Peter Mohan and haunted pools

[BeechmereLake]

OK, after reading some of these stories I can confess to some strange happenings at Beechmere when I fished it back in the 1980's.
I remember a few events that were seen by more than one person at any onetime, hopefully I can try and get your imagination as I tell you of what happened.
Made aware of strange happenings at the pool by the Book that "BB" wrote its very easy to let your mind run away with you some times and my first strange happening there was on a Friday morning in May, me and the girlfriend had just arrived and put the car outside the old caravan in the woods, normal procedure was for me after a long drive to walk over to the highest bank and look straight down into the shallows of the water for signs of any fish, the other half would normally open the door of the caravan and start making us comfortable for our weekly stay.

On this occasion I had been to see the owner for the key and had our usual chat with him and his wife, also had to say hello to the Alsatian dog too, often or not we would invite them down for a cup of tea later that day. Anyway for what ever reason I got out of the car walked over and placed the key in the door for my other half to get in, I then walked over to the slope that went down to the waters edge and stepped up onto the highest point next to this tremendous tree and looked down into the water, next thing I hear is "what have you done with the key dear?" "its in the door where I left it" "no its not" she replied, so I walked back to see what all the fuss was about and true enough no key.

I looked straight down from the door lock to where there was 3 or 4 breeze blocks forming steps so as to help you climb into the caravan, around these blocks was long green straw like grass, after removing all the blocks and the grass leaving a bare patch of ground the width of the door I did not see that the key could have fallen out of the door and bounced under the caravan. My next move was to think hard about the key, so I traced my footsteps back to the tree where I stood looking into the lake, I then got down on my hands and knees and made my way across the track and back to the caravan door searching like the police would for evidence at a crime scene. I must of moved every bit of leaf litter trying to find it with the girlfriend stood by my side all the time, when I got back to the caravan I just stood up and said to her "I will go and see if there is another key", next minute she is in front of me looking ready to kill me, "are you playing tricks and trying to scare me? cos if you are its working" "what on earth are you talking about woman" I said, she pointed to the steps of the caravan and there on the top step was the key, to this day I cant explain it and she swears she knew nothing to.

More was to come that evening when we were led in the bed and there was a loud thud on the roof like someone had thrown a heavy bag up there, next minute
the sound of sniffing could be heard at the skylight, I presumed it could be a fox or something but one things for sure I wasn't going outside to find out what it was, anyone who has been there at night will tell you that you cannot see your hand in front of your face when its dark there.
Anyway we slept through till first light when the alarm clock went off, up, kettle on and ready to go off to the far bank swims I loved to fish the most I walked outside to see if there were any signs of what ever was on the roof the previous evening, looked up at the roof of the caravan and there was my torch just laying there on the edge of the roof, let me tell you if you have read to this point the hairs on my arms are sitting up like grass as I write this, no idea how, why or when and again an unexplained event. I have more to say so will continue in another post.

[BeechmereLake]

Moving on a year I always visited the pool in May, it seemed the best time to fish there for me.
I had a new plan of attack this time and was gonna do the floating dog biscuit thing to see if the fish would come to the surface, quite a rare sight unless you were part of a tree and seriously quiet, anyway three days of loose feeding these baits and getting fish up and looking for them I eventually got the best 2 days fishing I ever had there, I had 22 fish to the bank and lost 30, many were small fish in the 4 to 7lb bracket but I did manage some of the fish I never wanted to catch in the shape of 20lb mirror carp, sounds odd I know but when you know your quarry down there those fish don't come close.
Anyway back to the story, after having such a great couple of days my mate and his wife joined us for the next week, drove down from Oxfordshire and made us aware of their arrival, as they parked up just off the track and returned from a walk to a swim which was easy to get to and comfortable for a women to fish the owner was making his slow walk with his dog along the track, he came over and spoke to us all as we stood looking again from the high bank into the grey/green water, "how many of you here this week?" he asked "I said 4 of us with only 3 fishing" "FOUR OF YOU" "yes Mr R" "Well if there are four of you who is that down there then?" looking along the winding track and past the log piles there is a narrow bank that winds its way down to the waters edge where my mates had just come from, trust me it leads nowhere but to a ditch and its impossible to get across the ditch without getting covered in mud and water.

