[Harrier]

Some people fish just because they like to catch fish, but I think that for many of us just being away from civilizations for a few hours is a big part of the appeal. When you get away from civilization, you of course begin to see creatures that you would never see anywhere close to areas inhabited by humans. And being as quiet and stealthy as we fishers are, we often get to see animal behaviour and interactions at very close range. So, I'd love to hear some amazing, scary, or funny animal and nature stories from you guys, who I'm sure have collectively spent countless hours, days, and years in the bush.

 

[stsfisher]

3 steelhead seasons ago i was by myself on the chilliwack around thurston meadows when i ran into a couger on the trail. he seen me at about the same time i seen it and it turned and went towards the road so i turned and went towards the river. scared yes.

 

[Mike D.]

ok I got a couple stories here.....

one time I was fishing on the _________ river, where we hiked prob 1 hour through the bush to our spot....we heard this noise, it sounded like HEY HEY HEY HEY lol, well we stopped, and it came closer reely fast, this dude is running up the trail naked yelling hey hey hey hey lol, he just striaght lined it by us and kept going and we heard him up the valley for about 10 mins lol....

the most scarriest thing ever was when I hiked wayyyyy down on the chehay one day, I heard barking and then 3 big ass dogs came running out of the bush on the far side of the river....these dogs were just screamin at us and looked like they wanted to chomp use...they tried to find a way to get across the river, attempted but could hold in the current so they left up the far bank.....wild dogs on the lower che.....

Oh and one time when hutning up country we came across a donkey lol, he must of been off the ranch or sumthing...was too funny.....20kms up past the ranch and their donkey is up sitting in a meadow lol

 

[biffchan]

Was fishing the Atnarko 4 years ago with two buddies. We decided to split up a bit so we left one guy down below and me and the other went up river about 200' around the corner. Later we were informed that in the half hour we were apart, a black bear and a grizzly had both crossed the river less than 50' below where we were fishing and had went up into the bush behind us, all the while we continued fishing unknowingly. Scary stuff for sure, better yet, we had left our bear spray up on the bank with our packs :wallbash:

Another story from the same year deals with another type of wildlife. May long weekend just outside Bill's Puddle and the ******** were out in full force. Some of the bush partiers thought it wise to shoot empty propane cylinders. I didn't stick around to see how it ended....

 

[biffchan]

the most scarriest thing ever was when I hiked wayyyyy down on the chehay one day, I heard barking and then 3 big ass dogs came running out of the bush on the far side of the river....these dogs were just screamin at us and looked like they wanted to chomp use...they tried to find a way to get across the river, attempted but could hold in the current so they left up the far bank.....wild dogs on the lower che.....

I doubt they were wild, more likely from the native reserve. The way the river is now, it gets very close to the settlement. I have seen trucks buzzing around less that 100' from the river.

 

[Harrier]

I guess I forgot my own story. I guess my favorite was the time I was walking through Coldstream Ranch in Vernon on the way to Deep Lake and I saw a trio of Mallards flying low and fast over a field. It looked strange to me so I looked behind them and saw a Northern Goshawk in hot pursuit. It nailed one of the Mallards in mid air and I watched through my binoculars as it dispatched it's prey on the ground, squirting blood and all. If any of you have ever seen a Goshawk in action, they're pretty amazing. I've heard that they'll grab something as big as a pheasant right out of the air.

 

[Harrier]

Great stories so far. I can't wait to hear from some of the seasoned vets (in regards to both fishing and posting).

 

[ausseron]

A good number of years ago I was hunting Roo's down under, when I heard a heck of a commotion coming from behind me. When I turned around I saw a very large wild boar charging towards me, with evil intent in mind. Looking around for a tree to climb and finding none that I could make it too. I raised my Lee Enfield 303 and fired, the boar fell dead at my feet. It is amazing what you can do when pushed into a corner.

 

[professori]

I was up on the Horsefly River a couple of summers ago. There was a guy fly fishing about 100 yards downstream from me. The river at that point was maybe 40' wide with nice pea gravel beach opposite the guy. As he stood knee deep in the river, a 3 point buck stepped out of the bush directly across the river from him. I don't know if he saw the deer or not, but the fisherman continued casting as if the deer wasn't there. Even more than that, the deer proceeded down to the water's edge to drink and then spent the next 10 or 12 minutes grazing and wandering the pea gravel beach within 50' of the fisherman and then finally, slowly wandered back into the bush. There must have been a few casts when the fly landed within 10' of that buck.

 

[Harrier]

I was up on the Horsefly River a couple of summers ago. There was a guy fly fishing about 100 yards downstream from me. The river at that point was maybe 40' wide with nice pea gravel beach opposite the guy. As he stood knee deep in the river, a 3 point buck stepped out of the bush directly across the river from him. I don't know if he saw the deer or not, but the fisherman continued casting as if the deer wasn't there. Even more than that, the deer proceeded down to the water's edge to drink and then spent the next 10 or 12 minutes grazing and wandering the pea gravel beach within 50' of the fisherman and then finally, slowly wandered back into the bush. There must have been a few casts when the fly landed within 10' of that buck.

Wow, that's incredible focus. It's funny how everything else can melt away around you as you stare intently at that fly.

 

[ribolovac]

Funny:
Back in Europe we were fishing for pike with live bait,to keep the little fish alive you put them in a Little net and keep it the water,while we were fishing a water snake crowled into the net,eat one fish and when she tryed to get out because her body expanded after having her meal,she got stuck getting out through the Little squares in the net,we had to pull her out and release the greedy creature.
Scary:
Last year while fishing in rivers inlet,me and my partner were out early morning in this nice and calm bay,water was like glass,everything was quiet,when a huge whale(humppie)surfaced and blew the air about 30-50'away from the boat,mind ya we were in a 15 foot boat and I never saw a whale live before that,my heart almost stooped.Worst part about it was he just came out of no where,went down under the boat and came up a nother 50'away on the other side.Later i heard that they usually keep their distance from the boats but this one didn't care.

