It’s the tale of the one that didn’t get away but still something pals of Angus angler Billy Paton might have thought was a bit of a fishy story.
Fortunately Billy, from Brechin, has the living proof that a little mud turtle has made it all the way from the mighty Mississippi to the River South Esk which runs through the town.
Just ahead of the new salmon season, keen Brechin Angling Club member Billy (57) took a wander down to the river near his Montrose Street home to gauge the prospects of a bite from a bar of silver.
Instead, the granddad ended up with a nibble from what he thought was initially a stone but turned out to be an exotic reptile more at home in the US.
”I went down for a look at the river and there he was, basking in the sunshine,” said Billy, who learned from a local pet shop that the creature was a mud turtle of the kind which is becoming more popular with folk looking for something a little out of the ordinary to keep at home.
The tiny reptile may have been dumped by someone who thought it might make its own way in the world from the banks of Angus salmon river, and thanks to the remarkable stroke of luck which saw the turtle become Billy’s new pet, the ”wee fella” is thriving.
”We’ve got him a wee tank and called him Valentine, because that’s the day he was found on,” Billy told The Courier. ”He’s doing great and my four-year-old grand-daughter Lily-Angela thinks he’s terrific.”