Commentary: Know the difference between hellbenders and mud puppies

I taught myself to fly fish while in high school and have continued the sport since. One of those learning waters was Little Beaver Creek in Columbiana County, Ohio. Known for its ability to swamp canoes and hide trophy smallmouths, it was one of my favorite haunts.
On one of the many trips wading its waters, I stepped on a big flat rock that transformed into a teeter-totter and sent me splashing. As I unsteadily stood, I saw a squashed-looking, slimy, waterlogged thing scurrying away into a submerged crevice.

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