If you're new to the area and would like details of our fishing take a look at our new interactive beat maps:
PAA work in partnership with local bodies to promote and enhance our sport for all. Several PAA members are involved with these voluntary groups:
Pembs Federation of Angling Coaches - bringing the sport to young and old alike.
Pembs Rivers Trust - restoring the wildlife habitats of rivers and lakes.
Is the Gorgon Pool really haunted?
Wed, 02/06/2010 - 16:16 | john pilcher
When I first joined the PAA, 38 yrs ago, the older members would not fish the Gorgan Pool alone at night. Some members not at all after dark! I will tell my tale of one of those dark nights on the river. I swear this is just as it happened...
Tony Summers and I had been fishing the flats below the Gorgan. Time had moved on and it was now completely dark , not a star in the sky. We decided to move back up to the Gorgan to fish for our last half hour.
We entered the bottom of the pool on the left hand bank coming up the river.. Tony motioned to me and asked if I had seen the angler on the far side of the pool. I certainly had, he was standing behind his rod which was on a rest as he bait fished the head of the pool. We decided to fish the tail of the pool and then go over to check his permit.
Tony and I crossed the bridge and made our way quietly towards the man, so as not to alert him to our presence. We came over the brook at the head of the pool and expected the angler to come into sight . No one was there! No twig for the rod rest, no foot prints or flattened vegetation. No foot prints coming or going from the spot , going up or down the river. To all intents their had been no one there that night, only us.
Do ghosts realy exist ? A past angler enjoying his now permit and licence free evening fishing the best pool on the river.
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Not such a bad fate...
Submitted by David Griffiths on Wed, 02/06/2010 - 22:59.I, for one, would be happy to spend eternity fishing the Gorgon!
Is The Gorgon Haunted.
Submitted by Alan Johnstone on Tue, 22/06/2010 - 15:11.I read with interest the comments by John Pilcher, and would like to relate an experience of my own. I no longer reside in Pembs but was a member of the club for many years. When I joined I was also told all the tales of headless monks and escaped lunatics that were to be found at the Gorgon after dark. I particularly remember dear old Wynn Davies from Croesgoch, and Spike the bailiff, both of whom had myriad tales of strange happenings. Not being one to be deterred, I proceeded to enjoy many nights of superb fishing on the Gorgon after dark. The nearest I ever came to a fright was if I stumbled on the Morris twins from Weir Castle. All was well until one Bible black June night in 1994. It was about 1 am and I was alone on the railway bank side near the head of the pool. I suddenly had a sensation of unease, and looking to my left saw a figure approaching from the direction of the bridge. My initial thought was how could someone be coming so steadily without the aid of a torch. I then decided it must be a very considerate angler who was not going to wreck the pool by flashing a beam. Within a few seconds the figure was level with me and I greeted him but drew no response. I was not able to discern any features due to the darkness, but one abiding memory was the ease and quietness of his progress in pitch dark with no disturbence to the under growth what so ever. The figure, for that is all it was, proceeded past me towards the tail of the pool by the big rock then slid into the river and disappeared from view towards the flats. I was sufficiently unnerved that I collected my gear and got out of there. I was concerned about exposing my self to ridicule, so the only person I ever told at the time was Paul Houghland. An interesting aside was meeting an old gentleman on the Gorgon some years later. This old boy was enjoying some trouting in the daylight, and told me that he did not like to be there after dark.I, for some reason, found myself recounting my experience, and when I had finished he looked quite shaken. I apologised and said I had not intended to alarm him, and he replied," when you were telling me what happened to you the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up because that is exactly what happened to me 40 years ago".