 

[searun17]

A number of years ago i was fishing with my brother in law we walked in to our chosen run to find a large black bear wandering around across the river from us,there was a couple other guys around and we werent to conserned,so we kept a close eye on what the bear was doing and started fishing,soon the bear wandered off into the bush and about an hour or so later i just happened to turn to my right and standing on a stump all wet from his swim was this bear ,at no more than 10 yards away,i dont know who was startled more me or the bear but shortly after eye contact the bear just turned around and walked back to were he came from,he must have crossed up river from us because none of us saw him cross over to our side,if i wasnt awake before this i sure was now,we ended up having a good day with an interesting story to tell when we got home,funny thing is the wife didnt seem to be to interested.

 

[searun17]

i still laugh when i think about this one.
It was spring bear season and i was walking up a small road that paralelled a raveen that had been logged on the other side ,so i decided to sit just off of the road inside some trees and bush to glass the slopes on the other side of the raveen,after a little while i hear a truck coming up the road and go figure they decide to stop at the side of the road right beside were i am hiding in the trees,i hear the passenger get out slam the truck door ,so i figure i would take a peak back through the trees to see what the guy is doing,the guy walks right up to my hiding spot and has no clue i am there and just as he is about to piss in the bush and possibly on me i pop out of the bush and tell him i wouldnt do that if i were you,well the look on this guys face must have turned three shades of pale as i step out of nowhere dressed in full camo and packing a gun,the guy never said a word just did up his fly got back in his truck and left,i couldnt stop laughing ,the look on this guys face was priceless.

 

[marko]

Now that's funny........ :happy: O0 :thumbup:

:beerchug: Marko

 

[Steely]

Lost & Found

4 years ago I was out Bar fishing with some buddys on wellington bar, when all of a sudden a fish grabbed the spin glow, and pulled the rod out of the road holder and into the river! Well the 3 of us happened to be camped out there for the weekend, and now we only had the 2 rods left between the 3 of us. The day we were to leave I decided to do a little bottom bouncing, and guess what I caught? A nice looking rod and reel that I used to have! ;D I was able to hook the 20 oz bar weight, which was the only thing holding down the rod and reel, while the rod and reel were 300 yards feet down stream being held on by a knot.

We didnt get skunked :thumbup:

 

[Silex-user]

It was around raining Labor Day long weekend back in 1991 where I was fishing the Slide Hole (the local fishermen call it the heart attack hill pool)) on the Stamp River. My buddy and I spit up about 100 feet apart. I was having blast catching some really nice chrome red springs. :thumbup: I did not heard the young Black bear had walk and sat behind me about 30 feet. I just reeled in a really big chrome spring and decided to keep this one. When I turn around I see this bear sitting there like Man's Best Friend......dog. Hell, I knew it was looking for free meal well, it not going to take my salmon. So I pick up small branches and sticks start throwing at the young bear. It sure did not stay around and took off.

My friend and I was the only fisherman fishing that area well below Stamp Falls fishing boundary.


Silex-user.

 

[mr.bare]

you people are brave, i cant fish the chehalis by myself half km from the hatchery i start shitting my pants :-X

 

[steeliesrking]

2 years ago I decided to take my wife out fishing on the Fraser. She loves salmon fishing. I parked the truck and started the 10 minute walk to the river. Half way there, I here a noise in the bush. I stopped walking, and my wife stopped behind me. The noise stopped so we kept going. Another 200 yards down the trail, I hear the noise again. I stop again, and my wife stops behind me again. We stand in the same spot for 10 seconds in silence, then she asks my why I keep stopping. Not 2 seconds after she asked the question, a big black bear pops out of the bushes not more than 10 yards ahead of me. It walked down the trail in the same direction we were going for about 30 yards, then back into the bush on the opposite side. Just like it never saw us. I basically sprinted the rest of the way to the river.

Out sturgeon fishing one day a few years back, we decided to pull anchor and try a different spot. I started to pull the anchor, and could tell almost immediately that it was pulling something up with it. After a few minutes of grunting and groaning, up pops the anchor with some braided line wrapped around one of the teeth. So I start pulling on the line. Again, after a few minutes of grunting and groaning, up comes a great custom built sturgeon rod with a nice Penn 330 reel. Cleaned the rod up and took the reel to Mikes to get it cleaned out. As good as new. Didn't get the big one that day, but got something almost as good.

 

[mr.bare]

after the blackbear you sprinted to the river ,im guessing you left your wife behind , forgot i said you people are "brave" :

 

[professori]

In the summer of 2000 I was fishing the St. Mary's just out side of Cranbrook. I had worked my way a mile or so down from the highway and was walking along the waters edge when a movement in the rocks near my feet caught my attention. I looked down and saw the most bizarre creature I have ever laid eyes on. It was about 18" to 2' long, with a serpentine body and a bulbous head about the size of hens egg. There were 2 legs waving from the head/thorax area, but no legs in the back portion. It was a repulsive lookingf creature, but also fascinating, as it appeared to be some kind of evolutionary throw back. It took me a good minute before I could decipher what it was I was looking at. A large garter snake had captured a toad and started to swallow it. As the toad went down, its fore legs became hooked in the corners of the snake's jaws and it was not going down any further anytime soon (and still alive and "kicking"). The 2 animals were almost exactly the same colour and it was difficult to see where the snake ended and the toad started, even after I realized the situation. For a minute there, I felt like Darwin seeing the Galapagos Islands for the first time, I had discovered a nesw species. Then I just felt like an idiot. :happy: :happy: