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That's no fly...

Chris Fox

Chris Fox

Senior Member
Yesterday evening I popped over to the Bristol Avon for a quick session. Spotted some really big chub that I managed to get feeding in a swim. I slowly climbed down the bank and was just about to lower my bait in when I noticed some big flies buzzing around. On closer inspection I realised that they weren't flies at all. They were very big hornets. I turned around to look at the bank that I had just climbed down to see dozens of them crawling out of the bank and getting a bit irritated with this idiot of an angler in their midst.

Needless to say that I got out of that swim pretty sharpish. Not sure how I did it without getting stung though... Real shame as there were a couple of chub that would have kicked my miserable PB of 5lb 6oz into the middle of next week.

Anyone else ever come across a hornets nest before?? Forgotten just how HUGE they are.
 
Where I used to work had a hornets nest that was 2-3ft across in the roof. We only found out about it when they had chewed through the phoneline. The BT man certainly had a shock!

I also leaned on one once and got stung in the palm of my hand, rather powerful! As a general rule they do seem to be much less agressive than a wasp though.

Cheers
Adam
 
Your very lucky Chris!!
They will be getting abit touchy with the temps dropping so how you got up past the nest without getting stung I don't know!

Rich.
 
If its the first swim Chris glad I walked past it almost dropped in there myself. There is a Hornets nest further down stream in a dead willow often see them flying backwards and forwards frightening buggers.
 
Shoulda ferreted around for some grubs! The Chub would have loved 'em!:D
 
There was a nature program on the box the other night which had a bit about hornets...the expert on that said exactly the same as Adam, in that they are nowhere near as agressive and vindictive as common wasps...which is just as well, considering their size :D

It does explain how Chris managed to get past them again without getting stung though :)

Cheers, Dave.
 
Clive... need to do something about them as there are some really cracking chub down there. I reckon I saw a couple that were pushing 6lb at least.

Didn't feel that they were particularly aggressive... just massive and in large numbers!
 
Some years ago

I was visiting an estate lake that I pop down to sometimes in the summer. This time with kids and picnic in tow. Son had obviously he something of interest, as he buggered off as soon as we had pitched.
10 minutes later my daughter and I heard this frenzied screeching. I knew it was the lad but just thought he was just being his normal loony self. After a few more seconds daughter says I better go and investigate. Well when we got to him he was running around like a loony after all, but with quite a few hornets in close pursuit. I whipped of me flip-flop and fought the blighter's away. Very hard work, they were very angry.
Eventually peace was regained and my lad had been stung right on the arse. What a sight!
Apparently he thought it would be fun to poke with a stick at this nest at the base of a tree. :eek:
 
A few years ago we rented a house in France for a couple of weeks,outside our bedroom window was a balcony with overhanging Fig trees to one side, very nice, except that the following morning it was covered with bloody great Hornets ! We were horrified and took it up with the owner only to be told that they are always there in the summer and up till then no-one had ever been stung by one, to illustrate the point he walked straight into the branches and picked us a handfull of nice fresh figs for breakfast, they took no notice of him whatsoever! point well made :)
Another thing, apparently if one 'buzzes you' DON"T panic and flap at it , its taking sonar (or whatever it is they have) readings so as to fly around you, not sure about that but its definetly not worth annoying one IMO :D
 
Foxy you lightweight....

....stick a bankstick in there, wiggle it about and then just go for the Chub:eek::eek:;)
 
Chris - a swim to come back to in a few weeks hopefully for a new pb!

Has anyone had the experience of hornets flying/hunting at night?

On an occasion a few years ago, I was fishing mid summer under this buzzing willow on the Trent & could not see to deep into the dark due to using a led head torch. I sat for a couple of hours now & again being scoped out by what I thought was hornets flying straight towards my head torch coming within a foot of my face. It's their eyes which give it away! I scrambled up the bank a couple of times unscathed.

I tried to rely on logic for the rest of the session to remain having a few despite my human nature telling me to move some distance away. Kept me a little more awake that evening...
 
Jon Whelan said:
Chris - a swim to come back to in a few weeks hopefully for a new pb!

Has anyone had the experience of hornets flying/hunting at night?

On an occasion a few years ago, I was fishing mid summer under this buzzing willow on the Trent & could not see to deep into the dark due to using a led head torch. I sat for a couple of hours now & again being scoped out by what I thought was hornets flying straight towards my head torch coming within a foot of my face. It's their eyes which give it away! I scrambled up the bank a couple of times unscathed.

I tried to rely on logic for the rest of the session to remain having a few despite my human nature telling me to move some distance away. Kept me a little more awake that evening...
Click to expand...

Your sure they weren't vampires Jon :eek:

Cheers, Dave :D
 
Guys, I know they seem quite frightening but you really have nothing to fear from Hornets provided you do not pose a threat by getting agressive (swatting etc)! You can sit very close to the nest and they will not bother you other than the odd investigative look at you. You just need the bottle to let them go about their business!!!!!:D
 
Keith Humphreys said:
Guys, I know they seem quite frightening but you really have nothing to fear from Hornets provided you do not pose a threat by getting agressive (swatting etc)! You can sit very close to the nest and they will not bother you other than the odd investigative look at you. You just need the bottle to let them go about their business!!!!!:D
Click to expand...

like bees, wasps are a different matter.
 
I peed on a wasp nest on the ground last year! Must have looked rather funny as they started to pour out of the ground, me running backwards trying to stop going and trying to put it away before an all out attack on my member lol....
 
Clive Shipman said:
I peed on a wasp nest on the ground last year! Must have looked rather funny as they started to pour out of the ground, me running backwards trying to stop going and trying to put it away before an all out attack on my member lol....
Click to expand...

Allways thought I would lend a hand to a member under attack Clive...might find my good intentions misinterpreted in this case though :D:D:D

Cheers, Dave.
 
When we were kids my cousin and I thought it would be a good idea to throw potatoes at a hornets nest we discovered in my Grandparents barn.

If you try this make sure you can run faster than your cousin. He had multiple stings and was hospitalised, I got away Scot free.
 
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