As I walk over to the dock with fishing pole in hand and tackle box over my shoulder I notice something on the dock, it looks like a large stick but as I move closer i hear that well known sound to my ears, a plop of a large snake escaping my grasp. I walk to the end of the small wooden structure just in time to watch the reptile slowly swim away almost mocking me. I would usually jump in but this pond is strictly no swimming and I sure as heck don't want to get kicked out. "Crap!" I think to myself, "you could have easily gotten him, you're losing your touch Saunders." As I set up my gear and cast out and nonchalantly real in yet another sunfish I watch as the snake surfaces and dives agin in his search for food. After a few minutes and a few fish a few younger family friends about 12 and 6 walk over and join me. Later on I hear the young point out a snake in the water, but this time its about 20 feet out and headed for the shore to the right of me. As it enters the weeds I decide to go try my luck at this particular serpent. I crouch tho the ground and crawl under the limbs of the surrounding cypress and cedar trees. As I get closer I watch him from the reeds surrounding the pond. As I watch him the takes a turn and heads back out again and again from the weeds, taunting me by never getting within 10 feet of me. I know he sees me and he know I see him and now it's a game of chicken for him probably thinking "I'm gonna see how close I can get to this dumb mammal, he aint gonna jump in after me." Too bad for him he is wrong. He enters the weeds and alge just to my left, and from my vantage point I watch as he enters about 3 feet into the weeds just 12 feet from me. I decide that it's time to commit to catching this snake and begin to move forward. As I creep forward I'm careful to make no noise lest he be spooked. And close to 8 feet away I stop, any further forward and he is out of here for sure. I sit and wait for him to get used to my presence. The quiet of the Texas summer afternoon is broken by the chorus of cricket frogs and a lone male bullfrog persistently calling for a mate that isn't there. A minute goes by ad I don't dare move, not even to rid myself of the mosquitos that think of my arms as their buffet. Sitting there focusing on his every twitch I know he must be doing the same as me. Suddenly the moment comes when he for a split second looks away at something I cannot see. Muscles tensing, legs springing I take the leap into the water and weeds. As my feet slam against the rocky bottom a jolt of unforseen pain races through my body but I hold through. My hand darts into the place in the weeds where he just disappeared I feel something in my hand. I pull it out quickly and... nothing. Only a stick from a cypress tree. As I sit there thinking crap to myself again I watch as he surfaces about 30 feet away and swims into a maze of cattails. Going back to fishing with a small cut on my foot and my legs covered in pond crap I pack up and go to dinner leaving my gear there, including my stringer of bluegill in the water.
As I return, my stomach full or burger and chips I check on my stringer of fish and to my surprise right there is the watersnake, trying to steal my fish obviously feeling good about himself for eluding capture. Laughing at my good fortune I grab the snake and coax it to release the still alive fish who's head is down his gullet. Realizing that I don't have a camera with me I decide to walk up to the cabin and grab it. After getting many strange looks from people obviously thinking to themselves "that kid is insane! He got himself a water moccasin in his hands!" After a few pics I release him, without getting bit.
