River Ribble Seal & Saving a HUGE PIKE

[@billy1858]

looks like he was gifting you a pike,probably full up after eating the bream.lovely to see ,hopefully he will find the way back to the sea.

[@paulisherwood8465]

I’ll tell you what Danny, it’s moments like that that make you sit back and make you thank god that you set off down the bank that morning, witnessing that seal would have been far more rewarding than catching any amount of fish. I bet you Gary Azzer and mark felt so blessed and honoured to see such mammal up close, I know I would. Thanks for the footage Tight lines buddy👍

[@boxingfan2281]

It all looks like a good day to remember. Clearly, the seal decided it felt sorry that you hadn't caught a pike and wanted to show you how it's done. Nature is perfectly normal and I personally would have loved to see a friendly seal in the local river.

[@fishingwithfredanddad]

It’s lovely to see you saving pike from seals

[@NeroShikari]

You're so ALPHA Danny!

[@adam232king]

the worst case scenario with seals in fresh water they go blind after about 2 weeks in fresh water, I've fished church deeps for about 12 years and its a first for sight for me mate great video keep em coming pal👍👍👍

[@stephenholland132]

I never knew fresh water would make them blind. Learn summat new every day even in mid 50's 👍👍

[@BlackCountryPiker]

I had a very similar experience years ago Danny. Set up in the dark ready and began to fish. No bites at all but kept hearing a weird noise most of the morning. Eventually it came to light it was a large seal playing with a 15lb pike it had maimed. I spooked it in the end. Something I’ll never forget.

[@baldvale5418]

Nice to know that you watch Danny's video's Steve : ) It just show's that we both have good taste ; ) Hope you are doing well. You and Danny (also the Piker Biker) should get together and do a Northern vid, come and sample some Northern hopitality and maybe show us all how to fish the Ribble.

[@BlackCountryPiker]

@@baldvale5418 yes mate, I love watching Danny’s predator stuff. A meet up we should do 👍

[@NicolasValentinScotland]

I enjoyed the video and love the way you said no debate . Great nature moment with 3 amazing predator . The man , the seal and the pike . Outstanding and thank you for sharing this ultimate experience , one in a million .

[@djtekknotis]

someone must been feeding that to say how chilled it was with your mate and yourself getting the pike of it good lad on saving the pike mate tight lines 👍

[@thecambridgeshireangler7168]

We have the same problem down here on the Great ouse with seals they have been spotted as far inland as Bedford. Well done for saving the Pike 👍

[@andybrown3016]

That seal looked like he was bringing you a present lol. The pike was nearly as big as the seal 🤣 hopefully he makes his way back out to sea before some numpty hurts him.

[@guywren4801]

I can't help feeling he was bringing you a gift.

[@robwhile1758]

Well done Danny for saving the pike 👍, seal's are a Paine when out fishing (sea fishing)but they are apart of the food chain,nice to see them tho 👍,thanks for sharing this video Danny, take care and tight line's mate 👍🎣.

[@BanksideFishing]

Nature really is a wonderful thing.

[@peterleecatchpole1056]

thanks for posting danny awesome footage , i reckon its a sanctuary raised pup thats why it has no fear , great to see memorable footage

[@davidhughes4804]

I've seen a seal quite high up on the Nene at Wansford but nothing like your video Great video

[@ian98244]

Awesome, well done saving the Pike 👍

[@jeff1962-y]

Nice one matey . One lucky pike . Hopefully it will get relocated.. Tight lines ..

[@raymitchell4220]

Brilliant Danny, never mind the rights and wrongs, great video, thanks ,take care, Norfolk Ray

[@michaelmcdonald4930]

Wow what a wonderful experience Danny thanks for sharing it

[@michaelmcdonald4930]

I forgot to say we had small dolphins in my local river the O Garnie River in Co Clare down by the famous Bunratty Castle

[@michaelmcdonald4930]

It's O Garney feckin auto correct

[@markmacsherry4642]

Certainly threw me there Danny uploading on a Sunday 😂nature always throws up something special, that seal has beaten my PB for a bream 🫣

[@baldvale5418]

Danny youv'e made it on TV : 0 Just seen your seal footage on BBC TV and you were credited for it, good on you mate. I hope that it brings you many new subscribers ; ) All the best.

[@IanMchale]

Thanks for sharing that mate.loved it👍👍

[@markhoughton7625]

My brother was on the opposite bank and literally told me about this today. Madness

[@jbgroundsmnt351]

Really enjoying your videos Danny, what an experience! Went out myself today for a few hours despite the extreme cold, had one on the bank around 8lb and a further 2 missed runs and saw a kingfisher 😃 tight lines mate.

[@scottandrewjohnmiddleton8676]

I love seeing kingfishers flying up and down the bank 1 of my favourite parts of fishing the rivers

[@janedurston8939]

Dan What next, very unusual set of circumstances perhaps that seal watches KZbin thank you for sharing that will take some topping kind regards Mr D

[@Ped1]

That's crazy! Bet was surreal to see in person!

