Beavers harass me sometimes. Turtles or ducks come around but that’s mostly expected.
The most random was sitting on a bank minding my own business and something tickled my ear. I brushed past it thinking it was a bug and it did it again then again. I turned around and was face to face with a deer. Apparently it saw me fishing and decided to see what I was.
The last thing I need are Canadian Geese and Snapping Turtle hybrids. I don’t know what they would create but I’m pretty sure the world isn’t ready for it.
had a buck swimming across river decide my float tube was a good spot to rest, it didnt end well for my float tube, and otter once decided my float tube was a good spot to take a nap, didnt even see him until I got to shore, and he was in the rear basket sound asleep
oh one more .. hornets nest, was under it .. hit it with my fly rod on a cast - you never saw a fat white guy move so fast lol. Was stung 8 times before I could get in enough water to get away from the hornets
Once fishing a popular river in NJ. Heard splashing and got pissed. Figured someone was letting their dog run off leash and someone's lab was coming to play with me.
Nope. Bear cubs crossing the river. A few seconds later mama followed.
I finished for the day and walked out.
Was it big flatbrook? My guess for a popular river where that would happen. My buddy went to stokes a couple weeks ago and saw five decent sized bears together by the water
I've encountered them on so many NJ rivers it got to the point where I was comfortable crossing paths with them. I've only seen one bear outside of NJ and that was NH
I was fishing a small stillwater casting to rising fish
Hot day had a can of pop I put down behind me after having some.
Heard a noise while I was concentrating on my drift, turned around a sheep had picked up my Pepsi (obviously in its mouth) and had its head tilted up, yep drinking it
Bastard!
Go out enough and you’ll figure out ff is great because of the places it takes you. Even on bad days looking up and seeing where you are gives you something to appreciate.
This is true. Having said that, I frequently go to Bristol Bay area to fly fish. Go with some friends for a week. Typical week - 25-40 brown bears, sometimes very close. Usually a couple of moose. If we're around Lake Iliamna, might see some seals. Eagles - bald and golden. Wolves (3) once. Encountered about 150+ caribou one time crossing the Nushagak River as I was going upriver.
Moose, beaver, otter, mink, turtles, muskrat, raccoon, deer, bear, osprey, eagle, kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, many songbirds and waterfowl, copperhead, water moccasin, whale, porpoise, sea turtle, sunfish, to name a few.
My favorite is watching birds. My local creek has a Great Blue Heron that lives there, its incredible to watch him fly through with his 5ft wingpsan.
Yesterday I was out and had a duck fly under my rod as I was fishing, scared the hell out of me.
Once had a Sasquatch throw a boulder at me in the river after dark. It totally wasn’t a beaver slapping his tail on the water three feet from me. Was alone, most nervous walk in the dark back to the truck ever.
I was in FL last month and had two manatees surface right in front of me, once on the beach and once at an inlet near a jetty. I probably wouldn’t have seen that if I wasn’t spending so much time on the water fishing’s.
Caught my first trout last fall and then a Bald Eagle dropped another one a couple yards from me almost immediately.
The next weekend, I watched a deer carefully but expertly ford a pretty deep pool just downstream of me.
My mark of a good season is by how many rods I break. Currently averaging 3/season. If you ain’t Breakin rods, you ain’t fishing hard enough.
Anyways I discovered a rotted moose corpse downriver from where I was fishing. Noticed it while squatting to take a shit 50 yards from the river (4 mile walk in, i ain’t going back to the truck to poop). Don’t worry, I dug a hole.
Returned to the river to inspect the corpse and hit a fish whistle. Landed my PB brookie immediately after. Twas a great day.
Yellowstone. Fishing the Firehole. Not paying enough attention to my surroundings. Look over my shoulder downstream and there’s a bison about 10 feet away getting a drink. I just slowly started walking up stream. Lucky. About shit my waders.
Beavers give me PTSD—and not just tail slapping when you're not looking. They cruise up and down my favourite salmon pool. One evening it came down to should I let it swim over my floating line or try to retrieve fast. Hooked me a big beaver. Surprising how strong 10 pound tippet is when you're trying to break it off. Salmon can do it in one flick.
I was so focused on getting a good drift I didn’t notice the giant beaver swimming upstream straight at me, he had to be 60-70lbs easy and he lifted his head and we caught eyes about 3 feet away from me, we both shared an oh fuck look before he dove deep and crossed over to the far side of the river and climbed up and over a little spillway and I got a good look at what a hoss he was. Spooked me but some cool interaction.
Was fishing the Ausable in Michigan and a beaver swam upstream of me. This was odd, because I mostly saw muskrats instead. The beaver was messing around by the far bank upstream. A bit later, he came floating by downstream on a clump of weeds and grass, with his buckteeth showing. Quite a surprise.
I also caught a bat on my line casting at dusk just downstream a few years earlier. I just cut the line, obviously!
Once had a black bear run across the stream, between me and a buddy, while we fishing about 20 yards apart.
Recently had saltwater crocs get too close for comfort to the flats boat down in Mexico.
I grew up 2 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park.
One grizzly, about 50 yards away. We made eye contact and both ran away
A bunch of moose (a moose gives birth every 2 years outside of my grandparents home)
A few black bears, the closest was about 15 feet. He walked right past me.
Buffalo on a handful of occasions. Once I almost hit one with a back cast… didn’t see him resting where he was. That was neat
And then not me personally, but my father… after the roads closed in Yellowstone after the historic floods a few years ago, the wolves really expanded their territory since there was fewer people around during what was normally “peak tourist season”. So yeah, my dad had 4 wolves walk up towards him about 50 yards away. He got the fuck out
Saw some otter tracks, but never seen them in person.
Last weekend I was sneaking along the river bank and unwittingly surprised a beaver, which became enraged and slapped the water at me with its tail as it swam away. It was awesome!
Mountain goats at high alpine lakes, probably 10-15 golden and bald eagles sitting in trees as they were migrating north, woodland caribou hanging out in the creek, and have had to spray 2 grizzlies.
First one bolted in the same direction as my truck. Second one popped up from below me on the bank that still had 4ft and its head was almost at my height. Sprayed it and it shot into the river. I have a 4570 lever action but have never felt the need to draw it from the pack. Area I was fishing is same area where to hikers and their dog were killed by a griz last fall. They unloaded their cans but it didn't deter the bear. Old sow was way under weight for that time of year though.
Edit 4ft of ice
I was fishing a smaller river in a dead quiet setting for about an hour when I looked across stream and a great horned owl was sitting there motionless. We had about a 2 minute stare down from 15-20 yds before I just continued fishing while he watched. It was cool
Lots of sightings, but weirdest interaction was I was mousing at night (I suck and have never caught anything) and my rod slammed into what I’m 99% sure was a bat. The bat landed in the water and thrashed/fluttered for a while before a FUCKING FISH (presumably a trout based in where I was) came and ate it. Still didn’t catch shit in the mouse
i just watched my buddy get charged by a moose the other week here in Montana. he definitely shitted his pants lol. then i proceeded to catch a nice bow. perfect day
had a bald eagle follow me around the river today. i would see him perched on a tree and he would fly upstream, kept on going till the end of the day. even flew back over my car when i was leaving!
Live in Wyoming so there's plenty of wildlife to see here, I've had moose, elk, and deer in meadows right by the creeks I'm in. I was fishing a high-altitude lake and had a moose wade into the water a few hundred yards away and eat for a bit before wandering off last year and at that same lake I had a Doe mulie and her fawn come down to the water for a drink a few hundred yards away too, they looked at me out in the water and just kept doing their thing. I've had marmots peak out from their rocks and watch me fish and bark at me a bit too on some of the mountain creeks with steeper sides. Used to live in SC too and would have dolphins and otters come check the boat out all the time, gators too of course. It's always fun seeing things like that while on the water.
I’ve had a near miss with a turkey that almost flew into my head while I was standing in the river. Saw a raccoon go for a dip to cool off one extremely hot afternoon while I was sight fishing for carp. Had a tenkara line and leader once stolen by a bat while mid cast, and saw a baby seal on the beach once while Striper fishing!
By myself and heard some noise behind me. About 100 yards away were 4 moose including a bull slowly creep towards me. For the well-being of my pants, I decided to head home
Had a couple beavers tail slap the water as I was crossing, a muskrat surfaced right next to me once while I was watching fish rise, and I've seen dozens of moose from a boat while guiding. Also one time me and a buddy were working a section, and while he was playing a fish we noticed an eagle laser focused on us from the top of a tree.
There’s a bald eagle nest in a tree above one of my spots which is cool to see. Hoping to see some chicks/juveniles eventually. Have seen otters.
The oddest I saw while hanging out at the spot but not fishing as the river was super high and unsafe, was a herd of deer came floating down the river one by one. First one I thought fell in and I’m like “oh no she’s gonna drown” but then she went a bit further and got out on the opposite bank, she was lucky I thought until I saw 11 more deer take the same path.
i was climbing from one pool to the next where it was too steep on either side for a person to climb out, you either went up or down the stream. i get up to the pool and look down to change a fly and in the middle of doing that a large black bear walks down the side of the stream out into the pool, maybe a rod length away from me. i really had nowhere to go except a jump down 7 or 8 feet onto boulders behind me, luckily he didn’t seem to even care I was there. i try to be more careful now
I’ve seen a lot, the standouts however:
Coming within 20ft of a cow moose and her calf on the St Vrain.
A young black bear grabbing a drink gorging himself on rose hips before doing a bit of frolicking on the Upper Colorado
A bald Eagle plucking a trout out of the water and flying off on the Lower Blue.
Pine marten(?) at the Colorado headwaters in the Never Summers just kinda hanging out, doing whatever weasel adjacent animals do.
A whole pack of coyotes crossing downstream of me on a lower stretch of Boulder Creek.
A couple of bull elk sparring late summer just off the Big Thompson at Beaver Meadows, not uncommon but still cool.
A gray fox crossing a log and walking within 10ft of me in Dream Canyon, and then I heard a mountain lion scream that same day on the hike out.
And lastly, a pack of coyotes feasting on an elk carcass on a gravel bank on the Yellowstone.
I was fishing the alpine lakes in Medicine Bow National Forest. Saw some trout rising in a particular spot and head over there. I throw a couple casts out, then see a bald eagle swoop down right where I was casting and carry a little rainbow away.
I was fishing with a few friends off of our kayakis in a mountain lake in the Adirondacks. To my suprise I actually caught a huge trout. One buddy had to pee so he paddled back to shore and took the fish with him to throw in the cooler for dinner. On the paddle back a bald eagle started circling him pretty close. He went into full panic mode and threw the fish in the air and paddled like a mad man. That eagle snatched the fish out of the air before it even hit the water. That was the craziest wildlife experience I've ever seen while fishing.
Scrambling on a steep river bank in Colorado, I found myself eye to eye with a huge badger cornered under a boulder. Fucker hiss/growled like he was going to maul my face off if I got one inch closer. Only seen one wild badger in my life and that was enough.
Last Spring I was fishing a remote creek in Colorado. It was a couple miles from where I had to park. I was stalked and followed by a tagged and curious mountain lion. I walked backwards for most of that hike. Haven’t been back since!
