be found in an old crows nest Both of the parents aggressively protect their eggs and young attacking any intruders violently. i soon learned my lesson when i was a youngster when i was attacked trying to get to the nest there so much more to tell which i will continue at another time.

In reply to Post #606
Im going to tell you a bit more about my beloved red fox, the male becomes fertile between December and february although some of the older males may be fertile as early as November the female is only in season for about three weeks. some of the older vixens will come on heat before the younger ones, as i have said before that a fox has an extremely well developed sense of smell which it uses to locate its food and enemies. they have a foot gland which leaves scent on the ground which marks his trail it is important to the animal and it gives information to other foxes. But it does work against them at times as it can be followed by other animals i mean the hounds. so when its being hunted it produces a discharge from the anal gland. although hunting now has been banned which in my opinion is unworkable but that's only my thoughts and they do need controlling. The foxes litter can vary the biggest i have seen was eight cubs and they take some feeding this particular vixen was on the south Shropshire hills and was very unusual ill tell you the story i had a phone call this one particular day from a hill farmer at stretton he was very upset and told me he had lost a number of lambs to this fox which he could not afford He said some one had given him my name and i could follow foxes and as they could not find the earth so they rang me
so on the Saturday morning saw me away and over the hills. i did eventually find the fox or should i say foxes. i watched from a distance the earth was absolutly huge.
Lying down in the under growth i watched and could not believe my eyes there was 15 cubs and two vixens in the same earth. This was very unusual as it was the first time i had come across anything like this and have not seen it since i do wander if the vixens were litter sisters but that is only my thoughts. The fox will kill most things ground game chickens ducks anything that can not protect its self I followed a vixen a few years ago carrying a new born lamb and it was still alive as you could here it bleating i cut this fox off i got in front of it and it dropped the lamb in shock and was away through the hedge the lamb survived and was reunited with the farmer every thing i have told you are purely my own observations in my studies on the fox over the years . more to come latter

In reply to Post #607
I will now tell you the story of the badger and hope you don't become bored with my rambling it is a majestic animal. a few years ago when i fished bomere the sow used to bring her cubs down and feed off the peanut butter and bread we put out for them and they became quite tame over a period of time. They are powerful animals and usually excavate a home in a bank-side of a wood which is surrounded by good pasture land And off as late they, have been blamed for the spread of tuberculosis and are now being gassed in large numbers i am afraid i am not convinced that this is the right method. The badger is a very clean animal and regularly change their bedding using dry bracken grass leaves and even blue bell steams and their flowers. they have their own latrines away from the set. The set is amazing a labyrinth of holes and tunnels which can cover quite a large area . Mating takes place between february and October. but the fertilized ovule do not develop until early January usually 2- 4 cubs are born late winter by April the cubs may be seen playing just out side the set. the badger is a animal of the night and twilight hours and can be seen emerging from the set at dusk and will amble far and wide in search of food. they will eat most things worms frogs young rabbits snails even chicken eggs from the farm yard. they love to eat wasps nests as the sting of the wasp can not penetrate their thick coat. the badgers powerful legs and strong claws soon make short work of any wasps nest below ground. a friend called bern and myself have spent hours photographing these animals . and we have been so well concealed that the badgers have walked over our boots and have still not realized we were there. i have one big old boar that visits my garden most nights in the summer and frantically digs the lawn up looking for worms but apart from that he causes no harm and i really love to see him. well ive got lots more to tell if you can put up with my rambling more latter

In reply to Post #608
Well here we go again when i fished bomere i few years ago the badger sow always brought down her cubs to feed on the peanut butter and bread we as anglers put out for them and over a period of time they became quite tame. just next door to bomere was a farm owned by a mr adkins a very religious and upstanding man of the community. he rang me up one particular day could i call and see him . i went the following day he told me he had a problem with magpies and he certainly did loads of them they were every where must of been a population explosion. well i was not to keen but managed to get hold of a couple of Larson traps which involved putting a live magpie in one half of the trap to use as a call bird i managed to acquire a couple of birds from a local keeper we caught loads but i began to think it was not working we were causing a vacuum catch one another would arrive there was literally hundreds of the things i went to check the traps one morning and there was a pure white magpie in it i just could not get rid of such a beautiful bird and took it home with me releasing it a bit latter in bomere woods. we saw that bird many times over the next couple of years and it was always a pleasure to see. Another time graham and i went to check the traps looking from afar he said that a cat was in one of them well going a bit closer we discovered it was a young fox. the farmer came down and wanted to shoot it i would not let him. and managed to grab the fox by the scruff of the neck and realise it in the adjoining wood to the disgust of the farmer. i explained it deserved a chance and he went along with it. the trap was in quite a mess but the maggie was still alive but a bit shacken up so i took it home and let it go on the village where i live. we packed the traping up as more and more kept turninig up and left it to nature over a period of time it all settled down. i just think it was a good breeding year . its back to normal now with just a couple of pairs being seen well hope i have not bored you more latter

