The best thing you’ve seen whilst fishing

[Ralph Harris]

There have already been posts showing the great abilities of deer. But while fishing a clay pit a deer fell off the top of the pit and tumbled down perhaps 25ft of almost sheer clay. They are not all elegant and agile. Seemed a bit confused for a while but moved off without any apparent damage.

 

[Dave Taylor]

I can see a BFW book developing here.!

Yes, I have a wonderful video of a kingfisher on my rod, then it's dive down to fish and its return to my rod. Its a shame it can't be loaded on here.

Also a day on the Kennet tucked amongst trees. When the full erotic Karma Sutra book was performed in the opposite field.
Of course I averted my eyes....and a loud loud cough made them decide to move. I'm guessing they didn't know I was there. Maybe not.

Then, similar to an earlier post, when an Otter plus two youngsters came out of the water alongside me. All stood up not six feet away as if to say..."Want bovver" for a full 15 second before squeaking away.

 

[John Newman]

Something I have always hoped would happen occurred a couple of weeks back. I had a young kingfisher land on my rod but unfortunately it didn' hang around long enough for a photo.

A few years back I was admiring the agility of a grey squirrel leaping from branch to branch in a tree where I was fishing. It then made a misjudgement and fell in the river! It looked really pi**ed off once it scrambled to the bank and no longer had a bushy tail.

 

[Dave Taylor]

To difficult to pick one specific favourite occasion whilst fishing,.. there’s been so many that I’ll always remember.
Wildlife being the most common but also angling mates, special sunsets and misty dawns linger in the memory.
It’s why I started to record some of those moments in time a few years ago as an add-on hobby and always take too much camera gear when on the banks.
Watched a roe deer leap into a high Stour yesterday as I arrived at my swim,.. it had swam past in the strong current and got back onto the bank before I had chance to take the camera out of the bag unfortunately. Did manage a few pics of similar during a hot summer’s day a couple of years ago. ( below).
Sometimes a simple view of a common mute swan in the mist can be magical,… ,… I seem to have countless pics but have never managed the classic kingfisher on the rod ,.. one day perhaps.

 

[Alex Gowney]

Pike fishing from the punt at Blenheim many years ago I watched a small group of mallard circle and start to drop into the lake with the landing gear down. The first few made flawless landings but one decided to try and land closer to the bank near the overhanging trees. His feet were stretched out ready and he was going a decent speed when his landing gear clipped a branch. This resulted in a very speedy triple somersault and a large ungainly splash into the lake! The mallard looked a bit confused then simply shook himself and swam away.

 

[Tim Marks]

A group of manta rays jumping out of the Indian ocean whilst I was GT fishing from a small skiff.

Sharing a small bay in Haiida Gwaii with 3 humpback whales. We were fishing from a 5m rib !

Shame my regular travel fishing mate and photographer extraordinaire Matt Harris wasn’t with me; the photos would have been amazing.

 

[Paul Bullinger]

Great post and fantastic photos.
Having fished my whole life (now in my early 70's) I've seen loads of fantastic sights when fishing.
However, I still get goosebumps when I see bittern.
Living near to and fishing the Norfolk Broads, I've been fortunate enough to see these rare, secretive birds on quite a few occasions.
Nothing quite like a bittern flying low over the reed beds, early morning with nobody else around. Magical.

 

[Alec Hague]

To difficult to pick one specific favourite occasion whilst fishing,.. there’s been so many that I’ll always remember.
Wildlife being the most common but also angling mates, special sunsets and misty dawns linger in the memory.
It’s why I started to record some of those moments in time a few years ago as an add-on hobby and always take too much camera gear when on the banks.
Watched a roe deer leap into a high Stour yesterday as I arrived at my swim,.. it had swam past in the strong current and got back onto the bank before I had chance to take the camera out of the bag unfortunately. Did manage a few pics of similar during a hot summer’s day a couple of years ago. ( below).
Sometimes a simple view of a common mute swan in the mist can be magical,… ,… I seem to have countless pics but have never managed the classic kingfisher on the rod ,.. one day perhaps.

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Ps the otter pic is I think outstanding

 

[Graham Elliott]

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Thanks Dave. Shame I can't upload the video you tidied up for me on here.

 

[Derek Funcks]

A couple of things come to mind. In May 2024 we were staying in Helford Village , I went out one morning hoping to maybe catch a couple of Bream in the Helford River . Suddenly this surfaced in front of me, I did not know that deer could swim underwater but somehow this one did.

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It had crossed the river when it was on the ebb so the current was taking it out to sea, I managed to take a quick snap on my phone .
Somehow it managed to fight the current and came ashore only a matter of yards from where I was fishing. It seemed quite calm, but when it looked around and saw me it set off and managed to scale quite a steep rockface behind me , so not only could it dive, it could climb mountains as well !

A second incident happened in Greece, once again I was fishing, well, actually just setting up my gear when two young attractive girls , maybe in their early 20’s walked along the beach behind me, said a few words to me that I could not understand, and then proceeded to fully strip off , then lay on their beach towels watching me fish. I caught a couple of small “Boga’ and returned them, but the girls then both came up to me , still starkers and asked in English if I could catch them a few fish for their supper.
How could I refuse ?

No photo that time.
Dave

David dear chap, you've got your priorities all wrong, you manage to catch a deer scuba diving ( at range ). and mountaineering, but couldn't photo a few tits just a few feet away.

 

[Bob Watson]

To difficult to pick one specific favourite occasion whilst fishing,.. there’s been so many that I’ll always remember.
Wildlife being the most common but also angling mates, special sunsets and misty dawns linger in the memory.
It’s why I started to record some of those moments in time a few years ago as an add-on hobby and always take too much camera gear when on the banks.
Watched a roe deer leap into a high Stour yesterday as I arrived at my swim,.. it had swam past in the strong current and got back onto the bank before I had chance to take the camera out of the bag unfortunately. Did manage a few pics of similar during a hot summer’s day a couple of years ago. ( below).
Sometimes a simple view of a common mute swan in the mist can be magical,… ,… I seem to have countless pics but have never managed the classic kingfisher on the rod ,.. one day perhaps.

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All fantastic shots but the last one is exceptional, if I ever wrote an angling book I'd hound you for that one that one for the cover!

 

[Graham Elliott]

All fantastic shots but the last one is exceptional, if I ever wrote an angling book I'd hound you for that one that one for the cover!

I'll pose again if you pay enough

On my trips to fish with the Dorset Mafia one of the most enjoyable parts are the photos Dave shares with us of the trips.

I'm not 100pc sure I'll be able to travel down again in future, so they will be wonderful memories of those joyous, fish full and blanking days!

 

[Chris Belcher]

Another wildlife related fishing yarn . . .

Habitually fished throughout the night, summer or winter with a 60" Nash Oval in my mid 20's (thought I was hardcore at the time) . . .one late Autumn / Early Winter I was woken by an initially subtle scratching sound that slowly got louder and louder. TBF I was used to things that go bump in the night and normally slept well in those days however the noise became more and more disturbing the longer it went on. I'd already had rats jump onto the foot of my bedchair at this particular venue, (feeding on spilt boilie crumb even when I was awake!) so I got out of my warm sleeping bag to investigate.

At least 10 hedgehogs were spread between the spars and across the back of the brolly on their hind legs drinking the water that had collected on the top of the brolly and dripping down the back in little streams! They were using their weight to push down on the fabric and get a better drink - clever little spiky beasts! They didn't shy away from my headtorch at the time and simply carried on - I left them to it and went back to sleep. Wish I'd taken a photo but I still had a film camera at the time and didnt want to 'waste' the film / flash battery . . . . eejit!