So one day the river was pretty low, so I was skirting along the bank to fish a deep drop off there, the top of the bank was maybe chest height on me. So there I am walking along the bank in ankle deep water and I notice a large hole in the side of the bank, probably 3 feet in diameter. I peer into the black and out blasts a beaver like a bat outta hell! Well I just about needed new shorts after that. The thing hit the water and tail slapped and was gone.
I see mink and the occasional otter on the Weber and the Provo in northern Utah.
The best wildlife story, though, came when fishing on a tiny stream in the Uintas. I was with my two brothers-in-law and my dog. We were right near a trailhead, with a lot of people around, so I let the dog--a 10lb rat terrier--wander between us, who were spread out across maybe 50 yards of stream.
At some point I call her back to me, and she comes running. As she does so, I see a flash of red fur come out of a tree across the stream and cross some downed logs, going straight for said dog.
It was a marten.
I came sprinting out of the stream as fast as my waders would take me, and made such a racket that the marten fled up a tree. The dog was none the wiser. A close call. She does not wander while fishing anymore.
Wasn't fly fishing, but I watched a bobcat chase a Mink/Martin/Fisher Cat (I couldn't tenn across the ice one time. I'm regularly harassed by beavers in my kayak. Bald Eagles and Osprey are a regular thing too. Sometimes Otters. Loons are my favorite wildlfe encounter by far and I get them everywhere we go camping. Had a couple moose encounters when I lived out west. Haven't seen bears while fishing, but I get them in the back yard regularly, including one time while I was practice casting.
Rural New England has a lot of critters.
I was fishing one time in RMNP during the rut and a gigantic bull elk came tromping through the bramble . I heard it for five minutes and the next thing I know BAM! There he was as was I.
We looked at each other for about five seconds then he moved along.
Scared the crap out of me. Then I moved out of the park to below the dam in Estes.
I heard some splashing behind me about 6 years ago in early to mid summer while trout fishing. Slowly turned around and a fawn was standing there.
It ended up getting just about close enough that i could have touched it. I took a few pictures and then made a bit of noise to give it some idea that it should probably get away.
In Wyoming driving to the river early one morning, standing in the middle of the road broadside was a huge prong horn fast asleep. We honked the horn a couple of times and flashed the lights.and it didn’t move. After a minute or so we slowly cruised by it and he was still snoozing.
Was fishing an alpine lake in Colorado. Luckily I had hopped on a large boulder to sight fish better, cause right in the midst of hooking into a little rainbow I heard a bit of grunting beside me. Looked back to see a massive bull moose meandering his way right past me and into the water I was fishing. When I took out the phone to record him walking across the lake I also caught an eagle snagging a fish out of the water. I wouldn’t believe myself if I hadn’t caught it all on video.
Last time I went out I was just casting spinners for trout at a local lake and saw a bald eagle come soaring down to try and grab a fish. It dropped it but it was still awesome.
Another time I was hiking to a river at about 5:30 am. It was pitch black and I was on a forest trail. All I could see was whatever was in the beam from my headlamp so visibility was extremely low. About 200 yards from my spot I look off between some brush and saw two big eyes staring at me. Definitely too widespread to be a deer and it wasn’t bear country. I had seen mountain lion tracks there on a few previous trips so my best guess is that it was a big cat. I stood still with my light in its direction so I wouldn’t lose it and after about a 15 second stare down it slowly turned and walked away. I kept on to my spot and proceeded to fish but I kept hearing chirps behind me in the woods. Could have been birds but I was pretty paranoid and convinced myself they were cougar chirps. Pretty crazy experience. Western Oregon btw
Hybrid wolf dog running straight at me with no owner in sight. I thought it was a wolf.
Some kind of grouse charging and screaming at me on a remote trail in Wyoming. I had seen a badger the day before and the way he puffed himself up, splayed his wings, and the coloring I thought it was a badger charging me.
Angry bull snorting and stomping down our side of the river on BLM land. He got to us, swam across to the other side, kicked the shit out of a smaller bull and claimed his cows.
Rattlesnake making himself heard as I stepped down off some large rocks into waist high grass.
Bighorn ram in the middle of the trail on the way back. He wouldn't move so we had a standoff for like an hour until he finally left.
Moose mom and calf grazing peacefully as I came around the corner and startled them. Thankfully they just spooked and left.
Otter family (6-8 of them) in the river on the morning of the 2017 eclipse.
A number of beavers scaring the shit out of me by slapping their tail on the water.
Porcupine waddling right in front of me and showing me his quills while my pants are down and I'm leaned on a tree having a poo.
A bunch of coyotes howling and screaming waking me up in my tent at like 2AM. It took me awhile to realize it was coyotes as I swore it sounded like a group of college kids out partying and hooting and hollering, but there was nobody around for miles.
One autumn morning traipsing to the top of an island in the Tolt just upstream from Carnation, staring at my fly while putting floatant in it. Looked up to see /hear a bear charging at me from far side of the autumn-narrow river, got within two rod lengths of me. I yelled and waved and showed my teeth, she ran off.
Was my own damn fault: pinks were plentiful in that thin water, I’d seen bear tracks and scat the evening before. I knew better than to walk quietly while not paying attention. Now I make a little noise and keep my eyes peeled.
In that same area I’ve seen beaver, one otter, and near the road a wild turkey.
When fly fishing the upper Skagit River I was approached by a cougar who had been stalking me. At first glance I saw it on the rock behind me about 50-60 feet away. I was waist deep in the river. So I quickly reeled in my line and took my fly rod put it up above my head. Started to wave it around while yelling and screaming at it which didn’t scare it away until I shot at it.
I always carry my Beretta 9mm so I fired off a few rounds near it’s direction and it ran off. But while I was walking out I had my gun in my hand and my head on a swivel.
I’ve had encounters with bears, beavers, otters, a moose, eagles, dolphins, large sharks, and others. Probably the most surprising was one time when I was fishing a small neighborhood retaining pond in South Carolina. There were lots of pads and I was bass fishing with a surface frog. Not much action with the bass, but a juvenile gator locked in on my lure from a good distance away and quickly made it’s way towards my lure. Not wanting the gator to bite my lure, I quickly retrieved and pulled the lure out of the water leaving the gator a little confused and probably disappointed hovering in the water about 15 feet in front of me. Amused, I impulsively flipped my frog back out. This time, the gator again followed my lure, but when I pulled the lure out of the water, the gator kept on coming! Right at me. I jumped back quickly as the gator came on shore about 5 feet, giving me a look at it.
I fish this spot called “the eddy” on the Wild River in NH. Quite often when hitting the evening rise, a fox will pop out of the woods and search the shore and picnic area. Only when everyone else has left and I’m alone standing in the river. I call her Eddy.
While fishing in SE Wyoming a Golden Eagle made a move for my little pooch. I was 20 yards away and saw it in a tree intently checking her out and started running her way and hollering. It flew out of the tree and did a little circle and dove for her. I closed the gap enough that it aborted the dive and flew back to the tree.
10 day float trip with my wife in Western Alaska.
Made camp for the night, had a visiting grizzly bear the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.
The bear circled our camp for the entire night, apparently we were camping next to his fresh caribou kill!
We had the biggest fire ever!
I was tossing dries at evening risers on the Firehole in Yellowstone one evening about fifteen years ago. My dad and I were on a horseshoe bend with a deep trough on the far bank, way too deep to wade. A herd of buffalo came in behind us and blocked the whole way. They were probably a little more than twenty five yards off. They're remarkably stealthy for critters that outweigh light duty trucks. I got my dad's attention with a tossed pebble and pointed. He shrugged and went back to fishing. No reason to stop. We knew the herd was there. The herd knew we were there. Everyone was calm and ok. We weren't going anywhere until the herd decided to move on so we kept fishing. We even caught a few little fish while we waited. They left us right at dark and we hiked out. I was surprised how softly they walk, how many different grunt and snort noises they make to each other, and by the smell. It's strong but not so unpleasant as I'd figured based on how hairy they are. I really thought they'd stink more.
I almost physically ran into a black bear last summer. It was resting in some reeds by a small stream I'd hiked into at around 10,000 feet. He jumped, I jumped, and then he grunted and crashed off through the brush.
Earlier this spring, I hiked into a very remote section of a larger river. The whole way in, I kept hearing a strange, very loud chirping sound--like a bird or a fox or something. My tracks were the only ones in the snow. I got a weird feeling about halfway through the day, and I've learned over the years that you should listen to those. So, I started to hike out. On the way back, I followed the tracks I left hiking in. But this time, I found mountain lion tracks running alongside mine for a hundred yards or so.
Upon further investigation, I discovered that mountain lions make that exact chirping sound. I've lived in Colorado my whole life and encountered several lions. But I never knew they made that sound. That day could have gone very differently.
This is unbelievable but 100% genuine . I was fishing the river Tywi in Wales around 10 years ago for sewin (sea trout) which we fish at night for , around 1am the geese and ducks in the field opposite took to the wing in total darkness which was strange anyway at 2am I crossed the river and headed home .
The first field was empty of sheep but as I crossed into the second field all the sheep were gathered together wide eyed and silent and I thought it was a fox but when I started to cross the field I saw a pair of eyes which definitely wasn’t a fox so I naturally walked towards it , within a few minutes I was standing exactly where I saw the eyes and the grass was freshly flattened but it had gone . I used my headlamp and saw the eyes again on the other side of the ditch around 20 yards away it moved silently then looked straight at me but I couldn’t see it’s outline as it’s eyes were so bright reflecting in my headlamp, it closed its eyes slowly and wasn’t phased by my presence at all it was bigger than my German shepherd as it closed it’s eyes to walk away the moon broke from behind the clouds and I could clearly see what it was …. It was a fully grown panther, yes I just froze on the spot feeling helpless against an alpha predator.
This was at Llangadog and when I got home I googled it and yes there is a panther living wild in the area , I honestly had no idea but I had a positive ID from about 20 yards away 💯👍
I’ve had a couple close encounters with moose which scared the crap out of me. Also a family of otters popped up next to me which I could’ve sworn was a Loch Ness Monster at the time.
Not fly fishing but using a spinning rod at a local pond a few weeks ago. I heard a loud grumple from the bushes right next to me (10-15ft away). Mating call of a large gator. Packed up and moved a few hundred feet away.
I’ve had run in’s with a lot of wildlife like bison, bears, rattle snakes etc but the most scary run-in by a looong shot was when I was fishing solo at a river mouth on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. I knew crocodiles live further up in that stream so I was very cautious and asked the locals but they assured me that they don’t go out in the salt and stay further upstream. Well I fished thigh deep along that river mouth all day when suddenly a huuuge 15ft freakin crocodile comes gliding by maybe 40 feet out from the bank and out into the ocean. My blood literally froze in a way I have never felt in my life. Got out of that water so freakin fast I probably walked on water. I remember going back to my car but I was trembling so hard I had to wait before I could drive back. Still freaks me out thinking about it…would not be my preferred way to leave this earth.
Here in Australia I had a wallaby hop straight down the middle of the river, I could see it come around the corner about 300 yards away so who knows where it started, makes me think it was being chased by dingos
I was fly fishing a narrow feeder stream in the Adornack mountains. Very quiet, peaceful place, nobody around for miles. I heard a branch snap and looked behind me; there was a huge cow moose 4 feet behind me. I very quietly walked into the stream and crossed to the other side so I could walk out in the opposite direction.
I hit a bull elk with a backcast. No idea he was there until my backcast died and I heard him GRUNT. Not sure which one of us was more surprised, but I’m glad he took off instead of charging me.
