5/12 Wild Rainbows and an Escapee Hatchery Brook Trout (Pic Heavy)

[possessed]

Hit a blue line for 3 hours today.  Caught 10, LDR'ed about half that many.  Caught most on the dry.  Also caught another escapee DH brookie, caught it on the first cast.  Actually a pretty brookie to be hatchery raised.  He made a long swim out of the DH waters to get to where I caught him.

I did a lot of rock climbing today.  I was hunting and stalking, dressed from head to toe in camo.  Stealth was the key today.  I did leave the face paint at home this time.

I started getting tired and my wading got sloppy after a few hours.  I started spooking fish and stopped catching.  

Also tried a little under water photography, I definitely need more practice.  Biggest fish of the day were 2 bows that ran about 9 inches, one I did not photograph as after I landed him I fell in the water and by the time I recovered I figured I better unhook him and let him go.

Is the snake a copperhead?  That's what I am thinking.

[dnakamoto]

Good stuff!!  Its kind of hard to tell but the snake looks like a Northern Water Snake...
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/northern_water_snake.htm

[possessed]

I think every snake is a copperhead.   

I wanted a better pic but that's as close as I wanted to get. 

[dossphoto]

Yep...Northern Water Snake...they bite like H*ll if you can ever get your hands on one! 

HERE is a good link if you are in the northern NC through VA region and want to know what kind of snake you run from

[Woolly Bugger]

next time get way closer to the snake for better photo...


but it looks like a northern water snake to me


I have better results by turning the flash off on u/w pics....

[Oldman]

Mike, I dont think that is a DH Brook. A little on the small side for a DH. Good size though for a wild. Colors are there.

Snake is a Northern. Still can scare the piss out of ya though.

That seems to be a rather high gradient stream from the pics

[Get Bent]

I know of a church that will pay top dollar for snakes!

Cool underwater pics...

0--0

[possessed]

Mike, I dont think that is a DH Brook. A little on the small side for a DH. Good size though for a wild. Colors are there.

Snake is a Northern. Still can scare the piss out of ya though.

That seems to be a rather high gradient stream from the pics

If that brook is wild, then I'm excited, that's a respectful sized wild brook.

Also, if that brook is wild, I'm really disappointed that I LDR'ed a brown today, as if I had landed it I would have had my first slam.

Sorry, just for me personally, I don't consider it a slam unless the fish are wild. 

Anyone else have an opinion of where that brook trout was born?  The stream or the hatchery?   

[Oldman]

Did you ask for his green card?

[Trout Maharishi]

I think it's a Cobra, yea Cobra, I'm sure of it ;

[troutphisher]

Na, looks like an articulated Python to me, young perhaps....but deadly as sin.

[diaz dassie]

Am I dodging reptiles or what? One snaker sighting in my 13 trips to the mtns this year, maybe by being South African, ur pissy ass snakes dont match my home town BLACK MAMBA!
Nice pix bro, especially the brookie, its genuine my friend.Native ass unruly char!