Valley Creek, Chester County, 05/25/2010

[Nickyboy]

I arrived at 1:30 in the afternoon and fished until about 4:00. I did not fish within Valley Forge Park limits. Upon arrival I almost got mawled by some ladies dogs on the way in. I laughed and told her how friendly they looked while the hair on their backs was standing up. The water was cool and very clear. I did not see any insect activity worth mentioning. I picked up three fish on a pheasant tail beadhead by doing a dead drift and stripping line slowly at the end of the drift.

On another note the stream can get a little bit choked off by tree limbs and brush at times. When I was wading I noticed on about four separate occasions snakes in brush and trees that overhand the river. As I approached they would get startled and drop into the water. I probably won't be fishing this stream after dark anymore.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Don't be put off by them Nick. You're too big for them to eat and they're afraid of you anywho. Probably water snakes and they will be everywhere you go to fish. Gonna have to get over that one. Do keep an eye open for the less friendly snakes though. Usually have to be upstate to bump into one of those.

 

[Nickyboy]

They freak me out. Usually snakes don't even cross my mind but on this day I saw so many. I kept imagining one dropping off a tree limb onto my back.

 

[outdoorsman816]

Same thing was happening to me when I fished Valley last weekend. Darn things would just drop right into the water in front of me! I must admit, that did startle me a bit at first.

 

[littlelehigh]

There everywhere in the LV as well listen for em hissing in the weeds.

JayL mentioned something once about em droppin outta the trees on him.

 

[Mariner]

Well done Nick. Good to see you're still getting out a good bit. You were knocking em' dead on Penns.

 

[Nickyboy]

Yeah, that was awesome wasn't it! You were knocking em' dead too! And yeah I am getting out a good bit. Time for me to refocus a little bit on my work. 🙂

 

[bkasten]

I have had the same problem with the snakes at Valley. I am extra cautious when walking through the brush and grass going from hole to hole and when getting in and out of the stream.

 

[jdaddy]

I had that with Hay Creek yesterday morning. Snakes falling out of trees into the water, snakes slithering off rocks into the water. Just a bunch of snakes.

 

[whheff]

While fishing Sulphurs on the Bushkill last night, there was a snake behind my fly and I was wet wading too. I know they won't bother with you but they sure do scare the s--t out of you.

 

[giantsjim]

Was down in western Virginia this week fishing in the mountains and had my first encounter with a rattlesnake. At first I thought it was crickets as I wasn't paying much attention, but then the rustling and rattles got closer. Plus, too early and cool there for crickets yet. My hair stood up and I so very slowly back out and took off.

 

[Nickyboy]

Will a rattlesnake be skittish around humans?

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Snakes in general will try to run for safe cover rather than risk fighting and getting injured. If you saw some huge thing coming at you and you didn't know what it was, you'd run and they will to. Now, if something sneaks up and grabs your shoulder in the dark... you'll react as a means of self preservation. They do the same. If you corner ANY snake (maybe not a ring neck) they will fight to survive. If you startle one, they will fight to survive. Once they see you, they run. Water snakes are probably one of the most aggressive. They've got very small teeth and stuff in their saliva that prevents clotting. One bites you and leaves a few pin holes in your skin that bleed for 30 minutes. No biggie. Stick your hand in the water to wash the saliva away.

It's the snake you don't see that will bite. You don't know he's there and end up cornering him without even trying. Just keep an open eye where you walk and where you reach... especially at Penns and the Narrows on BFC over the summer.