Of spooks Ghosts Gouls and things that go bump in the night.

[TincaTinca]

Of Spooks, Ghosts and Ghouls and things that go bump in the night.

It seems funny to me that whenever i go fishing on my own and i am staying overnight i have to fight off the night terrors. My imagination and my fears. I have to keep these feelings and thoughts in check and not let them loose or i will be forced to pack up early and go home, then i will have to make up some excuse to my wife and friends why i have terminated the fishing trip early.

There are some real reasons for packing up early. One such incident was earlier this year..( Thur July 21st 2011 to be precise) The trip was planned and we (Allan and my self) were to go to Tanyards fishery. A last minute change of plans as Allan could not now make the trip. So I telephoned Steve and we decided to go to fish Brooklands in Dartford.
I used to fish these lakes years ago, in fact it is where i first learnt to fish, sitting on a little bridge over the river Darenth which runs along side of these lakes, catching Gudgeon. We used to see who could catch the most in one day. I caught a Dace, it was huge, compared to the gudgeon and it was different. Still I digress,
We packed up the car and went round to pick Steve up, what with some backwards and forwards – i forgot pillows and the wheels to the barrow- we eventually arrived for our weekend fishing.
Our intention was to fish Friday night Saturday and come home Sunday evening. I had got all the food and bait for the week-end and when we arrived we had a good look round, it was like bivvy land along the road side of the lake, however we found a double swim just inside the gates and we could park the car across the bivvy to protect it. I did not ask why this swim was empty!!! And gave it no other thought as it had started to rain, so we quickly set up the camp and setting up the rods we began to fish. It then started to bucket down and very soon our swim was awash with rain water running around the bivvy into the lake.
During that first night I had the only fish a 7lb Bream, for me a P.B. And as day broke on the Saturday morning, we found ourselves looking directly into the Sun which was very watery – well it had just come out of the Sea. – We fished on and the bailiff came round and stung us for £25 00 for the weekend.
Later that evening people began to arrive it seems there is to be a disco in the boat house for the Sea Cadets, still its young people, so there shouldn’t be any problem and we fished on listening to their music drifting across the lake.
At 2030 hrs Another bailiff came round, checked our tickets and looking at all our gear spread around he said “Is this all your gear?” we said “yes” "umm" he said and “is that your bivvy?” “yes” I said, cautiously, wondering where this was going. He looked at me and said “you know this is Dartford don’t you” I was getting more concerned and again cautiously replied “Yeees” He replied "We get a lot of tackle thieves round here “ I looked at all the tackle we had no show and a shiver went up my spine, when he left, I looked at Steve and he looked at me and we started to pack all the gear we were not using, into the bivvy and the car out of sight.
We returned to our fishing, the lake was now like a mill pond at 2130 hrs it became clear what the bailiff had meant, as two cars pulled into the car park a few yards from where we were set up. The four doors opened and eight teenagers got out and started to run around and chase each other with their music blearing out, One of these lads came over to us and asked “Had any luck” his speech was slurred eyes wide, pupils dilated and he was unsteady on his feet, when he came close, he reeked of drink. We spoke to him and answered his questions politely but I watched him carefully eying all our gear. 10 minutes later they got in their cars and drove off. Then another car pulled into the car park again all the doors opened, music screaming out, there was some shouting and swearing coming from this group, two of the people got back into the car, when another car pulled in, again windows down music blaring out. This group took exception to the other groups music and told them to turn it off. thats when the fight developed between the two parties, again they returned to their respective cars and drove off.
Now both Steve and I can handle ourselves but 8 of them is too much. I looked at Steve and said “I don’t want to be here” He replied “neither do I” so we started to pack up, that’s when i realised why this particular swim was left clear. It was too close to this car park. We were packed up and gone by 2230 hrs with all our tackle and no injuries, Phew!!!

