Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

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Silfield
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Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Silfield »

This happened over 35 years ago and to this day has had me perplexed and bemused as I have no logical explanation as to what happened....
A since departed good friend of mine and I decided to go to Felbrigg Hall lake for the tench that were reputed to abound in the water. As neither of us were old enough to drive we enlisted the help of 'dads taxi' to drop us off in the afternoon at the woods close to the lake. We set up, had a brew and had a chat, with the now present bailiff, who seemed like a decent sort of chap-full of stories including the 'Headless Coachman' that trundles by the exact spot that we were fishing on exactly the evening that we were fishing!
On his departure we had a chuckle about him trying to wind us up and dismissed the banter with a 'he had better try harder if he thinks that is going to spook us' type of attitude so typical of teenagers. We fished on into the night with no more references to the ghosts etc although, deep down I think both of us were slightly bricking it. We re-baited and cast all 4 rods into an arc of water to cover a decent amount of water, set the bite alarms, bobbins etc and settled down in the chairs with another brew (by now of the Carlsberg type) and my mates Old Holborn.
At close to midnight the most bizarre thing happened, all 4 rods went of at exactly the same time-no gentle rises and dips of the bobbins but a full on smash with the optonics screaming the bobbins smashing into the underside of the rods and two of the rods actually coming unseated from the rod rests.
We struck into 2 of the rods and nothing, checked the other 2 and nothing-what the hell was that all about? We both looked at each other, muttered a few expletives, looked around us in the vain hope that we would see something that would go some way to explain what had just happened-nothing. Being teenagers we laughed it off but deep down (well, not too deep down in my case, and the same I suspected with Simon) we were scared!
We had no choice but to sit it out for the rest of the night until we got our lift back in the morning and hardly a word was spoken until we were back in the car on our way home. Didnt even catch!
Needless to say, we never fished Felbrigg at night again but night fished plenty of other waters, including the notorious St. Benetts Abbey, without any problem.
I recounted this to my wife last week and I could visibly see the goosebumps come up on her skin.
“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.”
Washington Irving

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Santiago
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Santiago »

It was me in a wet suit. Sometimes I just can't help myself! :Hahaha:
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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Silfield
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Silfield »

Santiago wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 1:28 pm It was me in a wet suit. Sometimes I just can't help myself! :Hahaha:
I wish it was you in a wet suit-at least I would know what it was! :Scared:
“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.”
Washington Irving

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Tengisgol
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Tengisgol »

Possibly an otter that went through your lines?

Felbrigg holds a special place in my heart. Many, many years ago I came very close to a fish of record-shaking proportions, along the wooded bank. The closest I have ever come.

In amongst the trailing autumnal leaves was a great rudd that I thought was maybe a two pounder. I followed it from my tree top vantage point but it just wouldn't come close enough to drop my worm on it. There were two or three smaller fish that were closer, but they were less than half the size of the big one, so I minded my time. From up on high I watched those fish for twenty minutes, waiting my moment.

Annoyingly, I heard a dog walker on the dam and the splashing of her mutt. Lowering my expectations, I dropped the worm to the smaller fish and it was snaffled immediately. That 'smaller' fish weighed 2lbs 7oz! Just how big was the big one? I'll never know...but I think Alston's record would have been shaken.

Felbrigg in all its glory, with the tench-a-bubbling at dawn...

Image

Image

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This was the 'small' rudd…

Image

It is a magic, magic place that at one time could produce fish beyond our wildest dreams. It was once, probably, the Redmire of rudd fishing:

Image
Last edited by Tengisgol on Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Where the willows meet the water...

https://sites.google.com/site/tengisgol/

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Santiago
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Santiago »

That's odd, I use to walk my dog around there! She loved to jump into the waters.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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Tengisgol
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Tengisgol »

Santiago wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 8:32 pm That's odd, I use to walk my dog around there! She loved to jump into the waters.
It was you! I will never forgive you! :Hahaha:
Where the willows meet the water...

https://sites.google.com/site/tengisgol/

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CaneTincaCatcher
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by CaneTincaCatcher »

Just wondering are you still able to fish this lake.

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Silfield
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Silfield »

CaneTincaCatcher wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:02 am Just wondering are you still able to fish this lake.
I think so. I found an old phone number of where you used to be able to get day tickets but dont know if it is still valid....01263 513676
Might be better to ring the Estate office on 01263 837444.
“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.”
Washington Irving

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Santiago
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Santiago »

It's a great fishery! Many years ago I caught a 41/2lb rudd there. Before it came to the net I thought it was a nice bream :Hahaha: :fishing2:
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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Silfield
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Re: Felbrigg Hall Norfolk

Post by Silfield »

Time to give it another try I think but this time during daylight hours! Or i could take the wife as she is a match for any ghostly entity.
“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.”
Washington Irving

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