In reply to Post #609
Watching wild life while fishing is a great way to pass the time. years ago well before bite alarms we used night lights candles in a jam jar to light your doe bobbin up which acted as your indicator the problem was it attracted mozzies moths and all manner of little beasts. on numerous occasions i have had a frog sit all night by the jar and he would catch the flies or mozzies what ever came to the light of the candle out would shoot his tongue and another moth would disappear i found it fascinating and in those days you could not sleep as you watched the indicator all night so it past the time watching. i have had voles water rats sit by the rods and wait for me to put the doe bobbin on the line then very gently he would snatch it and eat it. this could be a bit of a pain but it was great to watch. On one mere i fished i had a nightingale sing all night long it was absolutely beautiful and he never stopped till morning. one thing i did have one night on a local lake which really did put the wind up me for a few moments i was half a sleep in the bivvie when some one or something tried to push by the ,side of the bivvie i was, to say the least a bit frightened it knocked my landing net down while trying to get by. all of a sudden it was in front of me it was a big old deer and not just one four i sat quite as i could they had come down to drink and i was in their regular watering hole whether it was because it was dark i dont know but they never even bothered about me and carried on with their business i was a bit worried about my rods and alarms but they were so gentle they never even touched them. eventually they moved and were away, why they never smelt i was there i dont know but its one night i will never forget. i have had foxes come right to the bivvie and even lie down out side waiting for me to throw a few scrapes for it to eat. one early morning i was woke up by some rustling in the in the back of the bivvie it was a family off mink looking for food i soon moved them on well a bit more latter

In reply to Post #610
When the cold wind doth blow we shall have snow. How many have walked the woods in its winter wonderland. to wander woods and meadows covered in thick snow is an enchanted world where nature seems to be suspended and icicles hang from every damp and wet tree. . the only sound that you may hear, is the wood pecker rapping against a tree carried on the still air from the depth of the wood. January is the coldest month no leaves upon the trees only the ivy can be seen in the cold and dank of the woods. its the time to track the animals as their tracks stand out in the snow. You will see the rabbit in his thick winter coat forced to gnaw at tree bark to appease his hunger you will see the foxes track and may see the blood red snow where he has caught some poor unsuspecting rabbit. you may catch a glimpse of a badger in his bluish grey fur as he vanishes in the twilight. you will hear the jay give his shrill raucous call repeated two or three times or see a flash of his vibrent colour as he flits to another tree heavy clouds hang in the slate blue sky promising more sleet or snow the stream beside the wood is partly frozen which now blocks its gentle flow snow covers the branches of the alders. the lake in the wood is frozen solid no signs of life the only marks that can be seen, are where the water fowl have walked upon the snow. the carp beneath lie dormant waiting for signs of spring all is quite in this winter wonderland the long tailed tit flits tree to tree huge flocks maybe seen at this time of year. the pigeon comes in flocks to roast after feeding in the fields. The buzzard mews above the wood trying hard to hunt an unsuspecting rabbit for its meal. no poaching would be done by me as the keeper would soon know you were about as you would leave your tracks in the snow. but i think this is one of my favorite times of the year its a place of tranquilly and beauty almost like being suspended in time and you look to the hills promising the certainty of more snow and the roar of the wind with its icy blast its time for home and the heat of the fire. thanks for reading my tales they are all true and have been part of my life. more to come latter

In reply to Post #611
Another season to cherish is the autumn when the leaves of the trees turn to beautiful rustic orange and yellow the sweet chestnut trees deep in the woods come ablaze with yellow and bronze foliage the chestnuts start to gently fall to the ground. the squirrel busily gathers the nuts nibbling at some burying others to keep him self in food for the winter. but alas the squirrel usually forgets the location he has buried them and plants future generations of chestnut trees The grey squirrel is a mischievous little creature and very nervous and erratic which shows the unease when he leaves the security of the branches of the trees to forage among the fallen leaves for the chestnut and is always alert for any danger and always has an escape route up the nearest tree
The grey squirrel is regarded as a pest the grey is held responsible for causing considerable damage to woodlands gnawing at the bark of the tree also eating the buds in spring. the forestry commission and government tried to eradicate them by poison and shooting but it does not seem to have been very successful Now is the time of the pheasant the male in his spectacular plumage of vibrant colour and handsomely marked with a white collar the pheasant has many predators the fox weasel stoat . This is the time of year the poacher would start his rounds and with rifle and good torch would fill his bag to make a few coppers for the family this is the way they lived. but today there is no call for poaching the pheasant is worth nowt 3 quid a brace if you are lucky from the local supermarket When i was a kid they would hang in the front of the butchers shop along with rabbits ducks the chickens and the geese. but those days have long gone never to return. why people do not eat the humble pheasent i really dont know its cheap and makes a good meal as i have said before we lived on pheasent and rabbit in the years following the war. well more latter

