Fishing Outing turned Viper Hunting!

It was a cold windy Saturday morning, after I had hit the last button that heralded the successful completion of a web site I had been designing for a client. The feeling was good but incomplete without topping it up with my passion.. Fishing and Hunting.

I picked up my fishing kit, my catapult and called my dog, Black, to tag along. The journey to the river was a grueling two hours of undulating forests, mountains, valleys and hills which are usually infested with reptiles and other wild animals. Being used to places like these right from childhood, I had no qualms finding my way around albeit it was my first time in that area and I was forced to park my car half way. To a man of adventures like me, it was fun. With my mind set on fishing that day, I ignored the birds, the rabbits, the squirrels and all other wild animals I would have busied myself with. I was alone with my dog, so the few pictures I took were from my Black Berry mobile phone.

My fishing went well, as I caught mostly cat fish. In my country, Nigeria, we catch fish for consumption, although there are some commercial fishermen who caste nets in the river, to me the fun is in casting my line, hook and sinker with chop indicator to study the fish activities and decide when it has caught the fish. I used three sets of fishing rods - two made by me with bamboo rods and one with reels and imported from China.

Having tired out fishing in the river, I decided it was quitting time and headed towards the direction of my van with my dog, Black, tagging along. As we were crossing the river my dog over took, and went ahead of, me .. that was when it happened! Black started behaving in an unusual but familiar manner. I sensed that something was amiss and decided to look closer, that was when I saw it. A big Viper which had probably just come out of the water laid in wait as it spotted the dog. on sighting it I carefully dropped my fishing kit and picked up my catapult (sling) and a few stones (actually five stones - like David in the Bible). With my catapult I carefully aimed at the head and let it have it! When it did not move I sent two more missiles in lightening succession hitting at the same spot on the head. What followed next was frightening! The beast started coiling and recoiling, making frantic efforts to survive but it was too late, I had hit it where survival was impossible! It rolled into the water and rolled out again, but I just waited while my dog yelped. After about 15 minutes it was safe for me to severe the head of the beast...the rest is history.