Got High Holed Today

[FollowTheBlueLines]

Stiff competition out there.

 

[Shawn_H]

That’s wild 😳

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Had an eagle high hole me last week 😉

 

[wildtrout2]

That's crazy. Big snake there, to be taking something that size.

 

[FollowTheBlueLines]

That's crazy. Big snake there, to be taking something that size.

My first thought was “what the hell is he gonna do with all of that??”

Anyone know what kind of snake this is? I’m in SEPA if that helps narrow it down.

 

[JimKennedy]

My first thought was “what the hell is he gonna do with all of that??”

View attachment 1641245258

Anyone know what kind of snake this is? I’m in SEPA if that helps narrow it down.

I’m going with northern water snake

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/Northern-Water-Snake

I get startled by them several times a year because they are so damn big and so commonplace.

A lot of times people in this area (Maryland and Pennsylvania) will assume they are cottonmouths, but we are way too far north for that.

Copperheads are much smaller and not particularly fond of water.

Plus the head is not what you expect with a pit viper like a cottonmouth, copperhead or rattler.

Too slender and long for the other water snake that gives me the willies around here, the hognose water snake. Better off with the northern as they are not aggressive, but hognose is.

 

[dc410]

My first thought was “what the hell is he gonna do with all of that??”

View attachment 1641245258

Anyone know what kind of snake this is? I’m in SEPA if that helps narrow it down.

Definitely a northern water snake.

The snake is going to do this with it.

That’s a photo I took of a northern water snake taking a stocked rainbow on the FFO section of the West Branch of the Octararo Creek back in the early 80’s just after I started flyfishing.

 

[Swattie87]

That’ll happen.

Edit: Yes, Northern Water Snake.

 

[Streammagic237]

It's always a mink for me . Very cool pictures .

 

[hooker-of-men]

NOPE

 

[dudemanspecial]

Bet he was euro nymphing

 

[Broodstock]

I’m glad that they are big snakes that use their size and speed to attack instead of venom.

 

[Letort]

I was fishing a native brook trout stream in North Central VA a couple of years ago. There was some splashing on the far bank, so I assumed it was surface feeding activity, as a hatch was on and I was having good luck on top.

Several costs were unproductive. I then saw a trout leave the water and begin to work its way up the bank. This, of course, drew my attention, as I thought I had a front row seat to the evolution of a trout from living in water to walking on land.

As I got closer, I could see a large water snake had grabbed about an 8" native brookie in his mouth and was making off with it. I started beating the snake with a stick, hoping he would dislodge the trout. No luck, he went into the water and under a rock. I have a video which I will post if I can find it, of the snake's mouth around the middle of the trout.

 

[JeffP]

That photo almost looks like a painting. How are there any trout left? Drought, Herons, snakes, and anglers. Herons everywhere right now. What creek was that snake on? Is that still spot-burning?