Uneasiness

[RemoteWanderer]

Never spooked, but I'm convinced a large cat was sat behind my swim one evening on the river Medway.

Id got up to walk back to the car and get a headlamp, it was just shy of being dark.
A large shape sprang up Infront of me and bounded down the path towards the car.
Not really sure what it was.
When I got to the car, I could hear something in the undergrowth/bushes next to me, I turned towards it. It growled. I charged towards the noise whereupon it crashed towards a 6ft chain link fence , scrambled it and shot off along a railway track .

Brave or stupid, Id gambled by charging it, it wouldn't be back in a hurry!

It probably was a deer, but I've never heard a dear growl like that.

Last year I was working at port lympne zoo near one of the big cat enclosures.
I heard that growl!!

Had a similar experience fishing on the edge of a reed bed. Heard something big snapping through the reeds. Shouted at it but kept getting closer. Got very close to the point I could see the tall reeds moving 10-15yds away. I charged at it like you, shouting and beaming my headtorch at it. It went off, then heard it 20ish mins later coming closer again. Was weird but assume it was a deer

 

[Mr Fish]

I’m getting fed up with people chasing me out of bushes after I’ve settled down for a good growling session

 

[Cwab]

Did you ever see anything mate, grew up by the Solent and heard a lot of anglers talk about weird experiences along that stretch of IOW, do you hear other local anglers that have similar stories. Shingle walkers I think they're called`?

Not unlike the skinwalkers of the ranch with same name in jetty jumper country and possible as with skinwalker ranch.
Little doubt these unearthly creatures will have a portal close by to another dimension and these areas to be avoided as
Clearly looking for arse. Edit, to make matters worse they can make themselves look like deer or other anglers to avoid detection

 

[DaveH]

Most frightening creature on a dark riverbank at night?
Mating hedgehogs!
Badgers grunt a bit too.

 

[Cwab]

Most frightening creature on a dark riverbank at night?
Mating hedgehogs!
Badgers grunt a bit too.

Be mindful of shape shifting you just never know and should creature go down hole or tree root could be a portal.

 

[Trampster]

Most frightening creature on a dark riverbank at night?
Mating hedgehogs!
Badgers grunt a bit too.

Lots of loud snorting & snarling outside of our lounge window one summer evening. Wondered what on earth it was. A pair of large Hedgehogs having a bit of a territory dispute!

 

[Cwab]

The cry of the Tomcat and fox mating calls of the eve along with barking roebuck are interesting.

 

[DaveH]

The cry of the Tomcat and fox mating calls of the eve along with barking roebuck are interesting.

Foxes yowling are pretty easy to identify. Roebucks too, once you've heard their bark. It's being in a river, late at night, no moon, and hearing a noise on the near bank... Also, did you know that otters eyes are large and red in torchlight (sheep's eyes are green for comparison).

 

[Cwab]

Foxes yowling are pretty easy to identify. Roebucks too, once you've heard their bark. It's being in a river, late at night, no moon, and hearing a noise on the near bank... Also, did you know that otters eyes are large and red in torchlight (sheep's eyes are green for comparison).

Yes, spent much time out of an eve observing wildlife including otters and sometimes just a quick flash in a lamp resembles a cat though reddish through night vision partly due to ir and fascinating to watch through thermal.
Also found that whilst watching lads poaching with lurchers now thermal spotters been available for quite a few years best thing is to make banshee like wails or demonic cries for a while till they crack and leave, and often wonder what they tell their mates they heard edit, also even better fun if two or three watching them from different spots and get some great acoustics going normally followed by flight

 

[flappy]

Yes, spent much time out of an eve observing wildlife including otters and sometimes just a quick flash in a lamp resembles a cat though reddish through night vision due to ir and fascinating to watch through thermal.
Also found that whilst watching lads poaching with lurchers now thermal spotters been available for quite a few years best thing is to make banshee like wails or demonic cries for a while till they crack and leave, and often wonder what they tell their mates they heard edit, also even better fun if two or three watching them from different spots and get some great acoustics going normally followed by flight

Don’t you like people lamping..?

 

[Cwab]

Don’t you like people lamping..?

Really depends flappy on who it is, where they are, and what they are lamping at the time and did spend many years myself controlling some species aided by lamps and to be fair don’t even like myself at times.

 

[Mr Fish]

Don’t you like people lamping..?

If it’s specifically to control a species like foxes or rabbits and they have a vested interest ie they farm the land or are called in to help manage the land, that’s fine.

If it’s just country yahoos going lamping for the sake of lamping and shooting anything they see in their beam, then no.

 

[Cwab]

Foxes yowling are pretty easy to identify. Roebucks too, once you've heard their bark. It's being in a river, late at night, no moon, and hearing a noise on the near bank... Also, did you know that otters eyes are large and red in torchlight (sheep's eyes are green for comparison).

Just to add say if sea trout fishing and greatly depending on persons nervous disposition and legitimately been in river there is nothing to fear bar another human or dog if mindful of stock or deer in reality, though easier said than done.

Some noises though are not good

 

[Wolf]

Did you ever see anything mate, grew up by the Solent and heard a lot of anglers talk about weird experiences along that stretch of IOW, do you hear other local anglers that have similar stories. Shingle walkers I think they're called`?