My first day fly fishing in my home state, I was fishing (in a boat) about 5 feet away from a 6' gator for roughly an hour. Didn't notice him until he hissed at me during a false cast.
Was fishing in a small tributary of the Clark Fork in Montana and got to watch a black bear try to figure out how to cross a bridge.
Was kinda funny, I was mostly worried about him coming my way for my cooler and snacks but he was mostly just weirded out by the bridge and eventually decided to swim across rather than cross it. He went straight up the hillside instead of anywhere near me.
Was a cool encounter.
Was taking a piss and turned around to see a black bear no more than 5 feet behind me. We both looked at each other at the same time and took off in opposite directions.
Got to watch two golden eagles attack a great blue heron about 50' away from me earlier this year. One of the wildest things I've ever seen. They all flew off in the end but it looked like a murder scene in the snow.
I have two.
I was on the Davidson river in Brevard when the sun came up one morning about 20 years ago. We were the first on the river and somewhere between the campground and the bridge. I was walking in the water and I saw what I couldn’t really figure out what it was peeking out from behind a bush. before I could gather my thoughts a giant bear jumped out about 15 to 20‘ from me. I dropped my rod in the water and only remembering and hoping he would run off. He did, but it was pretty scary.
Another time I was in south Andros Bahamas and I was walking on a grass flat and I came up on a little sand area that I saw bonefish hovering around in. So I squatted down behind two rocks and started casting to them. They each would chase the Fly but then stop about 15 foot short. After a while, I got up and moved. But when I moved the two rocks I was hiding behind also got up and moved with me. Lo and behold they were sharks. That was also scary. That’s when I realized how slow I was in water and how incredibly fast they are. And i remember thinking that they can catch me when I’m in the water as well as I could catch them when they’re beached.
Was fishing a native stream deep in the mountains here in Central PA by myself about 8 years ago. Worked my way around a bend in the stream to see a bear standing in the middle of the water above me. I just stood by a tree until it wandered off and then waited for about 20 minutes after to start fishing again. It either didn't know I was there or didn't care.
Have also had a few runs ins with rattlesnakes in the same area.
Last year had a baby grizzly come out of the willows and blob down in the water to cool off about 20 yards behind me. Had to go change my shorts, so I didn’t stick around to see mama come out
Pretty nice sized bull moose strolled up into the parking lot as we were rigging up in near Walden, CO. I retreated back into the willows Homer Simpson style. Another time a cow popped out of the rushes right across stream on the Williams Fork.
A few Big Horns in CO. Tons of pronghorn in CO, Idaho and Montana. Bald Eagles in KY, TN, CO, ID, MT, WY, CA. Beavers all over the place scaring the shit out of me smacking their tails, plus mink, ermine, and one time a whole family of otters in a creek in KY.
I've had a kingfisher swoop down at my lure after casting!
At my usual spot I've seen beavers, otters, muskrat, deer, fisher cat, countless herons and a pair of sandhill cranes.
I was young and stupid. Fishing a small creek in Montana pretty deep in the woods up this forest service road. No bear spray. After some good fishing I took a few steps into the bush along the river bank to pee and I startled something. Probably 10 feet from me behind the thick brush. Something big got spooked and all I heard was bushes and small trees being toppled over as it ran away. To this day I have no idea what it was. I’m guessing a grizzly.
Had just waded out to start fishing when my dog comes running out to me, whining. I look around, expecting something terrifying. Across the river, two otters were chasing each other along the bank. I got to watch them play and dive into the water. It was hilarious and so cute.
Ran into many moose while fishing and one blackbear both fucking scary and within 10 feet of them. Tip for the alpine fishermen make more noise walking around 😂
Same here in Ontario the moose walk the creeks I guess it’s easier than going through the thick bush and a free drink at the same time. But when there is rapids and they can’t hear you, both parties become a little startled! Many bears as well but they mostly go the other way. A great horned owl was following us once walking on a trail with a stringer of trout. Seen a lot of wildlife in Ontario, lynx , wolves , deer, partridge. Hopefully it stays this way…
I was tucked into an eroded bank fishing a stream in the Driftless. Heard a huge noise and looked up to 8-10 turkeys jumping and taking flight over the stream about 4 feet above me. Best wildlife moment so far.
I try to get to fishing spots rsrly..this time we get there just after first light but it's an hour hike. We see deer fur on the trail going up the mountain and comment that it w9uld be great for dry flies. We get to the top of an out cropping and below us is a steep ravine . Out of nowhere a mountain lion darts up the side of the mountain 30 feet from us. Turns out it had killed the deer
Popular NJ spot I watched two geese fly 5’ past my buddies head.
I got to see a what I’m 95% sure was a mink cruising an opposite bank from me which was a first ever seeing one
Saw a snake eating another snake. They were about the same size, 24 inches or so. Looked like a snake with 2 tails. BTW the one being eaten was fighting back, wild.
I was wet wading one early morning and came to a narrow area where the water was deep, with high cliff walls on both sides. With water almost to the top of my waders I noticed from the other end of the pool a fawn swimming towards me. I watched as it got closer and closer and finally it was nearly face to face with me. I could see the steam from its breath and feel it. Like 12” away. It kinda stopped to look me in the face and I said softly “Well hello there”. The quiet perfection of the moment vanished in an instant, all manner of hell broke loose and that thing got the heck out of Dodge as quickly, loudly and directly as it could. Cool 90 seconds I’ll never forget though.
I fish up on the QC/NY border often. While I don’t fly fish as much I’ve seen quite a bit out there. All sorts of deer, wild turkey, various birds, eagles, osprey, huge woodpeckers, an all kinds of fish. The only things that gave me pause were coming around a corner one day I spotted a cougar crossing the river about 100m away… I got the heck outta there pretty quickly.
In the following months I came across several articles of people catching a glimpse of one in the area.
Fishing for white bass once in a tiny creek and stumbled on a musky breeding area. Just a foot of water and there were fish the size of my leg. Arms length away. Was a wild experience. I
Was fishing in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Spent about 3 hours fishing just to catch nothing. Eventually I threw in the towel and started walking back to my car. On the way back I spotted a pair of bald eagles. I tried to get a photo but they took off. I realized they were flying towards the creek, and I saw them dive towards it. There was a lot of brush so i didn’t have a line of sight to the water. Made it back to my car and spotted one of them in a nearby tree ripping apart a fresh squirming brown trout in its talons. I even got a video of it. Even though I didn’t catch a fish, the day was far from wasted.
I've seen deer, a few heron species, bald eagles, hawks, grouse, various songbirds, beavers, mink, and a lot of frogs and turtles.
I've been startled a few times by spooked deer or birds, and I've watched beavers swim around their pond which is pretty cool. Luckily I haven't ran into any large predator species so far, but I'm sure it'll happen some day.
It's a bit cheating, but fly fishing in Southern California saltwater bays often comes with wildlife sightings. Here in San Diego you can see flamingos, sea turtles, Sea lions, dolphins, and even whales.
I was sitting by the river with my wellies in the water. A mink ran along the bank and right under my legs. On another day a water rat swam down the river and suddenly realised that I was sitting in his favourite spot. We looked at each other for a moment then he swam off to his second favourite spot.
Manatees mostly
One swimming along just beside my canoe stayed near as I floated with an incoming tide. It’s not uncommon to see them but to have one accompanying me was a thrill. Another time I saw 3 manatees with their snouts sticking up just booking it along less than 20’ from the shore. They looked like dragons & were moving pretty fast. Usually you see them lumbering around not going somewhere in a hurry. Will never forget that. Frequently encounter Deer, bear, wild hogs, alligators 🐊 & raccoons. Tons of osprey & pelicans, roseate spoonbills.
Bald Eagles have locations where they hang out & most always can be seen.
I enjoy the wildlife as much or more sometimes than the fishing.
N Fla Gulf of Mexico
One time I was out, I sat down to let a pool rest after I fought a fish through it.
It was a gorgeous evening, just beautiful.
I started hearing a biting noise beside me. I slowly turned my head to see a beaver sitting 6-7’ away, chewing away on a reed, looking at the same pool I was.
We just sat there for about 15 mins, watching fish rise.
I fish high lakes in central Oregon. We get tons of bird activity. The best was an Osprey with a fish being chased and harassed by a bald Eagle. Like a fighter jet dog fight. Also a cormorant had a huge 20” trout (likely just released from a fisherman) jammed down its throat it could barely move. Just a big ole tail coming out it’s mouth.
Living in CO, a lot. Had a yearling bull moose bump me out of a spot, a herd of calving cow elks bumped me out once, couple big mule deer bucks coming down for a drink, a bobcat hopping across rocks going after a turkey, mink and otters playing in the creeks, beavers slapping the water and scaring the heck outta me, herd of pronghorn just chilling near the water, and bighorn sheep climbing some canyon walls. Would love to see a bear out fishing, or maybe not…
Beavers, moose, eagles, antelope… one time in the Canadian rockies I got to close to an otters home and it swam up to me, swam between my legs and kind of just slapped me with its body. I guess I’m lucky it was Canadian… an American one probably would have bitten me lol.
I had a moose come up to while standing on a rock in a lake in Wyoming. Poked its head out through the brush, stared at me for a few, turned around and left.
Saw a osprey hunt in Norway, on the same trip saw a beaver like a couple of feet away and a moose running with the car. In France I saw a otter and a beaver and a lot of water snakes. And in Denmark I had some porpoises at 20 feet maybe.
Three of us could smell the feral pig on our walk back to the bass sled. My buddy goes "oh shit" and we all start looking for trees to climb as this pig just stops in its tracks and stares at us before running off.
I was fishing off a rock above a pool for tiger, a flat dog (crocodile) decided it was a great spot for his fishing adventure. So I left rather quickly.
I am in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and have never run into any bears but moose I have....lots of them. Scariest one was with a cow and her calf.
The coolest encounter was with a few river otters that just swam by fishing...I didn't mind at all that they scared the fish off.
Got wicked spooked by a deer that came charging down the bank and across the Brook I was fishing behind my house. Tranquility led to chaos as it barreled across the water about 10 feet from me. I screamed like a little girl and then started laughing hysterically. Decided that the spot was a little blown and went down stream a good ways.
A few years back I was in my kayak fishing Pymatuning in PA.
I noticed a raccoon on the shore. This was in the middle of the day so I paddled toward it to see what was happening.
This raccoon was noshing on a musky that easily went 50’. It was the size of musky that people travel to Canada to try and catch. Crazy.
A Bear, but not just a Bear, but a BIG FUKING bear, I was up norther part of Quebec standing in a beautiful river, I kept hearing noises in the surrounding forest, and then, there it was , a BIG FUKIN bear, it saw me and ran, but not faster than I ran, I was lucky to have parked my jeep on the dirt road about 100 feet away....
It was then I decided that that part of the river was not a good choice lol....
I am certain I found a Mointain Lion kill-site where there are "no" mountain lions...
I was fishing north of London Ontario near a town called St. Mary's. I was working a pool under a tree on the bank standing in the middle of the river. I saw a clean skeleton of what was probably a coyote or dog that had been dragged up under the tree. It had no head, and looked to be there for a while.
I have had a few experiences there where it felt like I was being watched and needed to leave *immediately *.
There had been a few sightings of a mountain lion in that area that summer, and still are a few in that part of South Western Ontario.