This then I believe was a real reason to pack up early. Discretion being the better part of valour, However there are times when the imagination gets to us / me, Like the time i went fishing for the week-end to Johnsons lakes at Larkfield. That night was spooky. I arrived early Friday evening, I was Tench fishing, i didn’t have a bivvy, only a brolly, I set up in what was known as the stable swim in the corner.
After it got dark and became quiet and still, I heard someone cough up on the bank, thinking someone was up there I came out of the brolly and took a look. I could not see anyone, so I returned and sat down concentrating on the bobbins in the dark. Now have you noticed that when you are disturbed like that your hearing becomes that much more acute! I listened intently for him to return and as I sat their listening, I became aware of a sawing sound quite close to where I was sitting, looking round, I picked up the torch and shone it around the camp – nothing could I see- but the sawing noise had stopped. So I returned to the fishing but I am now on edge and as I sit there the sawing starts up again – again I turn the light on – again nothing there. This time I keep the torch in my hand and when it starts again I ensure I know exactly where the sound is coming from – light on Nothing, only a big black Slug and the sound stops – light off, sound on, light on, its that Slug eating the grass.
Laughing to myself at my own silly fears, I make a cup of tea and drink it slowly, Only to be disturbed by the cough again – I put the tea down and return to the top of the bank quietly, to see who is there, i creep around but all there is, is a couple of cows out in the field, no persons stalking me. So I return to my tea and start to drink it again, only to be disturbed by the coughing again. This time I move along the bank quietly and climb up top, still nothing , I stay up top for a little while, I have to know who is out there. A few minutes later, I hear the cough again and I am looking directly at the culprit – yes, its one of those cows,
Returning to my fishing, I finish my now cold tea and settle down for the night, studying the bobbins and the ripple on the lake. Now I need a pee, so walking along the bank I begin to relieve my-self, when I see the trees are moving down the bank by themselves. Now this is too much magic, even for me, and I pack up and go home.
I later found out, that Cows do indeed cough just like humans and Slugs can be heard eating the grasses and the trees, well where I was starring at the lake surface, it gave movement to anything else I would be looking at . Still it spooked me enough to send me home.
If like me you talk to anyone who wants to speak, then you will inevitably hear tails of ghosts or strange incidents on the lake side – I don’t seem to hear them about Rivers or Beaches. But lakes, they seem to thrive on them. Most lakes seem to have at least one story to tell.
I was told of this one, for Castle lake at Larkfield, by a dear friend who was fishing a long weekend for Carp.
To reach the swims he had to wade through very thick rushes, for some 50 yrds, when he reached his desired spot he set up his “camp” and started to fish.
It was a warm muggy day and very, very still. .As night came on and darkness fell he was roused to hear some-one puffing and panting and then he heard the sound of (what he thought) was a small boat being pulled or dragged through the reeds. He heard the boat launched and all fell silent again. He had no runs in the night and wondered how the other guy had got on in the boat. So he went round to where he thought the boat man had pulled into the water and was surprised that there was no-one out on the lake fishing. He had not heard them return. Puzzled he looked for the drag marks through the reeds, there was nothing, no sign of any damage to the reeds, only where he himself had entered.
Spooky or what???

[Bluedun]

Night fishing can be quite spooky - but the spooks are always natural. (Or are they?)

[Snape]

Night fishing can be quite spooky - but the spooks are always natural. (Or are they?)

Speaking has a rationalist - yes, they is always an entirely natural explanation. It's just our senses become heightened, our imagination runs wild and we hear and see things which don't occur in the day time so we are not used to them.

[Bluedun]

The coughs of sheep are more noticeable at night. The slap of waves on the beach at night is quite odd too; one never notices in daylight.

[Gary Bills]

In May 2011, I really spooked myself during a carp session on a Midlands canal. I was fishing a junction linking two canals, and I had walked several miles along a rural canal to get there. I knew someone had drowned in that canal, an elderly man, just days before, and I couldn't get this fact out of my mind. So I fished on. Midnight came and went, and very loud shrieks, unearthly shrieks, started to come from a field immediately opposite. I have lived in a remote farm house, surrounded by night noises, but I could not identify that particular sound. It really un-nerved me. Then the sound seemed to be overhead. "Ah, a bird", I said to myself. The moon was bright. I looked up at the sky - but saw nothing...and still that shrieking came! I packed up, crossed the lock, hurried down the tow-path - and the terrible din seemed to follow me! I loitered under a bridge, until it passed over and faded. But I was now so scared, I could not face the two mile walk back in darkness, alongside a stretch of water that, so recently, had claimed a life; and so I crossed a bridge and decided to take a short-cut over fields....Unfortunately, this involved negotiating several electric fences and a dark wood - but it was worth it!

[Beresford]

A friend of mine got very spooked night fishing as he was sure some large beast was about to take a bite out of him. I told him it was only rabbits running through the long grass. Even a hedgehog going through dry leaves on a still night can sound like a huge beast.