In reply to Post #612
I see there a thread on the forum back to basics i wander how many of us could i certainly could not as i like my comfort to much. In those days i mean the late forties early fifties tackle was very limited. rods were mostly made of bamboo cane the line was really crap silk was all i could get hooks not much better big old black eel hooks. indication was a piece 0f folded silver paper on the line just below the butt ring although i did use a small ball of bread paste pinched on the line which was called a doe bobbin. we sat on the ground no chairs i used a piece of sacking covered with plastic if i could get it. You did not sleep much as you watched the indicators all night you would get very tired and you eyes would play tricks with you. the reels were the old wooden variety but we managed to catch with them, well bait was very limit worm and maggots which i got myself from the local abitor small parboiled potatoes bread flake bread crust i have used slugs but really that was about it. i am afraid when i started carp, fishing at a very young age i was about eight years old it was chuck and chance it in those days and i caught only fish around three pounds but they made me very proud. WE soon learned to watch for signs of fish where they showed and congregated. and with a few small potatoes thrown in before we fished we managed to sort the bigger speicemens out. it was those lovely hot summers and misty mornings that i really liked. i woud would cycle to the pool rods strapped to the cross bar bag on my back fish all night and cycle back next morning. , mum would have breakfast ready and away to bed i would go then back the same night it was hard but we caught. if we needed takle we made it lead weights floats were made with balsa wood and i had them hanging all over the house while the paint drying rod rests were also made fom forked sticks out of the hedge row. in latter years i managed to aquire a pair of tank earial rods that really improved my fishing. the tackle started to really come on in leeps and bounds but that was the middle fifties. no i dont think i could fish like that again but we had a great time making tackle and loads of fun. more latter

In reply to Post #613
I suppose i am an all rounder i will fish for anything. although i fish for carp i still like the tench roach barbel bream ect i read about so many carp anglers catching the latter and throwing them back without much respect and have witnessed it myself. i have witnessed huge fish not even weighed just chucked back. i find this very hard to swallow i would love to have caught similar fish. i do understand the bream can be a very greedy fish and will soon wipe your ground bait out. but i fish to catch and although i love to catch a carp i will take anything that comes my way big or small. with me its being out and being at one with nature and meeting friends irrespective off what size fish you catch or species. i love catching big bream on the right tackle but if one came around on carp gear i certainly would not turn my nose up at it. I have caught one or two big roach when fishing for carp. they don't give much of a scrap on heavy gear but what great fish they are im always pleased to catch such a fish whatever gear i am using.. I suppose the love of Bream came from me fishing for them years ago i fished mostly for the big bream in those far off days and i really was very successful they were much harder to find and fish for in those days Today they seem to be in most meres and lakes and have really grown on into some huge fish i think it is due to the boilie we bait up with when fishing for the carp as they are more nutritional and the bream pile on the weight and will feed on the boilie exclusive of any other bait. The only other bait that they really get preoccupied with is the blood worm and i have seen them absolutely so stuffed full that they would regurgitate loads when caught. Well thats It for now as i am getting my tackle ready for a couple of sessions next week and i really cant wait to be out on the bank again. so a little bit more latter

In reply to Post #614
Another season i love is august this is the time of year the farmer harvests the fields cuts the corn and barley. Which then leaves the stubble fields. in the margins off the fields the sycamore grows the oak as well. the lap wings or peewit as its known stand ever vigilant as they watch for movement to betray the presence of a worm or insect. the lapwing is in fact a wader of the plover family and is not as common as when i was a youngster. it is seldom seen near water and instead frequency low lying farm land the birds usually remain in a flock exept in the breeding season. when i was a lad we used to collect the eggs and they would pickled to eat at a latter date they were a good source of food. Another bird of the fields the crow it is a black menacing bird which has a strong a power full beak it is strong and powerful. the bird is cunning has earned the mans hatred also by the game keepers and farmers and are shot all year round. I have watched carrion crows at a local sand quarry they would run up the side of the sand and find a rabbit hole with young cock there head
and dive down the hole snatch a young rabbit take it up in the air then drop it from a great height the rabbit died instantly and would have three or four other carrion's on its back pulling it apart the kestrel is another bird of immense beauty he hovers in the air for long periods until its prey has been located he dives at a great speed killing with swift strike with his sharp tallons it is a usefull freind of the farmer as it kills many rodents rats and mice.A few years ago it went into a great decline which was mainly caused by the pesticides which contaminated the rodents it was eating it also made them infertile which eventualy killed the bird but they have made a remarkable recovery over the years this is some of the nature i have watched while fishing and i never tire watching it i will never get bored when we have such lovely creatures arround us while we fish. well a little more latter