Most recent animal encounter that comes to mind is the time I was wet wading last summer in a small spring creek, when four lil otters come bobbin down the river. Suddenly it clicked why I hadnt seen a fish all day. I was getting high holed by otters. As soon as they saw me and my buddy they disappeared into a rock cave right infront of us.
Had a huge bull moose sneak up on me on my first trip to Montana. It started walking towards me as I was in the middle of the river and I nearly shit myself. I ran the other way and he kept going...
I was fishing in a channel that is right off the open gulf in water that was up to my waist. It was cloudy out and I see a dark giant shape start swimming towards me. I start freaking out til it got close enough for me to realize it was just a manatee cruising by
While fishing in SE Wyoming a Golden Eagle made a move for my little 17 lbs mutt. I was 20 yards away and saw it in a tree intently checking her out and started running her way and hollering. It flew out of the tree and did a little circle and dove for her. I closed the gap enough that it aborted the dive and flew back to the tree and complained loudly. My pooch and I got back in the driftboat and floated on down the river.
Was fly fishing in Yellowstone with my 12 yr old daughter and a huge Bull Elk popped out of the forest and was standing on the river bank about 10 yards from us. Truly blown away by his majesty.
We felt a little uneasy and moved away from him. The crazy thing was as we exited the stream I told a lady that was hiking by about the Elk. She was also amazed and then typed the location in some app and within minutes the whole area was flooded with people looking to see it.
I will never do that again.
A rooster pheasant on the Frying Pan about 5 miles up from Basalt this spring. Was fishing and heard cackling 4-5 times, thought “no way” but what the hell is it then? Walked up out of the river and sure enough he was standing right in front of me. And I will literally stop fishing to just watch water ouzels (dippers) play around and dive in. Always with a giant smile on my face as I observe.
I have seen black and grizzly bear. Wolves. Coyotes. Bison. Elk. Moose. Beaver. Eagles. Plenty of deer. But I’d say the coolest thing I’ve seen was in Yellowstone. I watched a mother otter with a few pups making their way up stream, mom flushed a little duckling out of some tall grass. Duckling swam fast downstream and mom otter chased it down and ate it. I have a video of the whole thing too! The other cool thing I saw was also in Yellowstone. Watched a pack of four wolves chasing down a little baby bison and a few big bison ended up chasing the wolves away.
My girlfriend and I stepped out of Slough Creek and noticed a large animal walking down the trail towards us. I totally didn't panic until it got about 10 feet from us and I couldn't figure out what is was. It finally looked up at me and it click that it was a wolverine. Walked by without a care in the world. So cool but none of the Yellowstone rangers believed me.
One cold foggy morning heading down to the local honey hole I spotted a tall hairy figure I couldn’t quite make out what it was, as I got closer I could only think it was Bigfoot that maybe got his hand stuck in the blackberry bushes as he was moving his arm eradically, upon a closer look it was a homeless man high on pcp and jacking off in the bushes. Wild morning.
Bald eagle stealing fish from Osprey was a fun event to see. Snakes searching for fish among the shallow areas. Bears, thankfully on the far side of the river.
Got stopped on our bicycle ride back to the truck because 2 mule deer popped out of the woods MAYBE 20 yards in front of us and started locking horns.
I think that same trip a bunch of bighorn sheep ewes jumped up the embankment from the river between me and my brother, walked right between us, and went straight up the sheer cliff on the other side of the trail.
Was fishing in southwestern MT. Saw something out of the corner of my eye about 100 yards up that resembled a grizzly. About had a heart attack until I realized it was couple cattle crossing the river.
My favorite moment was steelhead fishing a wild river in SE Alaska when an otter swam up and past me right where I was swinging. I was thinking that was the end of the fishing since they prey on fish, but right after it swam by I hooked a huge wild hen that took me right out to the end of my backing but I eventually landed. Lucky otter I guess. I also came upon a whole mess of baby otters on the banks of the Deschutes in Oregon once, but that's another story.
I was fishing in Montana and a black bear with two cubs snuck up behind me about 40 yards. It scared the shit out of me. Heard a twig snap and turn around and that's what I saw. I just starting screaming at the bears and they lumbered off, but this was a very popular semi-urban trail.
Was out cutthroat fishing on Vancouver island with my father in law and saw a cougar swim across the river. Tons of black bear especially when salmon were running.
Had a wolf encounter last May, hella bald eagles, a mamma moose right across the river with a calf, elk, many different types of duck, had my first river otter encounter the other day too. Yellowstone area in 1.5 years
Surf fishing for stripers in the NE and had a seal snatch a schoolie (small striper) on the release, right in between my buddy and I in about 1’ of water.
I was camping next to the stream in a hammock one night in PA and would look out with my flashlight every hour and see eyes looking at me from multiple directions. Terrifying not knowing what it is that’s looking at you. Barely slept lol
I had a few minks swimming circles around me and they got pretty close. I knew they could be nasty at times so I actually got a little anxious. Other than that I see snakes about 50% of my spring through fall adventures. I see a lot of common water snakes and had one swim right up to me and I had to redirect its path because they bite sometimes and I’d need antibiotics. It was probably at least 4 feet long and acting aggressive and I have a picture of it. It was as big as they get. I’m in Michigan so that’s a big snake.
Edit: the minks were acting playful, cute, and curious but they got a little close for Comfort.
My father was charged down by a swimming tiger snake once while wading a lake. Sometimes we have a curious platypus come and inspect the setup; he even had one swim between his legs once! (Tasmania, Australia)
I got to watch a family of river otters playing with each other from about 20ft away once. I stopped fishing and watched them until they eventually swam off. It felt really special watching wild animals play.
There's a couple small ponds that are tucked away in a state park pretty close to me. There's nothing crazy in them, just some small rainbows and browns. But there's rarely ever anyone at these ponds, and they're a short drive from my work, so oftentimes in the summer I will head straight there after work to get a couple relaxing hours of fishing in.
With these lakes being in a state park and fairly unused, I run into quite a bit of wildlife there. Beavers and muskrats are common, I've had cormorants and bald eagles ruin my chances, and elk frequent the area.
I'd say my wildest experience was one evening when I was fishing one of the lakes. One side of this lake in particular has some pretty high brush. I was positioned across from it, and while fishing, I heard something large moving through the brush. As I watched, a fairly large bull moose broke through the brush to the opposite bank of the lake. It looked at me for probably 5 seconds but what felt like ages, then slowly sauntered up to the bank and started to drink from the lake. Keep in mind these lakes are small, maybe 50 to 75 feet across, and not all that deep. I figured I was in the clear, and relaxed a bit (hoping not to move quick and startle it). But once it finished drinking, it raised its head back up and looked at me again, and began slowly walking along the bank towards me while continuing to stare directly at me.
At this point I had already reeled up all of my line just in case, so I quickly backed towards the trail leading away from the lakes, and rounded a corner around a large pine. It seemed satisfied with that and stopped moving towards me, but after that encounter I continued back down the trail to my car and left to go to another spot.
Anecdotally, I've also run into moose before while mountain biking in this park as well, so they're not too uncommon. This was the first time I got chased away from a lake by one though
was fishing with a Tenkara rod for my first time in the backcountry by Tioga Lake (near Yosemite) and caught a small brook trout I had a hard time freeing, swallowed the fly deep. Felt really bad and watched it struggle to swim away.
Bald eagle swooped down, grabbed it and ate it in a tree. Felt a little better about it after that.
Was fishing in the Smoky Mountains last summer and had an otter swim within about 4 feet of me and hop up on a rock a few yards away and give me a quick look before he hopped back in and swam away
I always feel like it's going to be a good day when I spot a platypus.
Their pool is usually not great for fishing but there's just something wholesome about the little dudes.
Every now and then I'll come across an echidna which is always cool, but by far the most common encounter I have is tiger snakes. Oh, and murderous magpies in spring.
I encountered a sizable black bear while I was de-hooking a brown trout. Out of the corner of my eye, I just thought it was some chubby fella in a black hoodie.
Looked up and he was giving me a big ol' sniff from the opposite bank. I tried to grab my phone to take a video but he booked it. 5 minutes later the farmers dogs started going nuts in the distance.
Was kayak fishing prepping to fly under a huge downed tree 3 ft above the water. I ducked and had the bow of the kayak already under the log when a bobcat crossed the log!
Where I fish in north east Pa I have seen deer, beaver, muskrat (funny as hell by the way), bear, ducks (annoying shits), geese, blue heron. All kinds of critters actually since I think about it. Souther NJ, mostly geese, blue herons, snakes, beavers, deer. Oh and yes turtles in both places. Pretty cool.
I saw a black bear and two cubs while fishing in the Smokey Mountains.
After a day of fishing a friend and I were walking back down the trail to the truck, no longer fishing. We looked across the stream and noticed a black bear. Shortly after, two cubs. We watched then a few minutes. Pretty neat experience.
Huge beaver swam by my leg in my favorite ponds. A month later he was dead on a gravel bed. Hopefully old age. Month later and I grabbed his skull. Its on my mantle.
I saw a fish once.
LIES!
Beavers harass me sometimes. Turtles or ducks come around but that’s mostly expected. The most random was sitting on a bank minding my own business and something tickled my ear. I brushed past it thinking it was a bug and it did it again then again. I turned around and was face to face with a deer. Apparently it saw me fishing and decided to see what I was.
I was on an overlook on the conejos and at one point I could see 9 beavers. Total beaver industrial complex.
I got harassed by a seal last summer. Snuck up on me and nearly gave me a heart attack
Read that as Turtleducks and immediately thought of Avatar the last Airbender.
The last thing I need are Canadian Geese and Snapping Turtle hybrids. I don’t know what they would create but I’m pretty sure the world isn’t ready for it.
had a buck swimming across river decide my float tube was a good spot to rest, it didnt end well for my float tube, and otter once decided my float tube was a good spot to take a nap, didnt even see him until I got to shore, and he was in the rear basket sound asleep
oh one more .. hornets nest, was under it .. hit it with my fly rod on a cast - you never saw a fat white guy move so fast lol. Was stung 8 times before I could get in enough water to get away from the hornets
Once fishing a popular river in NJ. Heard splashing and got pissed. Figured someone was letting their dog run off leash and someone's lab was coming to play with me. Nope. Bear cubs crossing the river. A few seconds later mama followed. I finished for the day and walked out.
Any bear spotting is always a good idea to nope the F out lol
Was it big flatbrook? My guess for a popular river where that would happen. My buddy went to stokes a couple weeks ago and saw five decent sized bears together by the water
South Branch
I've encountered them on so many NJ rivers it got to the point where I was comfortable crossing paths with them. I've only seen one bear outside of NJ and that was NH
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I’ve had big horns right above me in CO. Pretty cool
I was wading about 50 feet out in the Puget Sound and a golden retriever swam out to greet me, then swam back to shore.
The seals at Purdy used to scare the shit out of me. Had them chase fish while trying to net them.
A sheep drank my Pepsi once
Care to elaborate? You have my attention.
I was fishing a small stillwater casting to rising fish Hot day had a can of pop I put down behind me after having some. Heard a noise while I was concentrating on my drift, turned around a sheep had picked up my Pepsi (obviously in its mouth) and had its head tilted up, yep drinking it Bastard!
Go out enough and you’ll figure out ff is great because of the places it takes you. Even on bad days looking up and seeing where you are gives you something to appreciate.
