Is THIS the tallest tale you EVER heard?

[Chris Goddard]

Shaver Lake Fishing Club member Art Shepard (grandson of Judge Arthur Shepard, an early club member) swears the following story is true.

 

On Memorial Day weekend, 1997, when club members traditionally gather to "open" the club area, fill in ruts in the road, trim brush and hook up the water system, Shepard found some time after the basic work was done actually to go fishing.

 

But his luck was poor, despite his well-honed skill, dedicated patience and an impressive collection of lures and bait.

 

Working his way along the shore, he eventually decided to try near a downed tree dipping into the lake in the small cove below the water pump and well system, hoping fish might be lurking around the submerged branches. He had made several casts when he heard a bird cry above him, which he recognized as the cry of an osprey. A pair of the rare fish-eating members of the hawk family had been nesting somewhere in the club area -- an official wildlife sanctuary since the1970s.

 

Art looked up and saw, several hundred feet above him, the osprey clutching a good-sized fish in its talons. As he watched, he said a bald eagle -- also rarely seen in the Shaver Lake area -- came out of the sky behind the osprey and attacked it for its catch. The eagle's white head and neck was clearly visible, he said. In the airborne melee, the osprey dropped the fish.

 

"I watched the fish fall, and it seemed to tumble slowly," Art recalls. Then, with a plop, it landed on the beach, within a few dozen feet of the rather astonished fisherman. The fish was still alive and wiggling a bit when Art picked it up to claim it as his.

 

"It was the best fish I caught all weekend," he said.

 

He swears it is true.

 

Jay Thorwaldson - May 27, 1997

 

 

 

 

 

Taken from http://www.shaverlake.org/story.html (Some FANTASTIC pictures in the gallery too! B/Wtoo!!)

[Vagabond]

Of course its true

 

If the guy had been a liar, he would have taken it home and claimed he caught it!

 

Having seen Australian White-bellied Sea Eagles disputing catches with Ospreys, this tale is entirely believable.

 

Not like some of the porkies that appear in the weekly comics.

[Newt]

The tallest tale I ever heard was when a young fellow claimed he understood women.

 

As for the other, eagles are sorta lazy and it is much easier to attack a smaller bird for its fish than to catch them since eagles are not the worlds best fishers.

[chevin]

Well, there were no eagles involved but Vagabond can vouch for the veracity of my story. I walked down to the waters edge one night at Dungeness, and a wave broke just as I was preparing to cast. I felt something hit my foot and when I looked down I saw a nice dab flapping about on the shingle. It was obviously very distressed so I put it out of its misery and chucked it into my bag. While reeling in a little while later, I felt a sudden weight on my line. On beaching it, I found it to be someone's broken line with two codling on the hooks! Bait? Who needs it?

[Vagabond]

Yep, can vouch for that.

 

There was also the seatrout at a Cornish harbour that leapt into Chevin's boat and was thereby introduced to the cook.

 

Some might describe Chevin as an opportunist - others might use a name tha sounds vaguely like "Goldielocks"

[chevin]

Yep, can vouch for that.

 

There was also the seatrout at a Cornish harbour that leapt into Chevin's boat and was thereby introduced to the cook.

 

Some might describe Chevin as an opportunist - others might use a name tha sounds vaguely like "Goldielocks"

 

Oh, yes, I had forgotten about that! I guess it just resigned its self to the inevitible and saved its self the trauma of having a hook in its mouth and having to fight for a freedom it was never going to regain!

 

Another amusing story was when I was fishing from a punt with FJ and his brother Ken. I was using an Ondex for the fist time, none of us had seen them before then. I was saying how good I thought they would be on that partcular water during my first retrieve and as it got close to the boat with no take, Ken started taking the mick out of me and telling me that I didn't know much about spinners etc, etc. As I lifted it from the water, there was an explosion under my rod tip and a pike came half way out of the water and took the spoon in mid-air. The expletives both Ken and Fred used are not usable here, but they did indicate that they were quite impressed with the Ondex. Certainly all three of us used them extensively after that!

Edited February 25, 2008 by chevin

[greg long]

I had my boat partner net a good trout for me once. He took a careful dip and lifted out a nicely proportioned 3lb+ fish. Meanwhile the fish attatched to my fly, shot out from under the boat in the other direction...he emptied the net into the bottom of the boat and then did the needful

[AnnaWerner]

I believe the eagle story, knowing how lazy eagles can be about catching their own food, but I do wonder what a Bald Eagle (North American native) was doing in the UK?

 

There's a story circulating on this side of the "pond" about a 50-some inch Pike caught on a 30-some inch Pike (!) that the anglers had already hooked and was reeling in! Best thing is that there are photographs that almost prove the truth of the story!

[Vagabond]

but I do wonder what a Bald Eagle (North American native) was doing in the UK?

 

????? Where does it say this incident took place in the UK?

 

Shaver Lake is in California USA

[Ken Davison South Wales]

????? Where does it say this incident took place in the UK?

 

Shaver Lake is in California USA

 

Shsssss she may never return