40.0K
HENature is awesome but she can be cruel. We went camping in a treasured spot and found the eastern hellbender salamander that is our namesake.
We decided to hit the stream in the early evening to try a challenging fishing hole. Bailly decided not to fish (see: challenging) and watched as JD tried to tempt the pickiest fish we've ever targeted.
As Bailly was looking out along the riverbed, something caught her eye. Was it a leaf stuck under a rock? No... that doesn't seem quite right. Maybe it's a fish that doesn't spook as easily as it should...
Wait a second... is that a hellbender? That was when Bailly started excitedly bossing JD around. 🤣
"Don't take your eyes off of it! I need to look at my feet so I don't fall!" The hellbender was a ways away and she isn't the most sure footed angler in the bunch.
When we finally made it to within a couple of feet, we noticed quickly that something wasn't quite right. Hellbenders aren't known for being brave in the presence of large shadows and heavy movement. This little buddy wasn't fleeing.
As Bailly gently lifted it off of the bottom of the river, it barely protested. It's slimy coating that gives it the nickname "snot otter" didn't feel very... snotty. It had strange lesions on it's skin that were packed with sand.
This salamander seemed to be overtaken with some sort of fungus. Chytrid was one guess, but we don't know much about other possibilities.
We decided to gently place the hellbender back exactly as we had found it, head back to camp, and resolved to check back in the morning.
When we went back shortly after sunrise the next day it was no longer alive. We were heartbroken, but we are thankful for the rare opportunity that the circumstances presented us.
We have reported the interaction and are waiting to hear back.
Have you ever seen an eastern hellbender in the wild? Did your heart beat as fast as ours did?
P.s. Some anglers are under the impression that giant salamanders are harmful to the fish population. This is simply not true. Please don't harm these magnificent animals. They need to be protected.❤
.
.
.
.
#easternhellbender #wncmountains #natureisamazing #mothernature #flyfishing
@hellbender.fly.fishing