As we all looked down the track we could see only what I can describe as a grey silhouette of a man and a small dog walking from the entrance to the walkway that went to the waters edge, no way possible he could have jumped the ditch to gain access from there and no way was he down there when my mate and his wife went down there to see how comfortable it was to fish, walking away from the lake and heading to the bridge which gets you over the ditch this grey like figure carried on walking, there must be a good 75-100 yards to that bridge and by the time I had run down to look along the track with my mate what ever it was had disappeared literally into thin air, it was impossible he could of gotten over the bridge in that short time at the speed he was going.

Two nights later I was fishing a swim we nicknamed the "Hellhole" a swim in the corner left of what was known as the "priests hole", a stunning swim with a big old snag left of the swim, fairly deep a couple of rod lengths out, I hooked 4 fish and got 1 out and on 17lb maxima, a 20lb mirror which I didn't want, twice I was broken in a straight pull away from the snags, something I got used to down there in my 15 year affair with the place. Anyway it was getting dark and I had no torch with me, bubbles fizzed around my quill and I just knew a bite was coming, crash bang wallop all over in seconds, broke again, I decided to pack up and find my way back to the caravan, baited the peg for next morning and left
As I looked behind me uphill almost I couldn't see anything and could just about make out the water to my right, long story short I got past the "priests hole" over the fallen trees and came out to the track that led me to the old shed, its here you walk away from the water and go along this ditch to the bridge I mentioned previous, on my right hand-side there are the remains of an old cottage or something and as I walked round this corner I bumped into the head of a horse, YES it was attached to rest of its breathing body but let me tell you I have never been so scared in all my living days, horse went one way and I went the other, back to where I came from and ended up on my face tripping over some old logs.
Got to the caravan eventually and walked in to "where have you been and what have you done to your face?" it would turn out in my fright I had run back along the track getting branches and twigs from the trees hitting me in the face, one was a pretty good cut let me tell ya, I only see the funny side a day later.
Other things have happened there but seem to be the normal things that others have seen, freezing mist one end summers day the other, silhouettes in the mist and photographs of a certain swim that when developed had a picture of a mans face in the swim, no body.
The place was magnificent and I hope it still is, my old friend tells me he still goes there and not too much has changed which is just how it should be.

[Robbi]

if anyone has heard a cow cough at night, quietly, behind you, in the dark, when you think you are on your own............ that makes all the hairs on your arms stand up !!

[Wallys-Cast]

if anyone has heard a cow cough at night, quietly, behind you, in the dark, when you think you are on your own............ that makes all the hairs on your arms stand up !!

I have Robbie, I used to night fish a local farm pond where the cows would sneak up behind your brolly and cough. Yes really sneak up on you, I'm sure they had moccasins on.
The first time it happened I was on my own and I was convinced it was a bloke behind me. I stood up to say something only to be confronted by a big black monsters face with snot dripping from it nostrils. Didn't stay much longer after that, needed a change of underpants anyway..

Wal.

[Robbi]

Hi Wal

that has me laughing out loud mate ! "big black monsters face with snot dripping from it nostrils" ....i have seen that monster !!

i'm sure that was the start of my high blood pressure and nervous twitch !!

[Wallys-Cast]

Hi Wal

that has me laughing out loud mate ! "big black monsters face with snot dripping from it nostrils" ....i have seen that monster !!

i'm sure that was the start of my high blood pressure and nervous twitch !!

