Strange catch...what is it?

[Emma two]

I was out at my lake last sunday evening, I arrived on the water just after 9pm, I like to fish through light into dusk to dark. Lure fishing with a lightweight single handed rod and ABU low profile multiplier (fishin' tackle is the only mechanical stuff which I can get excited about). With his set up I am liable to encounter, Perch, Pike or trout, with the outside possibility of a Salmon, as they do run through the lake en-route to the spawning becks in the fells, my son took a fresh run one on thursday evening. I noted that the nights are drawing in, last light being around 10pm, and I was priviliged to see an otter working the water about 50 yards offshore right in front of me, I took some film, but she doesnt show up well on it. I was working a fairly large brass coloured mepp bladed spinnerbait when the rod buckled around, I was into something! now I'm experienced enough to be able to tell which species is on the other end well before it becomes visible, but the strange heavy twisting pulls were alien (!) to me, a round leathery back about 10 inches across broke the surface and long quivering 8 inch legs on either side showed above the lapping waves. Once on the surface the creature allowed itself to be reeled in, however in the gathering gloom I wasnt wholly sure that I wanted this thing close to me, vunerable as I was waist deep in water, standing on submerged rocks which would have prevented any attempt at agile side stepping the horror which by then gliding across the surface towards me. The urge to to drop the rod and hope that the thing managed to free itself and make it way back into the gloomy depths was overcome by a curiosity to discover what it was, the like of which I have never seen in over 40 years upon that water. I lifted it clear, quite repulsed at the squat round brown hued slimy body and those grotesque legs which seemed to pulse in awful symmetry. The beast thankfully lacked resistance, I had a fearful fancy of it crawling up the very line to me, perhaps emitting some awful primeval squeaking...! and wished for more then the six feet of boron which made up my rod

It did however quite placidly allow me to cautiously make the bank, hanging limp upon the hook, strings of globule like slime eerie in the fading light hanging from the legs and body, wherupon I noticed that it wasn't hooked in its mouth, and at that point had no idea of the location and type of mouth which it may posess. the hook held the beast by its left side front leg. Surley an 'accident' hooked by chance, or was it capable of using those fearful appendages with which to grab at it victims?

 

Placed upon a dry rock with a sound that betrayed a hard crust like body beneath the soft slime, it stayed quite still resting in its own mucus while I reached for my camera, below are the results....but what on earth, or from 'what earth' is it???

Edited July 19, 2008 by Emma two

[Guest tigger]

Beam me up Scotty!!!!!

[dr bacardi]

ugly whatever it is,be interesting to know what it is though

[Guest tigger]

ugly whatever it is,be interesting to know what it is though

 

 

It's just not logical Captain

Edited July 19, 2008 by tigger

[dr bacardi]

It's just logical Captain

is it a pi$$ take

[Guest tigger]

is it a pi$$ take

 

 

Edited July 19, 2008 by tigger

[Peter Sharpe]

It's an extremely dead Japanese spider crab.

[chesters1]

bugger knows! i couldnt get past the grotesque name dropping ,this is AN not a crummy angling mag

a chesters1 post would be

 

"what the fooks this"

 

saving energy for quaffing cheap alcohol

Edited July 19, 2008 by chesters1

[Barry C]

Sure it didn't burst outa your chest.

[Emma two]

Sure it didn't burst outa your chest.

 

It didn't, but I worried that it might want to attach itself to my face

 

It's an extremely dead Japanese spider crab.

 

Perhaps, but how did it end up in a North of England lake?