Metaphorically or actually, I have one of each, so where have you run from
1st 140 acre lake, very low stock, fancied a challange
Turned up on my first trip. Theres loads of silver fish and bream as well so I just used tiger nuts in a shallow bay. 3 hours after casting out there was a massive bang on the rod with a few yards of line taken. reeled in and the hook point had turned over, I could have cried.
Anyway that fired my enthusiasm massively, fished another 40 nights over the next year for absolultey nothing. That 40th night I hit the wall and ran for the hills
Too big a water to tackle with a full time job fishing predominanlty mid week overnighters, maybe visit again in the future under different circumstances.
2nd 15 acre (approx) estate lake with a large country house on one side
Georgous place with lots of atmosphere. This was back in the early 90's in the winter and I was pike fishing. I always fished an hour into darkness before heading home as dusk was the major bite time.
I dont spook at all when I'm fishing, fished alone for the most part for the past 35 years in as remote a lake as I can find.
This one particular evening it was prettty cold but as dusk fell the temperature rose and the atmosphere became very close and more and more oppressive as the minutes passed. In can laugh at it now but at the time I had an overwhelming sense of impending doom.
Never packed up so quick, literaly ran with kit back to the car and never fished the place again
Time passes, forgot about the place and 15 or so years later and with young family in tow we were away for a long weekend and went for a walk round a natural trust place I think it was. as we left the house I could see a lake and then it all came rushing back, fortunately without the sense of impending doom coincidentally the same place and it still looked lovely, not sure I'd fish it again though
1st 140 acre lake, very low stock, fancied a challange
Turned up on my first trip. Theres loads of silver fish and bream as well so I just used tiger nuts in a shallow bay. 3 hours after casting out there was a massive bang on the rod with a few yards of line taken. reeled in and the hook point had turned over, I could have cried.
Anyway that fired my enthusiasm massively, fished another 40 nights over the next year for absolultey nothing. That 40th night I hit the wall and ran for the hills
Too big a water to tackle with a full time job fishing predominanlty mid week overnighters, maybe visit again in the future under different circumstances.
2nd 15 acre (approx) estate lake with a large country house on one side
Georgous place with lots of atmosphere. This was back in the early 90's in the winter and I was pike fishing. I always fished an hour into darkness before heading home as dusk was the major bite time.
I dont spook at all when I'm fishing, fished alone for the most part for the past 35 years in as remote a lake as I can find.
This one particular evening it was prettty cold but as dusk fell the temperature rose and the atmosphere became very close and more and more oppressive as the minutes passed. In can laugh at it now but at the time I had an overwhelming sense of impending doom.
Never packed up so quick, literaly ran with kit back to the car and never fished the place again
Time passes, forgot about the place and 15 or so years later and with young family in tow we were away for a long weekend and went for a walk round a natural trust place I think it was. as we left the house I could see a lake and then it all came rushing back, fortunately without the sense of impending doom
coincidentally the same place and it still looked lovely, not sure I'd fish it again though
In reply to Post #1
Both of those examples have the hallmarks of a book chapter, made me want to hear more.
On topic, I've run from commercial waters and busy waters.
Both of those examples have the hallmarks of a book chapter, made me want to hear more.
On topic, I've run from commercial waters and busy waters.
In reply to Post #2
There wasn't much to report from the first lake, but that said I always feel you learn more from failure than success
The biggest thing I hooked at the lake was a sailing dingy whose keel picked up my braid at range.
It was the best run ever
The sailors looked very very confused when I wound down to them and their boat stopped even though it was quite windy A very funny sight
Neil.
There wasn't much to report from the first lake, but that said I always feel you learn more from failure than success
The biggest thing I hooked at the lake was a sailing dingy whose keel picked up my braid at range.
It was the best run ever
The sailors looked very very confused when I wound down to them and their boat stopped even though it was quite windy
A very funny sightNeil.
In reply to Post #1
Linear fisheries . . .ran away 20yrs ago and have never been back since. Shame cos there are some nice fish in there - just some of the other anglers that were / are / will be the issue . . .
Linear fisheries . . .ran away 20yrs ago and have never been back since. Shame cos there are some nice fish in there - just some of the other anglers that were / are / will be the issue . . .
