I used to know a dark skinned lad possibly mixed-race hence his nickname Coco (No PC back then) around about 1985,he was from Hartlepool or darlington who told me he lamped a black panther near Hartlepool somewhere.He wasn't an all edged netter of salmon was he mate ?.
I think he was mate to be perfectly honest,but I think his preferred river was the tee's most people were into fish back then,except the likes of myself
I know the fella you mean mate, still likes the odd trip out to the riverbank......glad to hear you never strayed from the straight and narrow.......