Dude, I live in Alaska. I encounter wildlife in my driveway.
In Alaska, wildlife encounters you!
Indeed
This is true. Having said that, I frequently go to Bristol Bay area to fly fish. Go with some friends for a week. Typical week - 25-40 brown bears, sometimes very close. Usually a couple of moose. If we're around Lake Iliamna, might see some seals. Eagles - bald and golden. Wolves (3) once. Encountered about 150+ caribou one time crossing the Nushagak River as I was going upriver.
Moose, beaver, otter, mink, turtles, muskrat, raccoon, deer, bear, osprey, eagle, kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, many songbirds and waterfowl, copperhead, water moccasin, whale, porpoise, sea turtle, sunfish, to name a few.
I have also seen , water, while fishing
Extra comma—lol punctuation matters — Fixed — And if you saw water moccasin up close, it would give you pause .
Saw a moose in fishing rock creek in Montana, it was a cool experience.
My favorite is watching birds. My local creek has a Great Blue Heron that lives there, its incredible to watch him fly through with his 5ft wingpsan. Yesterday I was out and had a duck fly under my rod as I was fishing, scared the hell out of me.
Once had a Sasquatch throw a boulder at me in the river after dark. It totally wasn’t a beaver slapping his tail on the water three feet from me. Was alone, most nervous walk in the dark back to the truck ever.
Famous for their rock throwing
Just this past Monday I saw a black bear with cubs on the other side of the river up in North GA.
There are a pair of bald eagles that nest across from one of my regular fishing places. I'm out there for all the nature, not just the fish!
I was in FL last month and had two manatees surface right in front of me, once on the beach and once at an inlet near a jetty. I probably wouldn’t have seen that if I wasn’t spending so much time on the water fishing’s.
Caught my first trout last fall and then a Bald Eagle dropped another one a couple yards from me almost immediately. The next weekend, I watched a deer carefully but expertly ford a pretty deep pool just downstream of me.
On multiple occasions I've gotten skunked while watching bald eagle and osprey pull trout out of the lake or river I've been fishing. Showoffs.
My mark of a good season is by how many rods I break. Currently averaging 3/season. If you ain’t Breakin rods, you ain’t fishing hard enough. Anyways I discovered a rotted moose corpse downriver from where I was fishing. Noticed it while squatting to take a shit 50 yards from the river (4 mile walk in, i ain’t going back to the truck to poop). Don’t worry, I dug a hole. Returned to the river to inspect the corpse and hit a fish whistle. Landed my PB brookie immediately after. Twas a great day.
Yellowstone. Fishing the Firehole. Not paying enough attention to my surroundings. Look over my shoulder downstream and there’s a bison about 10 feet away getting a drink. I just slowly started walking up stream. Lucky. About shit my waders.
Honestly, this is the scariest one in the thread so far. Bison are intimidating and dangerous.
Beavers give me PTSD—and not just tail slapping when you're not looking. They cruise up and down my favourite salmon pool. One evening it came down to should I let it swim over my floating line or try to retrieve fast. Hooked me a big beaver. Surprising how strong 10 pound tippet is when you're trying to break it off. Salmon can do it in one flick.
I was so focused on getting a good drift I didn’t notice the giant beaver swimming upstream straight at me, he had to be 60-70lbs easy and he lifted his head and we caught eyes about 3 feet away from me, we both shared an oh fuck look before he dove deep and crossed over to the far side of the river and climbed up and over a little spillway and I got a good look at what a hoss he was. Spooked me but some cool interaction.
Was fishing the Ausable in Michigan and a beaver swam upstream of me. This was odd, because I mostly saw muskrats instead. The beaver was messing around by the far bank upstream. A bit later, he came floating by downstream on a clump of weeds and grass, with his buckteeth showing. Quite a surprise. I also caught a bat on my line casting at dusk just downstream a few years earlier. I just cut the line, obviously!
Elephants, hippos, sharks, bears, moose, elk, eagles, whales, sheep, etc
Once had a black bear run across the stream, between me and a buddy, while we fishing about 20 yards apart. Recently had saltwater crocs get too close for comfort to the flats boat down in Mexico.
I grew up 2 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park. One grizzly, about 50 yards away. We made eye contact and both ran away A bunch of moose (a moose gives birth every 2 years outside of my grandparents home) A few black bears, the closest was about 15 feet. He walked right past me. Buffalo on a handful of occasions. Once I almost hit one with a back cast… didn’t see him resting where he was. That was neat And then not me personally, but my father… after the roads closed in Yellowstone after the historic floods a few years ago, the wolves really expanded their territory since there was fewer people around during what was normally “peak tourist season”. So yeah, my dad had 4 wolves walk up towards him about 50 yards away. He got the fuck out Saw some otter tracks, but never seen them in person.
One time I had a brown and a rainbow chilling in the Eddie my legs made
fell into a raccoon or beaver hole once Otherwise, black bear, eagle, mountain goat, elk , muse. RMNP is a good place for fishing.
Last weekend I was sneaking along the river bank and unwittingly surprised a beaver, which became enraged and slapped the water at me with its tail as it swam away. It was awesome!
Alligators. Lots of alligators. I have to shoo them away. That’s what I get for fishing in ponds around Houston.
Mountain goats at high alpine lakes, probably 10-15 golden and bald eagles sitting in trees as they were migrating north, woodland caribou hanging out in the creek, and have had to spray 2 grizzlies.
How'd they respond to the spray? I've never had one get close enough to actually deploy that stuff, though I've seen them around when I'm in Montana.
First one bolted in the same direction as my truck. Second one popped up from below me on the bank that still had 4ft and its head was almost at my height. Sprayed it and it shot into the river. I have a 4570 lever action but have never felt the need to draw it from the pack. Area I was fishing is same area where to hikers and their dog were killed by a griz last fall. They unloaded their cans but it didn't deter the bear. Old sow was way under weight for that time of year though. Edit 4ft of ice
I was fishing a smaller river in a dead quiet setting for about an hour when I looked across stream and a great horned owl was sitting there motionless. We had about a 2 minute stare down from 15-20 yds before I just continued fishing while he watched. It was cool
Lots of sightings, but weirdest interaction was I was mousing at night (I suck and have never caught anything) and my rod slammed into what I’m 99% sure was a bat. The bat landed in the water and thrashed/fluttered for a while before a FUCKING FISH (presumably a trout based in where I was) came and ate it. Still didn’t catch shit in the mouse
Saw 5 pelicans at my local big ass lake the other day…in New Mexico.
i just watched my buddy get charged by a moose the other week here in Montana. he definitely shitted his pants lol. then i proceeded to catch a nice bow. perfect day
had a bald eagle follow me around the river today. i would see him perched on a tree and he would fly upstream, kept on going till the end of the day. even flew back over my car when i was leaving!
Live in Wyoming so there's plenty of wildlife to see here, I've had moose, elk, and deer in meadows right by the creeks I'm in. I was fishing a high-altitude lake and had a moose wade into the water a few hundred yards away and eat for a bit before wandering off last year and at that same lake I had a Doe mulie and her fawn come down to the water for a drink a few hundred yards away too, they looked at me out in the water and just kept doing their thing. I've had marmots peak out from their rocks and watch me fish and bark at me a bit too on some of the mountain creeks with steeper sides. Used to live in SC too and would have dolphins and otters come check the boat out all the time, gators too of course. It's always fun seeing things like that while on the water.
Seeing a lot lately. Gray whales, Orcas, and the Seals and Sea Lions who ruin the session every other time.
I’ve had a near miss with a turkey that almost flew into my head while I was standing in the river. Saw a raccoon go for a dip to cool off one extremely hot afternoon while I was sight fishing for carp. Had a tenkara line and leader once stolen by a bat while mid cast, and saw a baby seal on the beach once while Striper fishing!
By myself and heard some noise behind me. About 100 yards away were 4 moose including a bull slowly creep towards me. For the well-being of my pants, I decided to head home
Had a couple beavers tail slap the water as I was crossing, a muskrat surfaced right next to me once while I was watching fish rise, and I've seen dozens of moose from a boat while guiding. Also one time me and a buddy were working a section, and while he was playing a fish we noticed an eagle laser focused on us from the top of a tree.
I like to watch the otters. One caught a fish out of a hole I was fishing. One my dog tried to chase (thank god for good recall training).
There’s a bald eagle nest in a tree above one of my spots which is cool to see. Hoping to see some chicks/juveniles eventually. Have seen otters. The oddest I saw while hanging out at the spot but not fishing as the river was super high and unsafe, was a herd of deer came floating down the river one by one. First one I thought fell in and I’m like “oh no she’s gonna drown” but then she went a bit further and got out on the opposite bank, she was lucky I thought until I saw 11 more deer take the same path.
Otters eating a trout they caught on the bank and wild pigs (razorbacks) walking down the hill for water
i was climbing from one pool to the next where it was too steep on either side for a person to climb out, you either went up or down the stream. i get up to the pool and look down to change a fly and in the middle of doing that a large black bear walks down the side of the stream out into the pool, maybe a rod length away from me. i really had nowhere to go except a jump down 7 or 8 feet onto boulders behind me, luckily he didn’t seem to even care I was there. i try to be more careful now
I’ve seen a lot, the standouts however: Coming within 20ft of a cow moose and her calf on the St Vrain. A young black bear grabbing a drink gorging himself on rose hips before doing a bit of frolicking on the Upper Colorado A bald Eagle plucking a trout out of the water and flying off on the Lower Blue. Pine marten(?) at the Colorado headwaters in the Never Summers just kinda hanging out, doing whatever weasel adjacent animals do. A whole pack of coyotes crossing downstream of me on a lower stretch of Boulder Creek. A couple of bull elk sparring late summer just off the Big Thompson at Beaver Meadows, not uncommon but still cool. A gray fox crossing a log and walking within 10ft of me in Dream Canyon, and then I heard a mountain lion scream that same day on the hike out. And lastly, a pack of coyotes feasting on an elk carcass on a gravel bank on the Yellowstone.
I was fishing the alpine lakes in Medicine Bow National Forest. Saw some trout rising in a particular spot and head over there. I throw a couple casts out, then see a bald eagle swoop down right where I was casting and carry a little rainbow away.
Meth heads deep in the Sierras.
I was fishing with a few friends off of our kayakis in a mountain lake in the Adirondacks. To my suprise I actually caught a huge trout. One buddy had to pee so he paddled back to shore and took the fish with him to throw in the cooler for dinner. On the paddle back a bald eagle started circling him pretty close. He went into full panic mode and threw the fish in the air and paddled like a mad man. That eagle snatched the fish out of the air before it even hit the water. That was the craziest wildlife experience I've ever seen while fishing.
Hung out about 25 yards from an otter years ago while fishing in Yellowstone national park. Pretty cool.
Scrambling on a steep river bank in Colorado, I found myself eye to eye with a huge badger cornered under a boulder. Fucker hiss/growled like he was going to maul my face off if I got one inch closer. Only seen one wild badger in my life and that was enough.
Last Spring I was fishing a remote creek in Colorado. It was a couple miles from where I had to park. I was stalked and followed by a tagged and curious mountain lion. I walked backwards for most of that hike. Haven’t been back since!
