[Slippy]

I was asked by a guy at work today if there have ever been any instances recorded of anyone being subjected to an unprovoked attack by a Conger Eel.

I honestly couldn't answer his question - can anyone help ? :g:

 

[lockstock]

Unprovoked - would that mean in the water! Arguably pulling the beast in on a big hook and steel trace might be regarded as provoking it! Once heard a story of a angler losing a finger whilst trying to retrieve a hook - was years ago though!

 

[alana]

i have looked at many congers under water none have shown any aggression.a friend regularly feeds them when diving. but the ones i get on a hook are not happy bunnies

 

[solehunter]

No i cant see them hanging out the bunting after being hooked!

 

[ChrisP]

John Lush was the skipper of boat called Magic I think, I remember a story of him being out with a charter and someone landed a strap. John had the habit of going barefoot whilst on board and the conger grabbed his little toe and took it off. The conger was persuaded to release the toe and when the RNLI arrived they were presented with a box of frozen squid containing said toe to accompany John to hossy. if I remember right they were unable to reattatch it.

My Mum swore she was bitten on her toe whilst swimming in the sea off Sark, we never saw it but her big toe was grazed and bruised when she came out of the water. She reconed she felt it and looked down to sea it, kicked out with her other foot and it let go.

 

[Steve1972]

My brother caught one off the beach at New Brighton and swears it chased him up the beach.....

:ahhh:

 

[Ian Houlton]

I Saw That Happen!
Mind you, i reckon they are pretty tame actually because i know of a member of this site who actually picked on up on a beach and claimed he caught it!
what a silly thing that was

 

[dazthehappyhooker]

Have a swatch at this video guys I found a few weeks ago.
Its not a conger but its a moray eel that attacked a diver lol.

Turn up the sound and u hear his thumb crunch haha

http://break.com/index/eel_bites_off_divers_thumb.html

Daz

 

[Spitfire66]

I knew someone with a friend missing a thumb - story was he used to go out on very low tides & hook conger out fron holes / under rocks with a meat hook on a piece of wood - anyways story goes that one time he stuck his hand in and the eel shot out grabbed his thumb and retreated back into the hole & held on. Now with his hand stuck in the hole he couldnt get at the eel with his meat hook & as the tide came in the eel kept a grip so he had to swiss army his own thumb off as he couldnt reach the eel

Might be true dunno but Id say proviked lol


Had a friend from South Africa who lost a big toe to a river fish (similar to an eel apparently)

 

[i hate whiting]

I knew someone with a friend missing a thumb - story was he used to go out on very low tides & hook conger out fron holes / under rocks with a meat hook on a piece of wood - anyways story goes that one time he stuck his hand in and the eel shot out grabbed his thumb and retreated back into the hole & held on. Now with his hand stuck in the hole he couldnt get at the eel with his meat hook & as the tide came in the eel kept a grip so he had to swiss army his own thumb off as he couldnt reach the eel

Might be true dunno but Id say proviked lol


Had a friend from South Africa who lost a big toe to a river fish (similar to an eel apparently)

jesus that sounds nasty if true

 

[PanamaJack]

I was asked by a guy at work today if there have ever been any instances recorded of anyone being subjected to an unprovoked attack by a Conger Eel.

I honestly couldn't answer his question - can anyone help ? :g:

In my case hardly unprovoked. It was on deck and I was about to sever its backbone - the local OAPs liked eating them - when it very delicately took hold of my toes. Perhaps it took exception to the rather ancient Hunter green wellie? Any rate it was clamped there for some time with me shuffling round the deck dragging it much, of course, to the amusement of the assembled throng. Um....could certainly feel the pressure from those boney plates.

 

[wilba]

I knew someone with a friend missing a thumb - story was he used to go out on very low tides & hook conger out fron holes / under rocks with a meat hook on a piece of wood - anyways story goes that one time he stuck his hand in and the eel shot out grabbed his thumb and retreated back into the hole & held on. Now with his hand stuck in the hole he couldnt get at the eel with his meat hook & as the tide came in the eel kept a grip so he had to swiss army his own thumb off as he couldnt reach the eel

Might be true dunno but Id say proviked lol


Had a friend from South Africa who lost a big toe to a river fish (similar to an eel apparently)

i wonder if the said fish went home and told his mates about the one that got away was hell of a fight nearly had him all the way in but at the last moment pop away goes his thumb and the ******* got away sorry couldnt help it

but anyway mph1954 cought a decent conger off his boat and when trying to get the hooks out managed to get a nasty bite on the finger. i did'nt see it myself but cleaned the blood of the boat and there was a hell of a lot

 

[Steinbeisser]

The story about looking for eels at low tide is a bit like people putting their hands into holes looking for crabs at low water. The crab tends to brace it's legs and force it's back up trapping the hand between the ceiling of the hole and the top of the crab. The only way to avoid drowning may be to do a self amputation if your on your own!