Yes I saw someone walking behind me, couldn't make any details out,apart from a old style hat and boots, heard footsteps on more than one occasion,also heard a rowing boat coming ashore more than once couldn't see anything.Some of my fishing mates will not fish the back of the island after dark,& Im not happy fishing it alone .

 

[RemoteWanderer]

Yes I saw someone walking behind me, couldn't make any details out,apart from a old style hat and boots, heard footsteps on more than one occasion,also heard a rowing boat coming ashore more than once couldn't see anything.Some of my fishing mates will not fish the back of the island after dark,& Im not happy fishing it alone .

Spooky mate, seems to be a lot of anglers saying the same stories there. Haven't fished the back of the island but Fort Victoria at night by myself was the other place I felt uneasy at, constant feeling of being watched..

 

[Topwater]

The only issues I've ever had have been with the unfortunately living

 

[blakdog is back]

I remember there was a thread on WSF about taking dogs fishing a few years back and I got into quite a lively debate with a guy who used to take his spaniels with him when he fished off a high cliff mark. He reckoned it was fine but as much as I love dogs a I said it was a serious safety risk and he was really taking a stupid risk.

Not long after the guy rang me to discuss the thread ... although we still disagreed on the dogs and fishing bit he was a really nice guy and we had a perfectly amicable chat about fishing and reels and he said he would be on the cliffs that very night with his two spaniels but he would give me a ring the next day to discuss sending two of his reels to be magged.

He never made that call as he was reported missing the next day. They found his gear on the cliffs with one dog at the top and the other on a ledge a little way down. His body was recovered from the sea later. It looks like he maybe tripped over the dog, or the dog fell and he went down trying to help the dog .. whatever actually happened I've never been more upset about about being right. I would be more than happy if he were still proving me wrong. I feel rather guilty that I can't remember his name.

 

[Mr Fish]

I remember there was a thread on WSF about taking dogs fishing a few years back and I got into quite a lively debate with a guy who used to take his spaniels with him when he fished off a high cliff mark. He reckoned it was fine but as much as I love dogs a I said it was a serious safety risk and he was really taking a stupid risk.

Not long after the guy rang me to discuss the thread ... although we still disagreed on the dogs and fishing bit he was a really nice guy and we had a perfectly amicable chat about fishing and reels and he said he would be on the cliffs that very night with his two spaniels but he would give me a ring the next day to discuss sending two of his reels to be magged.

He never made that call as he was reported missing the next day. They found his gear on the cliffs with one dog at the top and the other on a ledge a little way down. His body was recovered from the sea later. It looks like he maybe tripped over the dog, or the dog fell and he went down trying to help the dog .. whatever actually happened I've never been more upset about about being right. I would be more than happy if he were still proving me wrong. I feel rather guilty that I can't remember his name.

That’s very sad. As you say, that’s something you’d never want to be proved right on.

People do unfortunately get a bit blinkered in their activities at times - I probably do myself when it comes to fishing and do or did take chances I shouldn’t.

But never really understood the need for some to take their dogs to every fishing mark. Beaches, sure, but high cliffs are dangerous enough without adding the variable of two lively dogs.
I’ve seen people paddle boarding on the open sea with dogs on the board and I just don’t get it.
Something goes wrong they’ve then got to manage themselves, the board and the dog, it’s just not worth it for some romantic notion.

 

[Cwab]

I remember there was a thread on WSF about taking dogs fishing a few years back and I got into quite a lively debate with a guy who used to take his spaniels with him when he fished off a high cliff mark. He reckoned it was fine but as much as I love dogs a I said it was a serious safety risk and he was really taking a stupid risk.

Not long after the guy rang me to discuss the thread ... although we still disagreed on the dogs and fishing bit he was a really nice guy and we had a perfectly amicable chat about fishing and reels and he said he would be on the cliffs that very night with his two spaniels but he would give me a ring the next day to discuss sending two of his reels to be magged.

He never made that call as he was reported missing the next day. They found his gear on the cliffs with one dog at the top and the other on a ledge a little way down. His body was recovered from the sea later. It looks like he maybe tripped over the dog, or the dog fell and he went down trying to help the dog .. whatever actually happened I've never been more upset about about being right. I would be more than happy if he were still proving me wrong. I feel rather guilty that I can't remember his name.

Remember you recounting this when we were talking on phone some time back when you gave me some good advice on ring spacing for a cliff rod but these things happen. Personally for me dogs and fishing don’t mix and something else to think about
Regardless of how reliable or trusted dog may be. Must admit though have been times a good well trained German shepherd
Dog who knew his job with a voice and speak on command would be useful at night in some places and folks tend to give you a wide birth.

 

[blakdog is back]

That’s very sad. As you say, that’s something you’d never want to be proved right on.

People do unfortunately get a bit blinkered in their activities at times - I probably do myself when it comes to fishing and do or did take chances I shouldn’t.

But never really understood the need for some to take their dogs to every fishing mark. Beaches, sure, but high cliffs are dangerous enough without adding the variable of two lively dogs.
I’ve seen people paddle boarding on the open sea with dogs on the board and I just don’t get it.
Something goes wrong they’ve then got to manage themselves, the board and the dog, it’s just not worth it for some romantic notion.

I had to go look on the dark side to remind myself ... he was Nigel Savage (known as crazy horse) and was lost from the cliffs at Burniston, just North of Scarborough. I have to say that the conversation has always haunted me a little ... there is always that little voice in the back of my head telling me I should have pressed harder to persuade him that dogs and heights don't mix.