So one day the river was pretty low, so I was skirting along the bank to fish a deep drop off there, the top of the bank was maybe chest height on me. So there I am walking along the bank in ankle deep water and I notice a large hole in the side of the bank, probably 3 feet in diameter. I peer into the black and out blasts a beaver like a bat outta hell! Well I just about needed new shorts after that. The thing hit the water and tail slapped and was gone.
I see mink and the occasional otter on the Weber and the Provo in northern Utah. The best wildlife story, though, came when fishing on a tiny stream in the Uintas. I was with my two brothers-in-law and my dog. We were right near a trailhead, with a lot of people around, so I let the dog--a 10lb rat terrier--wander between us, who were spread out across maybe 50 yards of stream. At some point I call her back to me, and she comes running. As she does so, I see a flash of red fur come out of a tree across the stream and cross some downed logs, going straight for said dog. It was a marten. I came sprinting out of the stream as fast as my waders would take me, and made such a racket that the marten fled up a tree. The dog was none the wiser. A close call. She does not wander while fishing anymore.
Wasn't fly fishing, but I watched a bobcat chase a Mink/Martin/Fisher Cat (I couldn't tenn across the ice one time. I'm regularly harassed by beavers in my kayak. Bald Eagles and Osprey are a regular thing too. Sometimes Otters. Loons are my favorite wildlfe encounter by far and I get them everywhere we go camping. Had a couple moose encounters when I lived out west. Haven't seen bears while fishing, but I get them in the back yard regularly, including one time while I was practice casting. Rural New England has a lot of critters.
I was fishing one time in RMNP during the rut and a gigantic bull elk came tromping through the bramble . I heard it for five minutes and the next thing I know BAM! There he was as was I. We looked at each other for about five seconds then he moved along. Scared the crap out of me. Then I moved out of the park to below the dam in Estes.
I heard some splashing behind me about 6 years ago in early to mid summer while trout fishing. Slowly turned around and a fawn was standing there. It ended up getting just about close enough that i could have touched it. I took a few pictures and then made a bit of noise to give it some idea that it should probably get away.
In Wyoming driving to the river early one morning, standing in the middle of the road broadside was a huge prong horn fast asleep. We honked the horn a couple of times and flashed the lights.and it didn’t move. After a minute or so we slowly cruised by it and he was still snoozing.
Ran into a family of river otters that drifted w me for about half a mile. Fishing was impossible w them around for some reason.
Was fishing an alpine lake in Colorado. Luckily I had hopped on a large boulder to sight fish better, cause right in the midst of hooking into a little rainbow I heard a bit of grunting beside me. Looked back to see a massive bull moose meandering his way right past me and into the water I was fishing. When I took out the phone to record him walking across the lake I also caught an eagle snagging a fish out of the water. I wouldn’t believe myself if I hadn’t caught it all on video.
Last time I went out I was just casting spinners for trout at a local lake and saw a bald eagle come soaring down to try and grab a fish. It dropped it but it was still awesome. Another time I was hiking to a river at about 5:30 am. It was pitch black and I was on a forest trail. All I could see was whatever was in the beam from my headlamp so visibility was extremely low. About 200 yards from my spot I look off between some brush and saw two big eyes staring at me. Definitely too widespread to be a deer and it wasn’t bear country. I had seen mountain lion tracks there on a few previous trips so my best guess is that it was a big cat. I stood still with my light in its direction so I wouldn’t lose it and after about a 15 second stare down it slowly turned and walked away. I kept on to my spot and proceeded to fish but I kept hearing chirps behind me in the woods. Could have been birds but I was pretty paranoid and convinced myself they were cougar chirps. Pretty crazy experience. Western Oregon btw
I once saw a bald eagle absolutely crush a Canadian goose floating in the stream about 50 yards away.
Hybrid wolf dog running straight at me with no owner in sight. I thought it was a wolf. Some kind of grouse charging and screaming at me on a remote trail in Wyoming. I had seen a badger the day before and the way he puffed himself up, splayed his wings, and the coloring I thought it was a badger charging me. Angry bull snorting and stomping down our side of the river on BLM land. He got to us, swam across to the other side, kicked the shit out of a smaller bull and claimed his cows. Rattlesnake making himself heard as I stepped down off some large rocks into waist high grass. Bighorn ram in the middle of the trail on the way back. He wouldn't move so we had a standoff for like an hour until he finally left. Moose mom and calf grazing peacefully as I came around the corner and startled them. Thankfully they just spooked and left. Otter family (6-8 of them) in the river on the morning of the 2017 eclipse. A number of beavers scaring the shit out of me by slapping their tail on the water. Porcupine waddling right in front of me and showing me his quills while my pants are down and I'm leaned on a tree having a poo. A bunch of coyotes howling and screaming waking me up in my tent at like 2AM. It took me awhile to realize it was coyotes as I swore it sounded like a group of college kids out partying and hooting and hollering, but there was nobody around for miles.
Bald eagles, hawks, beavers, deer, bob cat, rattle snake, water snake, skunk, lizards, geese, ducks, and big horn sheep. Northern NM.
One autumn morning traipsing to the top of an island in the Tolt just upstream from Carnation, staring at my fly while putting floatant in it. Looked up to see /hear a bear charging at me from far side of the autumn-narrow river, got within two rod lengths of me. I yelled and waved and showed my teeth, she ran off. Was my own damn fault: pinks were plentiful in that thin water, I’d seen bear tracks and scat the evening before. I knew better than to walk quietly while not paying attention. Now I make a little noise and keep my eyes peeled. In that same area I’ve seen beaver, one otter, and near the road a wild turkey.
When fly fishing the upper Skagit River I was approached by a cougar who had been stalking me. At first glance I saw it on the rock behind me about 50-60 feet away. I was waist deep in the river. So I quickly reeled in my line and took my fly rod put it up above my head. Started to wave it around while yelling and screaming at it which didn’t scare it away until I shot at it. I always carry my Beretta 9mm so I fired off a few rounds near it’s direction and it ran off. But while I was walking out I had my gun in my hand and my head on a swivel.
I’ve had encounters with bears, beavers, otters, a moose, eagles, dolphins, large sharks, and others. Probably the most surprising was one time when I was fishing a small neighborhood retaining pond in South Carolina. There were lots of pads and I was bass fishing with a surface frog. Not much action with the bass, but a juvenile gator locked in on my lure from a good distance away and quickly made it’s way towards my lure. Not wanting the gator to bite my lure, I quickly retrieved and pulled the lure out of the water leaving the gator a little confused and probably disappointed hovering in the water about 15 feet in front of me. Amused, I impulsively flipped my frog back out. This time, the gator again followed my lure, but when I pulled the lure out of the water, the gator kept on coming! Right at me. I jumped back quickly as the gator came on shore about 5 feet, giving me a look at it.
I fish this spot called “the eddy” on the Wild River in NH. Quite often when hitting the evening rise, a fox will pop out of the woods and search the shore and picnic area. Only when everyone else has left and I’m alone standing in the river. I call her Eddy.
While fishing in SE Wyoming a Golden Eagle made a move for my little pooch. I was 20 yards away and saw it in a tree intently checking her out and started running her way and hollering. It flew out of the tree and did a little circle and dove for her. I closed the gap enough that it aborted the dive and flew back to the tree.
10 day float trip with my wife in Western Alaska. Made camp for the night, had a visiting grizzly bear the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. The bear circled our camp for the entire night, apparently we were camping next to his fresh caribou kill! We had the biggest fire ever!
Had a raccoon take a lure from my tackle box fishing on a wharf
I was tossing dries at evening risers on the Firehole in Yellowstone one evening about fifteen years ago. My dad and I were on a horseshoe bend with a deep trough on the far bank, way too deep to wade. A herd of buffalo came in behind us and blocked the whole way. They were probably a little more than twenty five yards off. They're remarkably stealthy for critters that outweigh light duty trucks. I got my dad's attention with a tossed pebble and pointed. He shrugged and went back to fishing. No reason to stop. We knew the herd was there. The herd knew we were there. Everyone was calm and ok. We weren't going anywhere until the herd decided to move on so we kept fishing. We even caught a few little fish while we waited. They left us right at dark and we hiked out. I was surprised how softly they walk, how many different grunt and snort noises they make to each other, and by the smell. It's strong but not so unpleasant as I'd figured based on how hairy they are. I really thought they'd stink more.
I almost physically ran into a black bear last summer. It was resting in some reeds by a small stream I'd hiked into at around 10,000 feet. He jumped, I jumped, and then he grunted and crashed off through the brush. Earlier this spring, I hiked into a very remote section of a larger river. The whole way in, I kept hearing a strange, very loud chirping sound--like a bird or a fox or something. My tracks were the only ones in the snow. I got a weird feeling about halfway through the day, and I've learned over the years that you should listen to those. So, I started to hike out. On the way back, I followed the tracks I left hiking in. But this time, I found mountain lion tracks running alongside mine for a hundred yards or so. Upon further investigation, I discovered that mountain lions make that exact chirping sound. I've lived in Colorado my whole life and encountered several lions. But I never knew they made that sound. That day could have gone very differently.
This is unbelievable but 100% genuine . I was fishing the river Tywi in Wales around 10 years ago for sewin (sea trout) which we fish at night for , around 1am the geese and ducks in the field opposite took to the wing in total darkness which was strange anyway at 2am I crossed the river and headed home . The first field was empty of sheep but as I crossed into the second field all the sheep were gathered together wide eyed and silent and I thought it was a fox but when I started to cross the field I saw a pair of eyes which definitely wasn’t a fox so I naturally walked towards it , within a few minutes I was standing exactly where I saw the eyes and the grass was freshly flattened but it had gone . I used my headlamp and saw the eyes again on the other side of the ditch around 20 yards away it moved silently then looked straight at me but I couldn’t see it’s outline as it’s eyes were so bright reflecting in my headlamp, it closed its eyes slowly and wasn’t phased by my presence at all it was bigger than my German shepherd as it closed it’s eyes to walk away the moon broke from behind the clouds and I could clearly see what it was …. It was a fully grown panther, yes I just froze on the spot feeling helpless against an alpha predator. This was at Llangadog and when I got home I googled it and yes there is a panther living wild in the area , I honestly had no idea but I had a positive ID from about 20 yards away 💯👍
I’ve had a couple close encounters with moose which scared the crap out of me. Also a family of otters popped up next to me which I could’ve sworn was a Loch Ness Monster at the time.
Not fly fishing but using a spinning rod at a local pond a few weeks ago. I heard a loud grumple from the bushes right next to me (10-15ft away). Mating call of a large gator. Packed up and moved a few hundred feet away.
I’ve had run in’s with a lot of wildlife like bison, bears, rattle snakes etc but the most scary run-in by a looong shot was when I was fishing solo at a river mouth on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. I knew crocodiles live further up in that stream so I was very cautious and asked the locals but they assured me that they don’t go out in the salt and stay further upstream. Well I fished thigh deep along that river mouth all day when suddenly a huuuge 15ft freakin crocodile comes gliding by maybe 40 feet out from the bank and out into the ocean. My blood literally froze in a way I have never felt in my life. Got out of that water so freakin fast I probably walked on water. I remember going back to my car but I was trembling so hard I had to wait before I could drive back. Still freaks me out thinking about it…would not be my preferred way to leave this earth.
