Ever get ''that feeling''?

[Dan Whitelock]

That 6th sense feeling you get about a particular swim, or an urge at 2230 to jump in the van on a school night and get down the river as you ''just know'' you're in for something special? Any tales of it coming to life or is it just another justification to SWMBO that you can't under any circumstances visit the in laws or watch celebrity dance factor on ice because you just know that you're in for a very special barbel trip?

I had one such feeling Thursday morning while at work so I bid farewell to my chums in the shop and headed down to the river for a couple of days. Obviously I blanked.
I also had a dream last night about a particular swim that I don't think I have ever fished in 15 years, it's never once crossed my mind and it's quite non descript as far as swims go but now I think I'm going to have to!

I'm fully expecting to blank there too......

 

[Mark Swaby]

A weird one that thankfully did not come right possibly saved my life or at least saved my tackle,A full moon on the Great Ouse upstream of the road bridge at Turvey, about 20 years ago. At about half past twelve at night i had this feeling that i was going to be charged by a Bull,which was weird because having fished there for years i had never seen cows in the field.I turned around and in the bright light the full moon gave me saw some movement about 100 yards behind me, coming though the hawthorn tree field border.I gathered my tackle up and by the time i got it together a Bull and a herd of cattle were approaching me.The Bull looked at me and wandered off towards the weir, the cows went crazy and started to charge at me only stopped by my torch and landing net handle hitting them on the head.The river was flooded behind me and i struggled to fight them off and back down the bank towards the bridge 100 yds away.Reaching the barbed wire the gear went over and still the cows were going crazy,over i went ripping my clothes,but got to safety.Another time on the Colne near uxbridge i had fished a reliable swim without a touch and thought i would feed the swim, try the next one up and come back in about 15 minutes, 10 minutes later the swim was destroyed by a tree coming down right across it.

 

[Alex Gowney]

Slightly off thread but along the lines of Marks story, I was walking the Ouse near Tyringham Bridge I think, back in the late 90's. I hadn't been to the stretch before and there was a herd of young Jersey heifers in the field. Having been brought up on a farm I am very comfortable with cattle but wary of bulls, dairy bulls being particularly unpredictable and dangerous. There appeared to be no bull with the herd so I crossed the field to the river. As they tend to do, the young cattle came over and walked with me for half a mile or so. I then turned and headed back along the river and for the first time started looking at the cattle, Jerseys being my favourite breed. I was surprised to see one with horns and more than a little uneasy. The "heifer" then turned to look at me, copper nose ring and all! I had been walking with a young Jersey bull, the most dangerous of them all, for over twenty minutes. As he had not shown any aggression so far I kept walking back towards the car while keeping a careful eye on him, mindful that I may be heading for a swim! Unfortunately, the gate to the field was in the middle so I either had to struggle through brambles and nettles and keep close to the safety of the river or cross the middle of the field and be at risk of any change of mood by the bull. Needles to stay I ended up scratched and stung but still in one piece.

 

[Gavin Hoe-Richardson]

There was a section of Yorkshire river where I'd been trying to catch a double from for a few years having identified a swim that 'just looked right'.

Saturday night, dusk approaching and still feeling ropey from a Friday night out with the lads it was either Saturday night reality tv or a couple of hours on the bank. Off I went with one rod, landing net and small rucksack. First cast I got my double then went home with a big grin on my face.

Although realising that barbel are often nomadic I didn't fish there again for months as I didn't want a repeat capture.