WAKING THE DEAD

[Invicta]

I have just joined this great forum and thought I would share this with you. it is not a ghost story but it was very scary.


It was back in the 1970's and I had left home very early one autumn morning to fish a small pool I had known for several years, it is only about one and a half acres and surrounded by oaks and beech woods. So in the dark I setup hoping for wildies, there were no other cars parked in the small pull in off the road and assumed I was on my own. I had been sitting there for several hours before the morning mist was gradually lit by the morning sun. As the dawn progressed I heard a rustling in the dead leaves just a few yards behind me. Then all the hairs on my neck lifted as through the mist I saw a large pile of leaves come to life as a man very slowly sat up!! Ever so slowly he got up and walked out of the woods, leaving me very shaken. ---A tramp of course sleeping under the leaves for warmth --I have never forgotten that.!

[Beresford]

Brilliant, I'd have run away.

My scary moment came as I had just settled into place. It was a classic early morning summer carp trip. The lake was still, nothing moved and a thick blanket of mist made the world seem that much smaller. I was hidden from the water by a tall stand of reeds. As I sat back a grey ghost rose almost right in front of me. I yelped as the ghost's arms rose up to grab me.

Then it flew away. Herons also know the best spots to fish!

[Snape]

Freaky stuff all right. Reminiscent of Hammer House of Horror and the walking dead!
My scariest encounter was whilst standing on the banks of the Warks Avon by a line of pollarded trees at dusk, hearing a strange swooshing sound apparently directly overhead. Looking to investigate I saw the white shape of a huge barn owl hovering over my head and looking to come in to land on me! My movement spooked it and it swooped of and landed on a pollarded tree a few yards away. I can't imagine the shock (and pain) I would have had if it had landed on my head!

[Invicta]

Thanks guys I would have run off but was in shock ha ha.
Hey Snape I had a similar when nymph fishing a small tree lined stream, hearing a noise I looked up to see a Heron coming down to land. It applied all the brakes when it saw me and emptied itself at the same time, which luckily missed me!!

[PickleBarrel]

:hat: :hat: :hide:
two occasions spring to mind...in my teens used night fish (guest/poach) small pond in the middle of a wheat field near Harlington.for crucians and small tench .when two large rats scurried across my legs (this was pre bedchair we used to sit on a blow up cusion)
defineately did not doze off that night
Night fishing Maylins/pool cafe in Henlow ...the water was heavily covered in mist...when a ghostly white apparition appeared followed by another.. seemingly gliding towards us...yes you guessed it ...a swan with with its head buried beneath its wing sure spooked us at the time..

[TraditionalAngling]

This was for real.A few years ago was off to the River Dove for a evening/night fishing for some barbel fishing.Was walking to my swim when a women with two dogs was coming towards me with head down I passed comment that it was a nice evening but I received no reply.Within a moment I looked back she was no were to be seen.I quickly walked back towards the car thinking that she may have slipped into the river.I did not fish that night or any other time since on the River Dove.The wife was some what surprise to see me home so early after I explained what happened she told me that a woman a few years ago was murdered along the River Dove.

SM

[Davyr]

she told me that a woman a few years ago was murdered along the River Dove.

Err, which stretch of the Dove was that? :think:

[Davyr]

hearing a strange swooshing sound apparently directly overhead. Looking to investigate I saw the white shape of a huge barn owl hovering over my head

A lucky escape - people have lost eyes in encounters with barn owls! Odd that you heard anything at all, though, as barn owls are notoriously completely soundless in flight?

[Snape]

hearing a strange swooshing sound apparently directly overhead. Looking to investigate I saw the white shape of a huge barn owl hovering over my head

A lucky escape - people have lost eyes in encounters with barn owls! Odd that you heard anything at all, though, as barn owls are notoriously completely soundless in flight?

Fair point Davy. Maybe the 'strange swooshing sound' is a figment of my memory as I generally never write an account of my fishing trips I rely on memory and this being a few years ago possibly it is starting to fail me. Certainly something made me look up (thankfully!).

[TraditionalAngling]

she told me that a woman a few years ago was murdered along the River Dove.

Err, which stretch of the Dove was that? :think:

Marston Lane stretch up stream from the bridge