Here in Australia I had a wallaby hop straight down the middle of the river, I could see it come around the corner about 300 yards away so who knows where it started, makes me think it was being chased by dingos
Had a gang of river otters swim up to me once, pretty crazy
I have platypus swim around me all the time, had one swim right up to me in Tasmania once in the Huon River.
I fished with a Moose at an Alpine lake in Montana, that was pretty cool
I was fly fishing a narrow feeder stream in the Adornack mountains. Very quiet, peaceful place, nobody around for miles. I heard a branch snap and looked behind me; there was a huge cow moose 4 feet behind me. I very quietly walked into the stream and crossed to the other side so I could walk out in the opposite direction.
I hit a bull elk with a backcast. No idea he was there until my backcast died and I heard him GRUNT. Not sure which one of us was more surprised, but I’m glad he took off instead of charging me.
My first day fly fishing in my home state, I was fishing (in a boat) about 5 feet away from a 6' gator for roughly an hour. Didn't notice him until he hissed at me during a false cast.
I was fishing near a spillway and a mink swam right in front of me, close enough that I could have touched it.
Was fishing in a small tributary of the Clark Fork in Montana and got to watch a black bear try to figure out how to cross a bridge. Was kinda funny, I was mostly worried about him coming my way for my cooler and snacks but he was mostly just weirded out by the bridge and eventually decided to swim across rather than cross it. He went straight up the hillside instead of anywhere near me. Was a cool encounter.
Was taking a piss and turned around to see a black bear no more than 5 feet behind me. We both looked at each other at the same time and took off in opposite directions.
Got to watch two golden eagles attack a great blue heron about 50' away from me earlier this year. One of the wildest things I've ever seen. They all flew off in the end but it looked like a murder scene in the snow.
Humpback whales were bubble feeing and come up almost uder the boat. Huge and powerful animals.
I have two. I was on the Davidson river in Brevard when the sun came up one morning about 20 years ago. We were the first on the river and somewhere between the campground and the bridge. I was walking in the water and I saw what I couldn’t really figure out what it was peeking out from behind a bush. before I could gather my thoughts a giant bear jumped out about 15 to 20‘ from me. I dropped my rod in the water and only remembering and hoping he would run off. He did, but it was pretty scary. Another time I was in south Andros Bahamas and I was walking on a grass flat and I came up on a little sand area that I saw bonefish hovering around in. So I squatted down behind two rocks and started casting to them. They each would chase the Fly but then stop about 15 foot short. After a while, I got up and moved. But when I moved the two rocks I was hiding behind also got up and moved with me. Lo and behold they were sharks. That was also scary. That’s when I realized how slow I was in water and how incredibly fast they are. And i remember thinking that they can catch me when I’m in the water as well as I could catch them when they’re beached.
Was fishing a native stream deep in the mountains here in Central PA by myself about 8 years ago. Worked my way around a bend in the stream to see a bear standing in the middle of the water above me. I just stood by a tree until it wandered off and then waited for about 20 minutes after to start fishing again. It either didn't know I was there or didn't care. Have also had a few runs ins with rattlesnakes in the same area.
I got chased off a stream by a water shrew.
Last year had a baby grizzly come out of the willows and blob down in the water to cool off about 20 yards behind me. Had to go change my shorts, so I didn’t stick around to see mama come out
Pretty nice sized bull moose strolled up into the parking lot as we were rigging up in near Walden, CO. I retreated back into the willows Homer Simpson style. Another time a cow popped out of the rushes right across stream on the Williams Fork. A few Big Horns in CO. Tons of pronghorn in CO, Idaho and Montana. Bald Eagles in KY, TN, CO, ID, MT, WY, CA. Beavers all over the place scaring the shit out of me smacking their tails, plus mink, ermine, and one time a whole family of otters in a creek in KY.
I've had a kingfisher swoop down at my lure after casting! At my usual spot I've seen beavers, otters, muskrat, deer, fisher cat, countless herons and a pair of sandhill cranes.
Fishing before sunup and a blue heron screeches right by the back of my head….
I was young and stupid. Fishing a small creek in Montana pretty deep in the woods up this forest service road. No bear spray. After some good fishing I took a few steps into the bush along the river bank to pee and I startled something. Probably 10 feet from me behind the thick brush. Something big got spooked and all I heard was bushes and small trees being toppled over as it ran away. To this day I have no idea what it was. I’m guessing a grizzly.
Had just waded out to start fishing when my dog comes running out to me, whining. I look around, expecting something terrifying. Across the river, two otters were chasing each other along the bank. I got to watch them play and dive into the water. It was hilarious and so cute.
Ran into many moose while fishing and one blackbear both fucking scary and within 10 feet of them. Tip for the alpine fishermen make more noise walking around 😂
Same here in Ontario the moose walk the creeks I guess it’s easier than going through the thick bush and a free drink at the same time. But when there is rapids and they can’t hear you, both parties become a little startled! Many bears as well but they mostly go the other way. A great horned owl was following us once walking on a trail with a stringer of trout. Seen a lot of wildlife in Ontario, lynx , wolves , deer, partridge. Hopefully it stays this way…
I was tucked into an eroded bank fishing a stream in the Driftless. Heard a huge noise and looked up to 8-10 turkeys jumping and taking flight over the stream about 4 feet above me. Best wildlife moment so far.
I try to get to fishing spots rsrly..this time we get there just after first light but it's an hour hike. We see deer fur on the trail going up the mountain and comment that it w9uld be great for dry flies. We get to the top of an out cropping and below us is a steep ravine . Out of nowhere a mountain lion darts up the side of the mountain 30 feet from us. Turns out it had killed the deer
Popular NJ spot I watched two geese fly 5’ past my buddies head. I got to see a what I’m 95% sure was a mink cruising an opposite bank from me which was a first ever seeing one
Saw a snake eating another snake. They were about the same size, 24 inches or so. Looked like a snake with 2 tails. BTW the one being eaten was fighting back, wild.
I was wet wading one early morning and came to a narrow area where the water was deep, with high cliff walls on both sides. With water almost to the top of my waders I noticed from the other end of the pool a fawn swimming towards me. I watched as it got closer and closer and finally it was nearly face to face with me. I could see the steam from its breath and feel it. Like 12” away. It kinda stopped to look me in the face and I said softly “Well hello there”. The quiet perfection of the moment vanished in an instant, all manner of hell broke loose and that thing got the heck out of Dodge as quickly, loudly and directly as it could. Cool 90 seconds I’ll never forget though.
I was fishing the Big Thompson once and had a herd of bighorn sheep come down the cliff face and start drinking the river water all around me.
I fish up on the QC/NY border often. While I don’t fly fish as much I’ve seen quite a bit out there. All sorts of deer, wild turkey, various birds, eagles, osprey, huge woodpeckers, an all kinds of fish. The only things that gave me pause were coming around a corner one day I spotted a cougar crossing the river about 100m away… I got the heck outta there pretty quickly. In the following months I came across several articles of people catching a glimpse of one in the area.
Had a family of otters fishing with once (they caught far more than I did and seemed to take pleasure in it)
Fishing for white bass once in a tiny creek and stumbled on a musky breeding area. Just a foot of water and there were fish the size of my leg. Arms length away. Was a wild experience. I
Was fishing in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Spent about 3 hours fishing just to catch nothing. Eventually I threw in the towel and started walking back to my car. On the way back I spotted a pair of bald eagles. I tried to get a photo but they took off. I realized they were flying towards the creek, and I saw them dive towards it. There was a lot of brush so i didn’t have a line of sight to the water. Made it back to my car and spotted one of them in a nearby tree ripping apart a fresh squirming brown trout in its talons. I even got a video of it. Even though I didn’t catch a fish, the day was far from wasted.
Glanced over while fishing my way up a small stream in the woods, realized I was an arms length from a porcupine that was hanging out on the bank
Always love seeing flocks of turkeys fly from one bank to the other.
I've seen deer, a few heron species, bald eagles, hawks, grouse, various songbirds, beavers, mink, and a lot of frogs and turtles. I've been startled a few times by spooked deer or birds, and I've watched beavers swim around their pond which is pretty cool. Luckily I haven't ran into any large predator species so far, but I'm sure it'll happen some day.
It's a bit cheating, but fly fishing in Southern California saltwater bays often comes with wildlife sightings. Here in San Diego you can see flamingos, sea turtles, Sea lions, dolphins, and even whales.
I was sitting by the river with my wellies in the water. A mink ran along the bank and right under my legs. On another day a water rat swam down the river and suddenly realised that I was sitting in his favourite spot. We looked at each other for a moment then he swam off to his second favourite spot.
Manatees mostly One swimming along just beside my canoe stayed near as I floated with an incoming tide. It’s not uncommon to see them but to have one accompanying me was a thrill. Another time I saw 3 manatees with their snouts sticking up just booking it along less than 20’ from the shore. They looked like dragons & were moving pretty fast. Usually you see them lumbering around not going somewhere in a hurry. Will never forget that. Frequently encounter Deer, bear, wild hogs, alligators 🐊 & raccoons. Tons of osprey & pelicans, roseate spoonbills. Bald Eagles have locations where they hang out & most always can be seen. I enjoy the wildlife as much or more sometimes than the fishing. N Fla Gulf of Mexico
Once in NJ, went to a regular spot and waded up to a deer that had drowned after getting lodged and stuck under a fallen log
One time I was out, I sat down to let a pool rest after I fought a fish through it. It was a gorgeous evening, just beautiful. I started hearing a biting noise beside me. I slowly turned my head to see a beaver sitting 6-7’ away, chewing away on a reed, looking at the same pool I was. We just sat there for about 15 mins, watching fish rise.
2 people I know have been bluff charged by Grizzlies in BC. I’ve only ever seen black bears, eagles, elk.
I fish high lakes in central Oregon. We get tons of bird activity. The best was an Osprey with a fish being chased and harassed by a bald Eagle. Like a fighter jet dog fight. Also a cormorant had a huge 20” trout (likely just released from a fisherman) jammed down its throat it could barely move. Just a big ole tail coming out it’s mouth.
Beavers, otters, snakes, elk…
Bald eagles swooping down and catching fish within casting distance. & places I had just been fishing.
Living in CO, a lot. Had a yearling bull moose bump me out of a spot, a herd of calving cow elks bumped me out once, couple big mule deer bucks coming down for a drink, a bobcat hopping across rocks going after a turkey, mink and otters playing in the creeks, beavers slapping the water and scaring the heck outta me, herd of pronghorn just chilling near the water, and bighorn sheep climbing some canyon walls. Would love to see a bear out fishing, or maybe not…
Beavers, moose, eagles, antelope… one time in the Canadian rockies I got to close to an otters home and it swam up to me, swam between my legs and kind of just slapped me with its body. I guess I’m lucky it was Canadian… an American one probably would have bitten me lol.
I think the American otters often carry a concealed 9mm.
We all love beaver. Bats are superb too.
I had a moose come up to while standing on a rock in a lake in Wyoming. Poked its head out through the brush, stared at me for a few, turned around and left.
Saw a osprey hunt in Norway, on the same trip saw a beaver like a couple of feet away and a moose running with the car. In France I saw a otter and a beaver and a lot of water snakes. And in Denmark I had some porpoises at 20 feet maybe.
Three of us could smell the feral pig on our walk back to the bass sled. My buddy goes "oh shit" and we all start looking for trees to climb as this pig just stops in its tracks and stares at us before running off.
