Fishermens tales

I,d just come back into our transport yard in my Truck after a holiday, and was approached by our fork lift driver a nice lad who went by the nickname of 40 watt, ( he wasn't very bright, ) but never the less a friendly chap by the name of Mickey. anyway he asked me if I had been sea fishing while away so I replied that I had, and even caught a couple of Sea Bass. He then went on to say that he had also been sea fishing when he was on Holiday, and one bloke in the boat he was in, had hooked a Sea Lion !, well all the other drivers started laughing and taking it out of him, so I said hold on a moment.! he could be telling the truth, as I had known of other Anglers reeling in Mackerel when a Seal had grabbed them and had taken the hook too.,. I then went on, a funny thing happened while I was fishing too Mickey, I hooked into something enormous,. my Rod bent Double and refused to budge, but after awhile I felt a slight give in it, so I reeled in some more and kept on heaving and lo and behold I started very slowly to bring the thing to the surface, well after what seemed like an eternity a piece of wood broke through the water, and I kept on pumping, and eventually another piece of timber surfaced set at a cross piece, and it only turned out to be a Mast, then very slowly a Deck surfaced and it transpired I had hooked into the wreck of a Spanish Galleon from the Armada of 1588, and do you know what the most incredible thing about it was.? . "The Candle was still alight in the Captains Cabin " !! lol. ...Well Mickey said B....cks ! ( sounds like Scallops ) lol .. I don't believe a word of that ! .. so I replied Bloody charming, ...well !! YOU ASKED ME to believe your ..Sea Lion story !!

Re: Fishermens tales

Hi Tom

I have only ever caught three strange things, while fly fishing.

One was a Swallow, I recon he had grabbed my fly on the back cast.

Two was a blokes ear lobe , caught on the back cast. That made him hop about a bit

And one Bat at dusk.

Re: Fishermens tales

Oh well done, you shudda weighed them in lol.. those chalk streams by you are real nice, I go to Hampshire in the Truck a lot Wimborne area and a place called Upper wield in the middle of nowhere between New Alresford. and Four Marks if you know that area, a bit tight in a 44 tonner lol.

Re: Fishermens tales

Hi Tom....I live near Arundel, land of muddy tidal rivers of no great note.

http://www.over50sforum.com/showthre...etworth&page=2

Hampshire/Dorset yes, home to my beloved Chalk Streams. The hallowed waters of the Test and its sister rivers. The majestic Avon and the Stour. Oh I could go on waxing lyrical mate for the area and the rivers.

These days we get little further than Winchester and Stockbridge. Love the river behind Stockbridge and a meal at the "Mayfly Inn" on the banks of the River Test.
I have of course been to the parts you mention but they are further over, as is the delightful little River Wylye.

Miss it all these days, as I mentioned the Lynton Coast. Used my Dads car to visit once and it lost its brakes on that ruddy big hill. Tight as a duck my Step Dad, servicing was a no-no , so guess the brake fluid was 50% water and boiled up Happy Days

Re: Fishermens tales

Lol there sure are some steep hills around here, ive seen countless vehicles with burnt out brakes and clutches, do you still get out to dangle your maggot etc or tie a fly ? I luv fishing of any kind, what better way to spend a peaceful day eh.! its not so much as what you catch,,its just being there in and amongst nature, remember that programme " A passion for Angling " https://youtu.be/B6eBYzaGSdU what better way to spend a day .? by the way I just had a look at your link thanks! it looks bloody lovely !

Re: Fishermens tales

Remember it well Tom, Chris Yates a somewhat eccentric angler with a passion for using yesterdays tackle. For me he can keep his split cane rods, while I do feel the warmth he loves in such items, they weigh a ton. I still have my Avon split cane rod which I purchased from the shop for 6 old pence a week, paid for from my paper round. That was over 60 years ago and the rod has caught more fish than I can remember, yet the corks on the handle still look like they were fixed on yesterday. Yes I did scrub them always after use.
Still Chris Yates is a real fisherman, did he not catch a carp which broke the British record from Redmire Pool. A more wild and un-catchable fish than that snared and home fed thing that broke the record a couple of weeks back.

Re: Fishermens tales

Yes Chris Yates held that record at Redmire for ages, I dunno if it still stands ?,, when I used to watch his programme I used to admire his little wood burning stove too, so I also have one that just uses twigs too, great for making a fresh cuppa rather than a flask, I don't have any split cane rods either but I started off with them, but I do still use an old ABU closed face reel, for float fishing, amongst others, ! but everyone seems to be using poles nowadays a thing that just doesn't appeal to me, although I admit that they are good.

Re: Fishermens tales

Hi Tom......you are lucky if you still fish. I have good intentions , join the clubs, buy new rods etc but they never get to see a water. Was intending to do a little Tench fishing but alas no. Would like to catch a Sussex Barbel before I pop my clogs, perhaps next year, says I, in the little River Rother. Sure as heck I will not be braving the Winter elements of mud and cold to fish for Pike.
Nice series "Passion for Angling", I remember in one Winter session they caught some thumping big Pike and 2lb plus roach. My friend has met him on the Avon banks and had a chat, asking him on introduction if he had to bow, cheeky sod.
Anyway his first addition books fetch a few bob now.

Re: Fishermens tales

Sorry for the late reply, i have been all round Yorks in a truck for the last couple of days ,.so you could say i have been to ...Hull and back ! lol, aaw yes i still go fishin, both sea and freshwater, i wouldn't mind a nice barbel, or even a 3 lb chub ,, i was once on a contest on a cold winters day, and i was sitting on my kreel ( shakespear ) with the bait trays clipped on the side, anyways the bites were a bit slow so i decided to have a drink of oxtail soup from my flask which was underneath, and just as i was pouring it out i had a knock on my line,so i was watching that, and took a sip from my cup; and thought to myself, mmm there,s a lot of beef in this oxtail soup , ( as i was chewing it ) ! ,..so looked down into my cup, and it was full of maggots ! as they had dropped out of the bait tray into my cup which was underneath the bait tray.lol.. i kid you not ! i have never touched oxtail soup since !

Re: Fishermens tales

Nothing like a change of diet Tom, me I would prefer the maggots to the Oxtail Soup. How many years ago did I sick that up and the taste stays with me.
Maggots, lost track of how much they cost these days. Did read last week that a guy returned his back to the tackle shop as his fishing day was cancelled. £25 quids worth, bloody hell!! what.
Anyway look on the bright side they must have nutritional value as do the flies they turn into. Take the Swallow, a little bird which I suspect would not weigh in at 2 ounces. Yet living on a diet only of flies it has the energy to fly back to Africa, much being over long desert areas.
As the embers of final light draw closer my thoughts turn to making a more determined effort next season to go fishing, perhaps for that Barbel. What a ruddy effort perhaps old age makes of all things in life , when once I cycled over hill and dale 70 miles on my home made bike to catch bugger all. And now just the drive in a nice car seems like a weeks work.