I did read a story once, about an amateur diver, in America I think, went into a flooded shaft/vertical pipe to look for a leak. The area was full of obstructions under the water but the diver's arm was drawn out of the hole in the pipe, trapping him due to the pressure difference and he was on his own. He drowned, but at the post mortem, it was found he had attempted to cut his trapped arm off. This is a true story!

When scuba diving, I have seen congers - usually in day light and usually in holes in the rock but once did see one (7ft long) free swimming parallel to me in Skye I think. By the time I got hold of my buddy, who was on the other side of me, it had disappeared. They will not attack unless provoked.

Have also seen Morays in day and night time. Far easier to see them at night as they are semi nocturnal and you can semi hypnotise most fish with a diver's lamp. Once in France on a night dive I tried to grab a moray by the tail and it did not like that too much!! It whipped round and came straight for me, but fortunately it fled and did not stop to bite. It was only about 3ft long I guess but they can give a nasty bite which goes septic due to the bacteria in their mouth. Suffice to say, lesson learnt well and truly!!

As always underwater, best to look and do not touch. Then everything is happy!!

Steinbeisser

 

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I have been bitten by a small pike when unhooking it and it hurt like hell. Aparently some geezer had one latch onto his nose when he was taking a photo looking into its mouth. The story goes the fish had to be surgically removed. The only danger really is bringing a decent conger on a small boat as it sends gear flying everywhere. Trust me, i now unhook then, or try to at the side of the boat using a t-bar.

 

[Bigredyin]

I went bait diggingwith my Dad, his mate and his son who was the same age as me year's ago and we were telt not to stick our hand's down any hole's, anyway the temptation got the better of Dad's mate son who thought he saw a small crab disapear down a hole and he stuck his hand in after it, turned out not to be such a small crab after all and my dad and his pal struggled what seemed like an age to free the lad and there was blood spurting from his thumb, it really was a mess but the thing i remember most and it sent shiver's down my spine typing this is his screaming, i have to this day never heard anything like it and hopefully never will again, rest assured this tale of woe is telt to my kid's when they come digging with me, my little lass like's picking up the lug's but me lad keep's his hand's in his pocket's

 

[Sam_Lougher]

i remember when my mate caught his first conger, while i was putting it back it nipped my hand and it stung like mad!!! evevn though it was a strappy of 1lb 5oz it was enough to put a nsty cut in my hand!!

 

[thebigman]

Talking about these fish related injuries-have a look at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6PnNQMPP6A

Most have prob seen it but its certainly the worst thing ive seen

 

[Bootster]

I remember a few years back when I was a lad working on the fish docks some chap comes in and asks if he can have a look around. A few minutes later there's a bit of a yelp and he asks for some help.

Turns out he's gone up to a box of lobsters and decided to 'thumb wrestle' with the biggest one he could find. Taking the band off its claw he put his finger and thumb in to see if he could hold its claw open. :uhuh:

The poor chap was waving this bloody great lobster around, firmly clamped to his hand with no intention of letting go and squeezing him harder all the time. The foolish chap is put out of his misery by somebody swiftly detaching said arm (lobster arm that is) from its body.

That's definitely the kind of bloke that should never, never be allowed anywhere near a croc park....or maybe.....:g:

Back on thread I've heard a few stories of divers saying that conger can be aggressive, whether they've found one and tried something similar to this plank I don't know - 'I wonder if it will get upset if I poke it with stuff?'

 

[cap'nhaddock]

in a similar vein but freshwater......

http://www.cabelas.com/information/...r-Catfish-The-Ultimate-Thrill-in-Fishing.html

 

[lockstock]

I once knew a girl like that ....

.....if she attacked even when not provoked I think I married her!