[@paulwood1088]

that was amazing danny wow top man that should go viral

[@stevanfarley6652]

Amazing footage Danny, we have been seeing seals up here on the rivers in Yorkshire seems its becoming more frequent

[@123stocksy]

I read yesterday a seal had been found 200 meteres from the river in a field at Walton le Dale so I imagine it was the same one

[@Keefiopia]

Amazing - thank you

[@seandowns4298]

Looks like he was trying to share his meal with you.

[@mikegoodhew1543]

Very interesting, amazing what you can see on the river bank.

[@andybenstead7240]

A Seal travelled up the Humber into the Yorkshire Ouse somehow got up the weir and locks at Naburn , through York then passed the weir and locks at Linton on Ouse , then up the River Ure turned right into the river Swale up the weir at Cundall to finally reach Topcliffe weir , there is a video of it by Charley Farley2 on his youtube channel at Topcliffe weir

[@RFT24]

Mental,we can speculate until the cows come home,we ent never gonna truly understand why he was where he was doing what he was doing,but either way good footage Dan 👍🏻

[@josephwilson5242]

Great video amazing footage , well done

[@00markelliott00]

Amazing footage

[@mickclitheroe5876]

good vid Danny what day did this take place

[@garywilliamsandmitsy]

Really fun day mate. Super film. 👌 Ron seal 🦭 😊😊😊

[@neilhalley8897]

How unusual, fascinating video there.👍

[@karlwatkins2331]

Never seen anything like that before amazing vid danny lad hope the seal sods off and doesn't spoil yr fishing I was fishing on a boat out of Swansea years ago and my mate hooked a 80lb seal that was mad to watch 🎣👊💯

[@DannysAnglingBlog]

Been caught and moved now mate that's barmy 80lb seal!

[@karlwatkins2331]

@@DannysAnglingBlog yes bud took some unhooking and weighting mate

[@chrisyboy5283]

You done the rgt thing mafriend.. thts defo a tame seal. Must b used to getting off the fisher men .grat vid . Respect from glasgow scotland 🙌

[@tinkhefferon9934]

Great video Danny I suppose it's only looking for its dinner , seals would have eaten all of that pike, where as a otter wouldn't just leave it on the bank, far play to you

[@Lee-se9rw]

Hmm. Not sure I agree with that. I don’t think seals are doing particularly well in the UK so to take a meal away from one doesn’t feel right to me - angler or not. These were 2 wild creatures and the seal was just doing what comes naturally and what it needs to do to survive. Would you have taken a roach away from the pike to save the roach? I don’t think so, so why take the pike away from the seal?

[@stephenhollinrake916]

It's very rare they come up to that area and when they do they cause alot of damage to fish stocks which are already under pressure from pollution ect ,, certainly not the seals fault ,, you do realise that all fresh water anglers pay a licence every year which helps stock rivers ect whilst all others who use the rivers and complain about anglers ect don't pay a bloody penny,, now I'm an avid ornithologist and naturalist as well as a fisherman and its all one way in opinions ,, think the bigger picture is globalization n Chinese plastics over population not a few lads caring about their local river .

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I agree with you Lee. The seal clearly came up to the anglers either because it has been fed by others, because it is starving or because it knows that where anglers chuck in bait, fish usually gather. Not only do I think that taking the seals meal away wasnt fair on the animal, I also suspect that in doing so the Wildlife and Countryside Act has been broken in some way. The pike, if injured at all will likely now suffer a slow death as the mouths of seals are full of bacteria. @stephen hollinrake, Canoeists and kayakers also pay to use the waterways, and depending on the size of the boat, so do boat owners. In return for licence fees anglers get fishing platforms, the weed is cut to allow fishing, and thousands of fish are stocked into waterways (among many other things)... Do you think paying £30 a year should give anglers exclusivity to waterways or the right to control the native species that are and/or should be living there?

[@lesbaty8919]

And we’re off

[@Lee-se9rw]

@@stephenhollinrake916 Hi Stephen. Yes as an angler I do know that anglers pay a licence fee but, with respect, I don’t think that’s relevant in this situation. Similarly to you I’m also a birder and wildlife lover and it’s as a wildlife lover that my feelings/comments came from. I’m not bashing Danny - he did what he felt was right in the spur of the moment - and hopefully my comments came across respectful and not intended to start a flame war. I just don’t agree with his decision. To see a wild seal like that so close and acting so friendly was an amazing privilege. I just feel that he should have enjoyed it for what it was and remained a spectator.

[@stephenhollinrake916]

@@AShotOfWildlife it's now been found in a farmers feild and been rescued it looked worse for ware ,,, it was clearly obvious something was wrong,,, luckily its been rescued,,, and no the water is for all ,, and the anglers are its eyes n ears ..

[@jamesweber4938]

That would have made me jump. Dont expect to see a seal so far inland. Easy pickings for the seal I guess.

[@stephenholland132]

Fantastic Danny. I've seen plenty in the sea but never upstream in a river. It's like that one in Kent(?) recently on the news. The only thing I worry about, is the fact coarse fish don't have the necessary omega oils and minerals sea fish have, I'm more worried about the health of the seals feeding on coarse fish, still, that one looked healthy. A beautiful sight to see. 😁

[@leftmono1016]

Think the one in Kent was a Walrus, many times bigger than a seal. I’ve been up close to a few seals whilst fishing off the rocks in the Hebrides, didn’t know that they swim up rivers until now.