In reply to Post #615
i will have to leave my stories for a couple of days due to family commitments. i am taking my grandson back to his army base in Yorkshire to day a 400 miles plus round trip he is going back off leave the last one till he comes back from Afghan where he is being deployed in a couple of weeks time. and with a bit of luck i am off fishing then for a couple of days so please bare with me . thanks for reading them i hope they don't bore you to much thanks again pete

In reply to Post #616
Well myself and graham have just managed to get out fishing at last. although the fishing was hard i really enjoyed our time out on the bank. what really amazed me was how far the wild flowers are behind this spring the lake i fish is in the woods and they were awash with the blue bells. But i did notice the mallard ducks have done rather well and there was at least three broods of ducklings the largest brood was ten youngsters. just behind me where i fish a jenny wren kept up his song most of the day and with a closer inspection i found the little round nest in amongst some entwined honeysuckle branches whether she has eggs or young i dont know but i will be watching with keen interest in the coming days. The graylags have also got youngsters i saw at least eight and there was quite a bit off falling out with any others that came to near their brood. The farmer told me they had seen a otter on the water not long ago, but having a look found no evidence to support what he had said maybe it had been a dog traveling through looking for a mate. fishing we did catch but no real biggies myself i blanked graham caught the only two a mirror of sixteen pounds plus and a common of fifteen eight 0z never mind we will try again next week the common was full of spawn so with a bit of warm weather it will be follow the leader and they will have other things on there mind. the water we are fishing is very silty so i am going to have to fish with chodys or some sort of helicopter rig and will be working on that in the next few days maybe i will use the old cork ledger set up as i have already mentioned in my stories i would think it will work on this new water. the silt seems quite deep and really sticks when you pull the ledger back. we saw a few nice fish showing at around eighty yds and i cast to them but had no takes we have fished this mere before and have had some nice fish on zigs but that was a bit ago so i may try one rod with that set up. there are some upper thirties in the mere so we will keep our fingers crossed and hope. well thanks for reading my stories more latter

In reply to Post #617
I have spent some time today mapping out the water that i am fishing the average depth is only about six foot then shelves off in the middle to 16 foot it is very silty in places but i have found a Plato which is very hard and only 3foot deep and about a sixty yard cast i have seen fish showing on this spot so i will be putting a bit of bait out there before next week. and hopefully catch a few from it. Another thing that has come to my attention today and has been in the local press and also passed on by word of mouth by a friend is the killing of a pair of peregrine falcons at a local quarry not that far from my home they have been recovered by police the birds are now being examined by the department of food and rural affairs. i view this with despair as it looks as if they were poisoned. i have fished and run a shooting syndicate for many years and would never condone such behaviour the individual if caught wants putting in prison. they do kill young poults and such but that is up to the shoot and game keeper to take action and to cover the release pens with netting to stop the falcons taking the young birds. i am afraid there still exists some unscrupulous characters that will kill anything that moves. i love nature and its time we lived in harmony with it. I know there are gamekeepers on here that may not agree with my sentiments but that's the way i am i have lived and breathed the country side all my live and have lived with nature day and night and has been my hobby as much as fishing. and it really gets me going when this sort of thing happens. I took my wife today to, have a look at the fox earth i found a few weeks ago we veiwed it from afar and there is quite a lot of activity arround the holes so the cubs must be playing out quite a lot. I will be making an evening visit with my camera to see if i can get a few shots of them playing out and maybe get a shot of the vixon bringing food. well i hope i have not bored you with my rant more to come latter

In reply to Post #618
Hi pete i used to abound round shrewsbury parts. in highford not far from shifnal an beckbury..

was out rabbiting the other day.

round one of the lakes i fish all the pink feet (grey lags) and canada goose have young.

But Pete it was weird one of the greylags seems to be paired up with a canada.

I'm not sure if the chicks have lost one of each parent and the remaining are fostering. all the other pairs are happy congregating with each other.

just these two are mimicking each other an when they go to roost the grey lag even chases of other canda intruders..

really good to watch...

Loving your storys i can associate with some of them..

Thanks again

Pete

In reply to Post #619
hi pete thanks for your kind remarks about my stories. nature can be quite funny and i love watching it when i fish. its the only thing that is free to all and it needs to be treasured for the future generations all the best pete