I did a similar thing to Beechmere Lake with the horse but I was in my storm brolly one foggy night when it came up behind me. I was convinced it was my mate Kenny trying to scare me so I kept saying "I can hear you Kenny", "you wouldn't make a very good Apache brave" but no reply so I thought I would jump up quick and give him a fright but there it was in front of my nose, a huge fire breathing beast with smoke belching from its nostrils.
Well I must admit the profanities were probably heard a mile away but the best part was the horse ran one way neighing and braying and I tried to run the other way but I was tripped up by the guy lines I had fastened to my brolly to stop it blowing away. it was like being caught in a huge spiders web.

Another short night session due to new undies being needed.

[Kingfisher]

I heard Peter Mohan used to run LlynGwyn years ago, Dunno how true that is.

[Barbulus]

If anyone knows Lacock Abbey.....I regularly fished the Avon in front of the old Abbey - sometimes two to three times per week at night and into the early hours for Barbel....normally on my own.....perhaps 7 or so years in total. Great times in the early/mid 80's when there actually were Barbel there......no great drama other than the occasional almost casual look over the shoulder as I suspect we have all done......was that a ghostly figure flitting across the misty lawn in front of the Abbey....was that really a cow "coughing"....a badger "crashing"...a fox "howling"......all the normal sounds of the night that can unnerve the casual night fisher......pack up around 1 or 2 in the morning ....and stroll across the Abbey fields to the lane....down the road in the village to the car.....and a gentle drive back to the cottage in ten minutes....how delightful......until one early morning...a feeling of increasing dread as I sat under the old tree trundling a bait through the currents swirling in the moonlight....the hairs on the neck rising....the sense of evil present....and growing sense of doom.....ridiculous thinks I....get a grip......no....there is something coming...something wants to harm......something I cannot see but I know is approaching ....it is looking at me from the woods.....it is coming for me across the moon lit fields....the Abbey has raised an inhuman spectre that hates all life......I cannot take anymore ......I reel in the bait.....the Abbey is still....the bats have gone......the mist swirls across the Abbey field...it is coming I know.....it is coming for me.......sling the bag on the shoulder and step off smartly across the field....the long way round....it is following........it hates the living........I have never sensed such malevolence in my life.........I quicken my step...it is following....over the stile....it is still in the Abbey field...I walk down the lane to the vllage...it tracks my every move on the opposite side of the dry stone wall......I see a village light....a muted orange glow in the gathering mist...safety.....fifty yards....it is following........I fumble for the keys to the car....it is there still.....unseen...but there.....I open the car door and throw the gear in......start please......slam the door...select first gear......drive off thru the village....a quick check in the rear view mirrow....it is following.....dark......evil.....it hates the living........I make it back to the cottage shaking.........turn on the television....oh my goodness..........another England "batting collapse"..............

[Robbi]

oh super ! cheers for that ! gonna have to sleep with the light on now !

[BeechmereLake]

Great write up Barbulus but I was hoping for a better ending, I was born and raised In Chippenham just up the road from Lacock and spent many a night fishing upstream of the Abbey for the big roach and Chub, a wonderful place to fish there along with Reybridge, was also very good the other side of the road bridge just down stream of the Abbey, that's where those 2lb roach were caught mainly. Many of my Barbel fishing days were done upstream at Mortimer's Wood by the old toilet dump, had many a good night there catching Barbel, they were not a very sought after species then but the river did have a fair few in there.
I can go back to the late 70's when I had a 9lb fish from Chippenham weir, I had a big fish that day and never really realized it from the weir pool, it wasn't until my sister had come down and taken pictures of it and we weighed it just how big it was, my parents owned a shop in Chippenham and the next day a reporter from the Gazette and herald was in the shop doing his shopping when my dad got him asking questions about a big fish caught in the weir pool, my dad said it was me, he asked a lot of questions and wrote down some stuff but I think to this day he was looking for a lad who I went to school with who caught a 31lb pike from the same swim the week before, truly fond memories of that stretch of water, did you ever fish Kellaways near Sutton Benger?