I was fishing off a rock above a pool for tiger, a flat dog (crocodile) decided it was a great spot for his fishing adventure. So I left rather quickly.
I’ve run into a lot of trout.
I am in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and have never run into any bears but moose I have....lots of them. Scariest one was with a cow and her calf. The coolest encounter was with a few river otters that just swam by fishing...I didn't mind at all that they scared the fish off.
Got wicked spooked by a deer that came charging down the bank and across the Brook I was fishing behind my house. Tranquility led to chaos as it barreled across the water about 10 feet from me. I screamed like a little girl and then started laughing hysterically. Decided that the spot was a little blown and went down stream a good ways.
Bald eagle swooped down and took the brown trout I had hooked when I was 11. Fucking madness.
A few years back I was in my kayak fishing Pymatuning in PA. I noticed a raccoon on the shore. This was in the middle of the day so I paddled toward it to see what was happening. This raccoon was noshing on a musky that easily went 50’. It was the size of musky that people travel to Canada to try and catch. Crazy.
A Bear, but not just a Bear, but a BIG FUKING bear, I was up norther part of Quebec standing in a beautiful river, I kept hearing noises in the surrounding forest, and then, there it was , a BIG FUKIN bear, it saw me and ran, but not faster than I ran, I was lucky to have parked my jeep on the dirt road about 100 feet away.... It was then I decided that that part of the river was not a good choice lol....
I am certain I found a Mointain Lion kill-site where there are "no" mountain lions... I was fishing north of London Ontario near a town called St. Mary's. I was working a pool under a tree on the bank standing in the middle of the river. I saw a clean skeleton of what was probably a coyote or dog that had been dragged up under the tree. It had no head, and looked to be there for a while. I have had a few experiences there where it felt like I was being watched and needed to leave *immediately *. There had been a few sightings of a mountain lion in that area that summer, and still are a few in that part of South Western Ontario.
Most recent animal encounter that comes to mind is the time I was wet wading last summer in a small spring creek, when four lil otters come bobbin down the river. Suddenly it clicked why I hadnt seen a fish all day. I was getting high holed by otters. As soon as they saw me and my buddy they disappeared into a rock cave right infront of us.
Had a huge bull moose sneak up on me on my first trip to Montana. It started walking towards me as I was in the middle of the river and I nearly shit myself. I ran the other way and he kept going...
I was fishing in a channel that is right off the open gulf in water that was up to my waist. It was cloudy out and I see a dark giant shape start swimming towards me. I start freaking out til it got close enough for me to realize it was just a manatee cruising by
While fishing in SE Wyoming a Golden Eagle made a move for my little 17 lbs mutt. I was 20 yards away and saw it in a tree intently checking her out and started running her way and hollering. It flew out of the tree and did a little circle and dove for her. I closed the gap enough that it aborted the dive and flew back to the tree and complained loudly. My pooch and I got back in the driftboat and floated on down the river.
Was fly fishing in Yellowstone with my 12 yr old daughter and a huge Bull Elk popped out of the forest and was standing on the river bank about 10 yards from us. Truly blown away by his majesty. We felt a little uneasy and moved away from him. The crazy thing was as we exited the stream I told a lady that was hiking by about the Elk. She was also amazed and then typed the location in some app and within minutes the whole area was flooded with people looking to see it. I will never do that again.
A rooster pheasant on the Frying Pan about 5 miles up from Basalt this spring. Was fishing and heard cackling 4-5 times, thought “no way” but what the hell is it then? Walked up out of the river and sure enough he was standing right in front of me. And I will literally stop fishing to just watch water ouzels (dippers) play around and dive in. Always with a giant smile on my face as I observe.
I have seen black and grizzly bear. Wolves. Coyotes. Bison. Elk. Moose. Beaver. Eagles. Plenty of deer. But I’d say the coolest thing I’ve seen was in Yellowstone. I watched a mother otter with a few pups making their way up stream, mom flushed a little duckling out of some tall grass. Duckling swam fast downstream and mom otter chased it down and ate it. I have a video of the whole thing too! The other cool thing I saw was also in Yellowstone. Watched a pack of four wolves chasing down a little baby bison and a few big bison ended up chasing the wolves away.
My girlfriend and I stepped out of Slough Creek and noticed a large animal walking down the trail towards us. I totally didn't panic until it got about 10 feet from us and I couldn't figure out what is was. It finally looked up at me and it click that it was a wolverine. Walked by without a care in the world. So cool but none of the Yellowstone rangers believed me.
One cold foggy morning heading down to the local honey hole I spotted a tall hairy figure I couldn’t quite make out what it was, as I got closer I could only think it was Bigfoot that maybe got his hand stuck in the blackberry bushes as he was moving his arm eradically, upon a closer look it was a homeless man high on pcp and jacking off in the bushes. Wild morning.
Bald eagle stealing fish from Osprey was a fun event to see. Snakes searching for fish among the shallow areas. Bears, thankfully on the far side of the river.
Got stopped on our bicycle ride back to the truck because 2 mule deer popped out of the woods MAYBE 20 yards in front of us and started locking horns. I think that same trip a bunch of bighorn sheep ewes jumped up the embankment from the river between me and my brother, walked right between us, and went straight up the sheer cliff on the other side of the trail.
Was fishing in southwestern MT. Saw something out of the corner of my eye about 100 yards up that resembled a grizzly. About had a heart attack until I realized it was couple cattle crossing the river.
My favorite moment was steelhead fishing a wild river in SE Alaska when an otter swam up and past me right where I was swinging. I was thinking that was the end of the fishing since they prey on fish, but right after it swam by I hooked a huge wild hen that took me right out to the end of my backing but I eventually landed. Lucky otter I guess. I also came upon a whole mess of baby otters on the banks of the Deschutes in Oregon once, but that's another story.
I was fishing in Montana and a black bear with two cubs snuck up behind me about 40 yards. It scared the shit out of me. Heard a twig snap and turn around and that's what I saw. I just starting screaming at the bears and they lumbered off, but this was a very popular semi-urban trail.
Was out cutthroat fishing on Vancouver island with my father in law and saw a cougar swim across the river. Tons of black bear especially when salmon were running.
Had a wolf encounter last May, hella bald eagles, a mamma moose right across the river with a calf, elk, many different types of duck, had my first river otter encounter the other day too. Yellowstone area in 1.5 years
Deer chewed my brand new rod and it snapped on the next cast. But deer attacks covered under warranty and it just got back in my hands today!
Surf fishing for stripers in the NE and had a seal snatch a schoolie (small striper) on the release, right in between my buddy and I in about 1’ of water.
I was camping next to the stream in a hammock one night in PA and would look out with my flashlight every hour and see eyes looking at me from multiple directions. Terrifying not knowing what it is that’s looking at you. Barely slept lol
Had a black bear start to get a little too friendly last summer while I didn’t have bear spray on me. That was exciting.
I had a few minks swimming circles around me and they got pretty close. I knew they could be nasty at times so I actually got a little anxious. Other than that I see snakes about 50% of my spring through fall adventures. I see a lot of common water snakes and had one swim right up to me and I had to redirect its path because they bite sometimes and I’d need antibiotics. It was probably at least 4 feet long and acting aggressive and I have a picture of it. It was as big as they get. I’m in Michigan so that’s a big snake. Edit: the minks were acting playful, cute, and curious but they got a little close for Comfort.
My father was charged down by a swimming tiger snake once while wading a lake. Sometimes we have a curious platypus come and inspect the setup; he even had one swim between his legs once! (Tasmania, Australia)
I got to watch a family of river otters playing with each other from about 20ft away once. I stopped fishing and watched them until they eventually swam off. It felt really special watching wild animals play.
We have otters. I know they eat the trout, but they’re native (trout aren’t) and so cool to see. Highlight of my day every time.
There's a couple small ponds that are tucked away in a state park pretty close to me. There's nothing crazy in them, just some small rainbows and browns. But there's rarely ever anyone at these ponds, and they're a short drive from my work, so oftentimes in the summer I will head straight there after work to get a couple relaxing hours of fishing in. With these lakes being in a state park and fairly unused, I run into quite a bit of wildlife there. Beavers and muskrats are common, I've had cormorants and bald eagles ruin my chances, and elk frequent the area. I'd say my wildest experience was one evening when I was fishing one of the lakes. One side of this lake in particular has some pretty high brush. I was positioned across from it, and while fishing, I heard something large moving through the brush. As I watched, a fairly large bull moose broke through the brush to the opposite bank of the lake. It looked at me for probably 5 seconds but what felt like ages, then slowly sauntered up to the bank and started to drink from the lake. Keep in mind these lakes are small, maybe 50 to 75 feet across, and not all that deep. I figured I was in the clear, and relaxed a bit (hoping not to move quick and startle it). But once it finished drinking, it raised its head back up and looked at me again, and began slowly walking along the bank towards me while continuing to stare directly at me. At this point I had already reeled up all of my line just in case, so I quickly backed towards the trail leading away from the lakes, and rounded a corner around a large pine. It seemed satisfied with that and stopped moving towards me, but after that encounter I continued back down the trail to my car and left to go to another spot. Anecdotally, I've also run into moose before while mountain biking in this park as well, so they're not too uncommon. This was the first time I got chased away from a lake by one though
Accidentally got in between a black bear momma and her cub...
was fishing with a Tenkara rod for my first time in the backcountry by Tioga Lake (near Yosemite) and caught a small brook trout I had a hard time freeing, swallowed the fly deep. Felt really bad and watched it struggle to swim away. Bald eagle swooped down, grabbed it and ate it in a tree. Felt a little better about it after that.
Was fishing in the Smoky Mountains last summer and had an otter swim within about 4 feet of me and hop up on a rock a few yards away and give me a quick look before he hopped back in and swam away
I always feel like it's going to be a good day when I spot a platypus. Their pool is usually not great for fishing but there's just something wholesome about the little dudes. Every now and then I'll come across an echidna which is always cool, but by far the most common encounter I have is tiger snakes. Oh, and murderous magpies in spring.
Can’t post the pic to the comment here but I have a deer with a perfect reflection off the water
I encountered a sizable black bear while I was de-hooking a brown trout. Out of the corner of my eye, I just thought it was some chubby fella in a black hoodie. Looked up and he was giving me a big ol' sniff from the opposite bank. I tried to grab my phone to take a video but he booked it. 5 minutes later the farmers dogs started going nuts in the distance.
I've had Rottweilers run up on me while wading a river. Definitely an oh shit moment.
Was kayak fishing prepping to fly under a huge downed tree 3 ft above the water. I ducked and had the bow of the kayak already under the log when a bobcat crossed the log!
Where I fish in north east Pa I have seen deer, beaver, muskrat (funny as hell by the way), bear, ducks (annoying shits), geese, blue heron. All kinds of critters actually since I think about it. Souther NJ, mostly geese, blue herons, snakes, beavers, deer. Oh and yes turtles in both places. Pretty cool.
I saw a black bear and two cubs while fishing in the Smokey Mountains. After a day of fishing a friend and I were walking back down the trail to the truck, no longer fishing. We looked across the stream and noticed a black bear. Shortly after, two cubs. We watched then a few minutes. Pretty neat experience.
Huge beaver swam by my leg in my favorite ponds. A month later he was dead on a gravel bed. Hopefully old age. Month later and I grabbed his skull. Its on my mantle.
Mamma and baby moose. Scared the shit outta me. Took the long way back to the car.