Warning!
Before you read this post please beware that it does not have a happy ending for the fox!
Rod and I strolled down to the river as usual on Tuesday evening from our caravan site. We passed the farm at Devanah and Patch, the farm terrier, came out and joined us on our 11/2 mile journey, something she has done many times before. We both crossed the river at the ladder above Crewel Pool but as usual Patch chose not to. We were optimistic of a good nights fishing as it was warm and dark - just the way we like it. We started fishing Crewel Pool as soon as it got dark and it wasn't long before I noticed Patch patrolling up and down the far bank, in and out of the water. Whilst I was fishing the tail of the pool Patch swam across to join us, although she never really interacts with us, she just seems to use us as an excuse to go for a wander!
Before you read this post please beware that it does not have a happy ending for the fox!
Rod and I strolled down to the river as usual on Tuesday evening from our caravan site. We passed the farm at Devanah and Patch, the farm terrier, came out and joined us on our 11/2 mile journey, something she has done many times before. We both crossed the river at the ladder above Crewel Pool but as usual Patch chose not to. We were optimistic of a good nights fishing as it was warm and dark - just the way we like it. We started fishing Crewel Pool as soon as it got dark and it wasn't long before I noticed Patch patrolling up and down the far bank, in and out of the water. Whilst I was fishing the tail of the pool Patch swam across to join us, although she never really interacts with us, she just seems to use us as an excuse to go for a wander!
Later in the night I was fishing about half way down the pool when I noticed a dog sized animal running very fast past me along the shingle in a downstream direction. The unidentified creature very quickly disappeared from view. Patch then appeared in pursuit of it! I had no idea what the animal was! Was it an otter or a fox? I had no idea. Within a minute or two the said animal came running back towards me along the shingle. As it approached me it seemed to panic a bit and in desperation dived into the river heading for the opposite bank. Unfortunately my fly line lay on the surface of the water between it and its apparent destination. I had to make a quick decision! Do I strip the line back, with the risk of hooking the animal or do I just leave the line where it is and hope that the animal just swims over it which is often the case with swans and otters. I chose the latter but I got it wrong!
The animal swam through the line, taking it with him and eventually hooked itself. As it desperately tried to clamber up the far bank to freedom my rod began to bend double! Patch then appeared on the scene and immediately started swimming across the river in pursuit of the distressed creature, and it soon caught it! All hell was soon let loose with both animals fighting viciously. Rod had by now joined me to see what was going on. The noise was horrendous! Barking, growling, yelping, screaming, splashing, screeching - you name it! Patch had the animal by the throat and seemed intent on killing it! Rod grabbed hold of my fly line, thereby taking the pressure away from my Sage fly rod and gently started to coax the swimming/fighting pair back towards our side of the river. Eventually it became clear as the pair came closer to our bank that Patch had caught a fox! Almost fully grown, the animal was disorientated and severely distressed with a terrier attached to its throat and my treble hook firmly embedded in its back leg. Once the pair were back on dry land we tried everything possible to separate them but Patch had other ideas! We cut the line in the hope that the fox would escape but Patch was determined to apprehend his quarry and was having a ball! The fox meanwhile was distressed and weak and despite giving a good account of itself it didn't have enough energy to make a run for it! At one point I chucked a big rock at Patch to get her off the animal. It hit her square between the eyes, she wobbled, got back on her feet and then reattached her jaw to the fox's throat! This was a killing machine the like of which I personally had never witnessed before! It wasn't pleasant! Patch continued with a relentless attack which was distressing to hear. We had no option but to put the fox out of its misery and a fellow angler performed the deed!
Patch had had her fun for the night and then curled up in the grass and went to sleep! Needless to say we didn't catch any fish in the pool that night. A sad end to an incredible story.
A fellow angler told me that I would stand more chance of winning the lottery than to have experienced this crazy event! I think I must agree!
The animal swam through the line, taking it with him and eventually hooked itself. As it desperately tried to clamber up the far bank to freedom my rod began to bend double! Patch then appeared on the scene and immediately started swimming across the river in pursuit of the distressed creature, and it soon caught it! All hell was soon let loose with both animals fighting viciously. Rod had by now joined me to see what was going on. The noise was horrendous! Barking, growling, yelping, screaming, splashing, screeching - you name it! Patch had the animal by the throat and seemed intent on killing it! Rod grabbed hold of my fly line, thereby taking the pressure away from my Sage fly rod and gently started to coax the swimming/fighting pair back towards our side of the river. Eventually it became clear as the pair came closer to our bank that Patch had caught a fox! Almost fully grown, the animal was disorientated and severely distressed with a terrier attached to its throat and my treble hook firmly embedded in its back leg. Once the pair were back on dry land we tried everything possible to separate them but Patch had other ideas! We cut the line in the hope that the fox would escape but Patch was determined to apprehend his quarry and was having a ball! The fox meanwhile was distressed and weak and despite giving a good account of itself it didn't have enough energy to make a run for it! At one point I chucked a big rock at Patch to get her off the animal. It hit her square between the eyes, she wobbled, got back on her feet and then reattached her jaw to the fox's throat! This was a killing machine the like of which I personally had never witnessed before! It wasn't pleasant! Patch continued with a relentless attack which was distressing to hear. We had no option but to put the fox out of its misery and a fellow angler performed the deed!
Patch had had her fun for the night and then curled up in the grass and went to sleep! Needless to say we didn't catch any fish in the pool that night. A sad end to an incredible story.
A fellow angler told me that I would stand more chance of winning the lottery than to have experienced this crazy event! I think I must agree!