In reply to Post #1
Only ever physically ran away from one lake about 12 years ago. Was in my early 20s and was fishing 2 over nights between work, 6pm to 6am. It was late September, early October time so the nights were drawing in and i was starting to set up and pack down in the dark. The lake itself was a small pond really, acre and half maybe but some lovely fish in, kind of lake where if someone catches a fish the lake shuts up for a while or there's more than 3 people on, the fish all turn invisible. You have to cross a field, and through a little wood to get to the pond, surrounded by trees and no light pollution what so ever!
So I get to the lake, set up and having a brew. Alls fne as usual. Around 8pm I hear a strange noise I hadn't heard before. It was in the distance so wasn't to worried at this point. Over the next half hour, this noise was getting closer, louder and was really starting to put the willys up me! I got in the bivvy and hid under the sleeping bag of invincibility. Nothing can hurt you when it's over your head right haha
So I'm hearing this noise and I've got a Teddy bears foot in my pants now and I think 'I've got to get out of here!' It's at this point that I should mention I had been reading up about big cats in the UK a few weeks before. My minds telling me it's a panther and I'm dinner! I literally threw everything in my bag, collapsed the bivvy and threw it on the barrow, rods folded on top. I literally ran all the way back to the car, not looking back once as I could still hear it. Got to the car, threw everything in and I was gone! It was only after a few weeks trying to find out what that noise was that I realised it was a stag mating call!
Luckily it didn't put me off for long as I was soon back, but only for the days to start
Only ever physically ran away from one lake about 12 years ago. Was in my early 20s and was fishing 2 over nights between work, 6pm to 6am. It was late September, early October time so the nights were drawing in and i was starting to set up and pack down in the dark. The lake itself was a small pond really, acre and half maybe but some lovely fish in, kind of lake where if someone catches a fish the lake shuts up for a while or there's more than 3 people on, the fish all turn invisible. You have to cross a field, and through a little wood to get to the pond, surrounded by trees and no light pollution what so ever!
So I get to the lake, set up and having a brew. Alls fne as usual. Around 8pm I hear a strange noise I hadn't heard before. It was in the distance so wasn't to worried at this point. Over the next half hour, this noise was getting closer, louder and was really starting to put the willys up me! I got in the bivvy and hid under the sleeping bag of invincibility. Nothing can hurt you when it's over your head right haha
So I'm hearing this noise and I've got a Teddy bears foot in my pants now and I think 'I've got to get out of here!' It's at this point that I should mention I had been reading up about big cats in the UK a few weeks before. My minds telling me it's a panther and I'm dinner! I literally threw everything in my bag, collapsed the bivvy and threw it on the barrow, rods folded on top. I literally ran all the way back to the car, not looking back once as I could still hear it. Got to the car, threw everything in and I was gone! It was only after a few weeks trying to find out what that noise was that I realised it was a stag mating call!
Luckily it didn't put me off for long as I was soon back, but only for the days to start
Late 80s..this was ..
Picture in your minds eye a small elongated pool containing some very hard fighting ferals ,across the field was and still is a huge dairy ,..this big old shed houses lots of cattle ..
Behind me,the barren fields,normally with sheep in them sometimes..
On this occasion, that field had a single double muscled Belguim blue bovine,this creature is truly huge ,massive..and very strong..
I set up for a night under my old Nash stormside ,even catching a few fish ,loving it ,really chilled out..I remember I had wired a third rod,on a BJ alarm into the sounder box.
Anyway,as I remember, the night came clear,looking up all i could see was the plough,..
In the dairy over the stream,the cows started to moo,this fired up the big Belgium blue behind me,it also started to moo,
I wasn't bothered,country stuff at night I'm right at home..
Until the bovine 'lost it' and gently smashed the barbed wire fence behind me and started prancing around..with part of the fence still attached to its huge body..
At that point ,I packed up ASAP,and shoved the lot into my 360.glt ...
I have been shot at,shot over,red dots on me and my bivvy,had the beast at least twice behind me,seen drug deals/change overs in the quietest places,dogging,illegal green laning,cars set light to in fishery car parks,experienced an earthquake,caught rewilders doing their covert stuff..
But the most prominent thing ever was the strangulation dreams and waking up suddenly and punching out ,at....nothing,this was next to a old family crypt,the same experience Sam,had when I put him on the pool
People think it quiet in the countryside...
Yeah,right..!!!
Picture in your minds eye a small elongated pool containing some very hard fighting ferals ,across the field was and still is a huge dairy ,..this big old shed houses lots of cattle ..
Behind me,the barren fields,normally with sheep in them sometimes..
On this occasion, that field had a single double muscled Belguim blue bovine,this creature is truly huge ,massive..and very strong..
I set up for a night under my old Nash stormside ,even catching a few fish ,loving it ,really chilled out..I remember I had wired a third rod,on a BJ alarm into the sounder box.
Anyway,as I remember, the night came clear,looking up all i could see was the plough,..
In the dairy over the stream,the cows started to moo,this fired up the big Belgium blue behind me,it also started to moo,
I wasn't bothered,country stuff at night I'm right at home..
Until the bovine 'lost it' and gently smashed the barbed wire fence behind me and started prancing around..with part of the fence still attached to its huge body..
At that point ,I packed up ASAP,and shoved the lot into my 360.glt ...
I have been shot at,shot over,red dots on me and my bivvy,had the beast at least twice behind me,seen drug deals/change overs in the quietest places,dogging,illegal green laning,cars set light to in fishery car parks,experienced an earthquake,caught rewilders doing their covert stuff..
But the most prominent thing ever was the strangulation dreams and waking up suddenly and punching out ,at....nothing,this was next to a old family crypt,the same experience Sam,had when I put him on the pool
People think it quiet in the countryside...
Yeah,right..!!!
In reply to Post #6
love the reminiscences
Madi , yours reminds me of another lake not long after I joined over near Peterborough but I didn't run this time.
Dusk again of course, just dark enough not to have good night sight. I started to hear a creature making a racket coming slowly around the lake towards me.
It was noisy , slowly crashing through the undergrowth, bit like the invisible creature that crashed through the jungle in the tv series "Lost". there was no doubt we were going to meet as it was following the edge of the small pool towards me.
When it rounded the corner and came into sight, woh, it was massive.
It stopped abrubtly about 10 feet away as i slowly but no quietly enough reached for my camera.
It was a wild boar must have been an escapee from a local farm and now inhabiting the lake.
When it heard me it just changed direction subtly and trotted on by
Great sight
love the reminiscences
Madi , yours reminds me of another lake not long after I joined over near Peterborough but I didn't run this time.
Dusk again of course, just dark enough not to have good night sight. I started to hear a creature making a racket coming slowly around the lake towards me.
It was noisy , slowly crashing through the undergrowth, bit like the invisible creature that crashed through the jungle in the tv series "Lost". there was no doubt we were going to meet as it was following the edge of the small pool towards me.
When it rounded the corner and came into sight, woh, it was massive.
It stopped abrubtly about 10 feet away as i slowly but no quietly enough reached for my camera.
It was a wild boar
must have been an escapee from a local farm and now inhabiting the lake.When it heard me it just changed direction subtly and trotted on by
Great sight
In reply to Post #1
Have seen this on a park lake in the middle of a housing estate. As soon as the EA turned up to check licenses, you'd see about 3 blokes reel in and run off
"Tell 'em i've had a family emergency"
I think one time it was only me and "Brian the B@stard" left (Brian was a copper, don't think he knew the nickname people had for him)
Have seen this on a park lake in the middle of a housing estate. As soon as the EA turned up to check licenses, you'd see about 3 blokes reel in and run off
"Tell 'em i've had a family emergency"
I think one time it was only me and "Brian the B@stard" left (Brian was a copper, don't think he knew the nickname people had for him)
In reply to Post #1
When I lived in Southampton I done a few hours at a lake up the road from me,it was small and intimate not far from airport been there few hours with my staffy and had a horrible feeling something not right like being watched packed up not long after,fished it many times after never happened again but it was hard to explain.
Another time same lake same swim November time with my dog there for a week and long story short young man around 25 got stuck in some swamp water by tree trunks and in the end police,ambulance and fire brigade turned up to free him.......police came back hours later to do statement which I had to do on car park in a police car with my dog there and my receiver he had died of hypothermia,I will say after seeing him stuck which I didn't know at time he was he said he was fine and I thought he was looking for something or hiding something in the water,was a shame as I heard he had kids too all he had on was a t-shirt and trousers I asked him do you need help like ambulance and fire brigade he said no.
When I lived in Southampton I done a few hours at a lake up the road from me,it was small and intimate not far from airport been there few hours with my staffy and had a horrible feeling something not right like being watched packed up not long after,fished it many times after never happened again but it was hard to explain.
