Sneaky Snake
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Although fishing is not an inherently dangerous pastime, it does have its hazards. We’ve all experienced them—hooks, flying lead, sharp teeth and fins, falling into cold water, etc—and those of us who spend a lot of time on the water, accept them. Well yesterday, I had a hazardous experience, completely unexpected and even now hard to imagine, on a local stream that left me quite shaken and freaked out for at least 30 minutes.
In my typical manner with my Ultimate 12 in tow I was wading thigh deep down the center of the river casting a bugger toward the undercuts along the banks. It was a partly cloudy, pleasant day about 70 degrees with little wind-near perfect fishing conditions. Because this is a valley stream with some irrigation returns, it isn’t crystal clear but that doesn’t seem to affect the fishing or the fish and the day was progressing nicely. I had passed another floater early in the morning and tried to keep well ahead of them so I occasionally checked my six to see if they were in sight. Other than that, I am usually in a trace-like rhythm of repeated pounding the willow and grass covered banks with the streamer. I notice birds and other wildlife as they come and go and always stop to admire them when I see something new, but I really get focused on the bugger and the bank as I wade continuously downstream.
Then it happened. For some reason something caught my eye and I turned to look upstream. Not five feet from me and heading straight for me was a rattlesnake. Unmistakably, a 3-4’ long rattlesnake was meandering its way across the river and I was in its way. Fortunately it was alert enough to see me and alter course slightly downstream where it passed about a foot away between me and the kayak tethered to my waist. It came dangerously close to being whacked with a 5wgt. Once it reached the bank the snake climbed up into the grass and disappeared.
I am not afraid of snakes in any way and routinely take interest in the many I see while out in the woods. In Alabama we had our fair share of snakes. But I must say that having a rattlesnake essentially sneak up on you in a cold Montana river was a bit unnerving. Unfortunately, I was not camera ready at the time but the image of that snake is forever imprinted on my brain and I was looking behind me far too often for the remainder of the day.
Close to the scene of the sneaky snake encounterMike,
I’m not particularly afraid of snakes, but that experience would definitely have me feeling squeamish.
Mike,
Can you explain how you keep your Ulitmate BEHIND you while doing this?
Mike,
Can you explain how you keep your Ulitmate BEHIND you while doing this? If it is simply tethered to you there is no way the boat isn’t “ferrying” faster than you are wading.
:-/Tim,
Normally I let the boat float downstream from me while I cast, step, cast, etc. Generally when in a straight section of the river, the boat will float at about the same rate as I am walking without pulling on the body. When moving through riffle corners and sharp bends, keeping the boat downstream allows better control of its position–keeping it out of the best lies. However, there are times when its more efficient to have the boat tethered behind you–wind, really rocky areas, etc. To do that you combine an anchor trolley with a drag chain.
When the chain is out, the boat will stay behind you. Its a little harder on the body because to move the boat you have to pull against the chain but once in a rthym, the additional resistance is nominal.
Got it…thanks
Wow! I had no idea rattlesnakes would swim across water like that. How hot was it Mike?
Airtemps in the 70s, water in the 60s. Most terrestial snakes can traverse bodies of water by merely sucking in a bit of air to make them more boayant. Where as an aquatic snake–garters, water snakes, moccasins, etc. will swim with their bodies slightly submerged, terrestrial snakes will swim with their bodies almost completely afloat on top of the water. It doesn’t seem to affect their speed at all, and all the bull snakes, pine snakes, etc. I’ve seem doing this seem to move very comfortably across bodies of water.
I’m sure Zach was hoping I wouldn’t read this… 😮
Lauren, you live in a great place to study and get familar with the habits of snakes.
Lauren, You and my wife would get along just fine. I call her the snake magnet. I have rarely run into snakes on my own out hunting or fishing. Yet, when I am with my wife fishing, we ARE going to see a snake. 😛 And have on multiple occasions. I have seen more snakes with her over the 4 1/2 years we’ve been together than I ever did in my life up till we met.
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