The following story sounds unbelievable but is perfectly true.

One of our members was fishing the Bridge Pond the other week, on the near side bank, in glorious sunshine, and catching a few fish. As he watched his float he occasionally fed a few maggots and pellets to a mother duck and her young, who after a period climbed out onto the bank and settled down to go to sleep only yards from his peg.

Suddenly as if frightened the family awoke and quickly returned to the water. Our colleague, wondering what had disturbed them looked around to see a fox’s head peering out of the undregrowth behind him. Although he watched for some time the fox didn’t move.

Expecting the animal to disappear our angler returned to his fishing but was suprised some minutests later when he turned to check only to find the fox lying on the grass behind him almost within touching distance and apparently sleeping.

Regular checks confirmed the fox was still there, sunning itself in the warm weather, until with a leap it jumped forward and grabbed his bait bag, which by the time he had shouted and stood up it had disgarded further along the bank.

Somewhat unbelieving our angler retrieved his bait bag only to find that his luncheon meat had been stolen. Our foxy friend had obviously not been attracted by the ducks at all.