As a preface to this article, I must inform readers that your Memphis Fly Fishing Examiner is a bonafide herpetologist (that's a reptile and amphibian biologist... or in other words a snake scientist). I have worked with snakes professionally and consider myself an expert on such matters. I'm not just another outdoorsman who thinks they know a thing or two about snakes... I actually do. You will find many "experts" on snakes when the subject comes up in conversation. Nearly everyone has a snake story, but rarely is there anything factual in any of those stories. Today, I hope to set the record straight... at least on the snakes of the Spring River.
Over the years I have heard several of my fellow fly fishers complain about fishing the Spring River in Arkansas. What was surprising to me was their reason. It was not because of the hordes of recreational paddlers, but rather the abundance of snakes that you may encounter on the river. Snakes have never bothered me, but I'm an exception to the rules. I'm a herpetologist... and as such, I purposely seek out snakes. I never really thought much about the snakes actually scaring away some fly fishers, but a common reaction I've heard when I ask others about fishing the Spring is "too many snakes!"
I'm writing this article with hope of setting your minds at ease about snakes in the Spring River. Simply put, the snakes of the Spring River are not Water Moccasins or Cottonmouths. Although it is very remotely possible that a Cottonmouth (also known as a Water Moccasin) could turn up in the Spring River, the snakes you commonly see in the river are harmless, non-venomous Midland Water Snakes. Even though the natural range of the Cottonmouth includes the entire state of Arkansas, the habitat of the Spring River (and all other AR trout streams for that matter) is all wrong for this snake of the swamps. Not only do Cottonmouths prefer still water habitats, the water of a trout stream is typically too cold for their liking. The Cottonmouth is more of a sit-and-wait ambush predator with a slow metabolism, while the Midland Water Snake is an active forager with a higher metabolic rate. Midland Water Snakes don't seem to mind the cold trout water as much, probably as a result of their higher metabolism. When you picture typical Largemouth Bass and Crappie habitat, you're getting closer to the types of habitat Cottonmouths like.
During the nearly 20 years that your MFFE has been visiting the Spring River, I have never seen anything except Midland Water Snakes in or around the water. Midland Water Snakes are often mistaken for Copperheads because of their similar reddish brown coloration. Although I have seen Copperheads not far from the river, I have never actually observed one in the Spring. Unlike their Cottonmouth cousins, Copperheads prefer dry land.
Very simply: if you leave snakes alone, they will leave you alone. Snakes don't chase people or jump into canoes on purpose. They may attempt to steal a trout on a stringer, but who can blame them for trying to get an easy meal? Snakes have their jobs to do in nature and would much rather go about their business avoiding people altogether. They see us as large mammalian predators and understandably do their best to get away from us as fast possible.
Never, ever try to kill a snake regardless of whether or not it is venomous. Most venomous snakebites occur when people (mostly adult males) are attempting to kill snakes. All snakes (even the venomous ones) are valuable members of healthy ecosystems. They help control populations of other species, and from a fisheries perspective help to remove weak or injured fish as well as thin out numbers of smaller individuals. No healthy game fish of any adult size could be caught and subdued by a water snake. The big fish have nothing to fear and neither do you.
Your MFFE hopes you have learned a bit about our frequent fishing companions, and feel more at ease about fishing the Spring River. There are really no easy sets of rules for snake identification, so I don't give out infromation on how to identify venomous vs. non-venomous. The best way to learn is to take a look at a good snake field guide. Many of our native non-venomous snakes are masters of mimicry and do their best to fool predators into thinking they are dangerous. Unfortunately, this often fools people the same way and the harmless snakes lose their heads for putting up a good bluff.
If you would like to learn more, check out the book Snakes of the Southeast by Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcas. This book is an excellent resource on the snakes of our region, and is available from the University of Georgia Press.
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