The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-07-20
EXTRAORDINARY FISHES.
A New York Statesman's First Encounter
with Mud Puppies and HeII-Benders.

A New York Statesman's First Encounter
with Mud Puppies and Hell-Benders.
Fishermen who fish in the swift,
rocky-bottOmed, clear water streams of
the Delaware valley or Susquehanna
watershed have monotonous time
compared with that the fishermen have
in the more sluggish, less Hmpid, and
soft-bottomed waters that flow in the
Allegheny valley and in Ohio" said a
Gothamite sportsman to a n. 7. Sun
writer. "The first time fished in the
Scioto river l surrendered my entire
tackle to the very first catch l made,
and my first catch in the Allegheny
river chased me up a tree. l once
hooked a swapping turtle in the Della
ware and gave up to him the boat /
was in, but he was handsome to look
at alongside of my Scioto capture, and
veritable Adonis compared with the
apparition / fled from on the Allie
ghany.
Il was fishing for crappies, the beau
tiful bass of Ohio waters. I had at
that time never seen a crappie. My
hook was baited with shedder craw-
fish. Suddenly had good strike,
and hooked it. had no sooner done
so than my line came swiftly toward
shore, and a thing with pug puppy's
face, wide head with three blood-red
gills on each side of it, big mouth, a
smooth, round body, and four stumpy
legs came out of the water and waddled
straight toward me. [ laid my rod
right down and retreated up the bank.
Looking around / saw that the animal,
or whatever it was, had stopped and
seemed to be rejecting. Then it walked
over and lay down in the shade of a
maple tree on the shore. By and by
stole up and got my rod, cut the line,
and went away, satisfied with crappies,
if it was crappie.
IL told the first tspersen met about
my startling catch. He laughed and
said I had caught water dog, other
wise known as mud puppy, very COM
mon resident of the Scioto and other
streams in that vicinity. learned
that it is SO constructed that it car
live without coming out on land, but
will die if, after it does come out, il
can't get to water again. 1t will get
| along 6rst-rate in water that freeze!
over it an inch every night, but if it i:
taken out of that air-tight water i
won't survive half day. 1t eats tisl
| and crawfsh, and one of the pastime
of the fish in the stream it inhabits il
to eat its red gills off. Then the muc
puppy lays up until it grows another
set. When it feels inclined it come.
out of the water and lies in some shady
spot for change, but can't stand il
even minute or so in the sun. Al
of this was very funny. but not half az
funny as the fact that people eat the
water puppy out there and call it very
choice.
"After that, one day l was fishing II
the Allegheny and hooked what
thought was big pickerel. | had {
lively tussle with it. and at last landed
| it. / Immediately wished l hadn't, fol
if had been ratified by the mud pupp,
on the Scioto l was clean knocked on
by this specimen of Allegheny rive
deniZens. 1t moved toward me anC
looked so fierce and threatening that
Skinned up a wild cherry tree on th'
bank and yelled for man who ,wa'
fishing up the river 100 yards or so
While he was coming in response tt
my call took the measure of the oh
iect from my perch in the tree. l
was two feet long, slate colored, ant
covered with dark brown spots. |
had a. big, flat head, with roun,
snout, clear across which was cut
mouth in parabolic curve. 1t had
short pair of legs or fiippers in front
with four toes or fingers on each, tn
outer one bordered with curious
looking fringe. The skin lay in fold
on the sides like the skin of arhinoceros
To set this interesting object off wit
greater effect it had long tail, fiat lik
paddle.
"By the time the man came alon
this strange creature was making it
way back to the water. The ma
grabbed him and pulled him furthe
out on shore.
"'Come DOWN. the man said to me
Its only hell-bender,an and is as gentl
as lamb
q came down, and the man told m
that the only remarkable thing abou
the hell-bender besides its personal az
pearance was its appetite. The he'll
bender's diet is snakes, lizards, worms
! frogs, fish, and crawfish. 1t is o
| record in the Allegheny valley that
hell-bender has been known to eat
peck of crawfish at one meal an
wanted more. The hell-bender ais
eats part of itself every now and ther
When it sheds its skin it swallows
with great relish, probably under tn
impression that it is a favorite snak
or lizard. This one that l caught til
man who rescued me from it knocke
on the head, and said if l didn't wal
: it he would take it home.
"'What for?' l exclaimed.
/. "'To eat, of courser replied the mai
: They're better than snappin' turtle!