Another time same lake same swim November time with my dog there for a week and long story short young man around 25 got stuck in some swamp water by tree trunks and in the end police,ambulance and fire brigade turned up to free him.......police came back hours later to do statement which I had to do on car park in a police car with my dog there and my receiver he had died of hypothermia,I will say after seeing him stuck which I didn't know at time he was he said he was fine and I thought he was looking for something or hiding something in the water,was a shame as I heard he had kids too all he had on was a t-shirt and trousers I asked him do you need help like ambulance and fire brigade he said no.
In reply to Post #1
Anymore Metaphorical runways?
For me thats really interesting as I feel theres a lot more to be learned from that (experience/failure/fulfilment).
I have one more similar to my first 140 acre lake. Fished another the same size coincidentaly but as is my want, struggled for ages (I always do that with new lakes, takes me a long time to tune in).
Finally caught one and that felt enough, even though it was one of the smallest in that massive lake.
That was enough for me at that time (work etc. overnighters again etc.)
Anymore Metaphorical runways?
For me thats really interesting as I feel theres a lot more to be learned from that (experience/failure/fulfilment).
I have one more similar to my first 140 acre lake. Fished another the same size coincidentaly but as is my want, struggled for ages (I always do that with new lakes, takes me a long time to tune in).
Finally caught one and that felt enough, even though it was one of the smallest in that massive lake.
That was enough for me at that time (work etc. overnighters again etc.)
I did a spring, summer and autumn season on a huge Cornish reservoir. Fished it hard and long for one dropped fish and one weeded up, wich I lost eventually. I didn't so much as run as slunk away tail between my legs and thoroughly disheartened.
In reply to Post #11
A lake in the middle of my town has depths upto 50' even the sides average 10' and it's a public park very dodgy especially the summer time and everyone wants to talk to you when they see a bivvy up.
Just gave up fishing it for the Carp
A lake in the middle of my town has depths upto 50' even the sides average 10' and it's a public park very dodgy especially the summer time and everyone wants to talk to you when they see a bivvy up.
Just gave up fishing it for the Carp
In reply to Post #12
I used to fish a similar lake back in the 80s, possibly the same one, does it have a ski ramp in the middle? . I was fishing for eels in those days and it was an extremely rough place then. Saw some right dodgy goings on. A few years later when I heard it now held some good carp I went back for a look and I admit I bottled it.. No way was I going to take my carp gear down there!
I used to fish a similar lake back in the 80s, possibly the same one, does it have a ski ramp in the middle? . I was fishing for eels in those days and it was an extremely rough place then. Saw some right dodgy goings on. A few years later when I heard it now held some good carp I went back for a look and I admit I bottled it.. No way was I going to take my carp gear down there!
In reply to Post #13
No mate duck feeding station that's it it's the Walsall arboretum
No mate duck feeding station that's it it's the Walsall arboretum
A local park lake I pointed out to a 'drunken gentleman' that fishing in the snags was not a good idea, in his state, or any state at all. Him and his mate started threatening me, so I walked away.
A couple of months later they were bivvied up again, and as I walked round, the abuse from them started.
The lake has also been used by a drug dealer to dump a body in, him and his girlfriend were apparently 'owed money' by a user so they got payment another way.
Another person has died in the lake, drugged up and drunk, fell in and drowned.
Then it became an Eastern Europeans paradise and fish of all species went missing.
Now the local council, EA VB's and Rural Crimes Police do pretty regular patrols.
In terms of waters I fished, I felt way out of my depth on one Suffolk lake, a year for a total of 3 runs, albeit 1 personal best, my first 20, and 2 lost fish to the gravel bars. I was unable to compete with the amount of bait that a well known angler was putting in, and he would threaten people who were fishing where he wanted to, and cast over them.
A couple of months later they were bivvied up again, and as I walked round, the abuse from them started.
The lake has also been used by a drug dealer to dump a body in, him and his girlfriend were apparently 'owed money' by a user so they got payment another way.
Another person has died in the lake, drugged up and drunk, fell in and drowned.
Then it became an Eastern Europeans paradise and fish of all species went missing.
Now the local council, EA VB's and Rural Crimes Police do pretty regular patrols.
In terms of waters I fished, I felt way out of my depth on one Suffolk lake, a year for a total of 3 runs, albeit 1 personal best, my first 20, and 2 lost fish to the gravel bars. I was unable to compete with the amount of bait that a well known angler was putting in, and he would threaten people who were fishing where he wanted to, and cast over them.