[@stephenholland132]

@@leftmono1016 no the walrus was just on a beach, it was definitely a seal at the fishing lake. Apparently the walrus has been seen further up the East coast now.

[@jbgroundsmnt351]

Think it was near Southend and and hopped over the bank from the river into some fishing lakes, don’t know what happened to it, the “authorities” were trying to catch it as it was munching through the guys fish stocks, no fishing was allowed either so he was losing day ticket sales.

[@paulAnthony7236]

Obviously not much food in the sea because of over fishing for them to be entering freshwater for food .1 seal comes over 15 miles from Sunderlands mouth of the wear to Durham city and swims back to sea.

[@scottandrewjohnmiddleton8676]

Get that seal to sign up for sponsorship I'm sure fox or daiwa would put a t shirt on him as he/she was definitely catching more than anyone else on the ribble that day lol all jokes aside it's nature isn't it and although none of us want our fish stocks threatened this little guys fishing to survive

[@FISHINGMINTY]

Otters ain’t got a patch on a seal! 😮

[@richardmillinson5111]

Image the outburst if this was a cute little otter ??

[@elliottlock9555]

Wow 😳

[@therickpound]

Seals got to eat too mate

[@HEROxGUN1]

That's mad as f*ck haha

[@martinweaverallroundangling]

Probably rescued when it was a pup, hand reared and released. It will always seek humans when times are hard, sad really but cant be helped really. Great to have these interactions with wildlife but a healthy fear of us is also good to have, there are some sick humans out their that wouldn't think twice of beating that Seal.

[@alanbrain8905]

We had a seal through a Yorkshire river system last year. It was tagged and was captured for relocation. It had been released in GERMANY not long before. A few years ago, a group of seals went up the river Hull. The last one to leave was there more than a year. During that time, they decimated the population of large pike and the up and coming barbel population. At this point, I should tell you that I live only a couple of hundred yards from the sea. We regularly observed seals killing fish to simply eat the liver or even just for sport, discarding the fish once it was dead. This doesn't happen now due to the massive increase in numbers and the decrease of food fish. On our stretch of Yorkshire coast, where colonies once had a few dozen, there are literally hundreds. Between Whitby and Bridlington they are approaching 1000! You saw how effortlessly that seal caught fish. Don't be fooled into thinking it will only catch to eat. Although it looks cute, you are best rid of it asap. I hope the EA act swiftly for you. I enjoy your blogs. Keep up the good work!

[@stevewilliams5428]

There is a theory that as the rivers have less industrial pollution more salmon are returning to more rivers. The seals are chasing them up from the estuary hence we are seeing more in the rivers. The salmon are triggered to run when oxygen content goes over a certain level.

[@82maska]

We’ve got two in Peterborough right now.Great experience!

[@James-bristol]

There’s no fish in the sea,

[@shaunjones6049]

🤔 very tame, to tame for a wild animal. 🤔no fear of humans indicating it’s probably been raised by some rescue organisation/ sanctuary and released back into the wild.

[@andrewpickering9230]

What made me laugh was a scene previous you were saying I don't know why but the piking asnt as been good, now you know why ,there's more bloody fish in the sea for dinner they shouldn't be coming that far up ,then the otters take over and finally cormorants the fish have dramatically dropped since late 90s when Vernon the vermin started appearing in numbers, they shouldn't be in the river just in that clip guess what it eats a day,don't net it and return it ,shoot the bastard or it will be back, its a case of great to see but summer wears the fish gradually going, an otter , seal and minks guts

[@DannysAnglingBlog]

different river andrew to one i was saying piking hasnt been good.

[@darrenmcleary463]

Seals belong in the sea not in our rivers. You wouldn't be saying it if one of your kids was playing in the river and it bit them because as cute as it looks they are very vicious. We have enough problems with the otters never mind seals aswell.

[@paulAnthony7236]

River wear in Sunderland otters seals you are lucky if you catch a condom 😂 I bet now there's the odd minnow the EA needs to stock it course fishing is terrible.

[@Berealwith]

I walk the Ribble a lot, and cough I wouldn't feed or show the seal any kind of love. I see the otters and have photographed thier footprints it's not good news I am afraid this will change the stocking levels. John Wilson was a big advocate to control the otters god rest his soul. I too wish someone sorts out the level and care of the otters in the Ribble, fishermen will remember how the Cormorants decimated fish stocks and it took years for the Ribble to recover. Please think about what these do to the river and don't give them reason to keep coming back for easy meals.

[@fourutubez7294]

Does the seal deserve a meal less than an angler needs a bite ?

[@donskidons6704]

Did you not listen to him at the beginning - not here to spark a debate! Just enjoy the video or click away. 👋🏻

[@fourutubez7294]

@@donskidons6704 I did click away, the first time on his channel.

[@enkeltfiske.5412]

Let the seal eat the pike!