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| Judy Riffle a.k.a The Turtle Lady |
| Turtle Lady holds up her catch |
| In the net and on shore |
| Lucky day for the large catfish as it swims off |
I met Judy Riffle in Ravenswood, WV. Meeting Judy was purely chance. I was paddling up a creek killing some time when I
see this woman struggling with a fish and it appeared she might fall in the water! I asked if she needed any help and to my
surprise she said yes.
Unknown to me she had a 36 pound catfish on her pole.
I helped the woman lift the fish onto the bank. We measured and weighed the catfish and she let it go!
She did not seem overly excited for landing such a monster. “Your not from around here are you?” Judy asks. “No”
The woman introduced herself to me as “The Turtle lady” also known as Judy Riffle. “That was a very big fish you caught” I
replied.
“Not bad, but I have caught bigger fish, last week I caught a 42 pound catfish right here, I have caught over 130 trophy fish
from around this area” Judy said
If I were one to stereotype lets see… first off we are in West Virginia and that pretty much sums it up, a 42 pound catfish
last week yea right…, 130 trophy fish and last this is coming from a woman.
However not one to stereotype or assume when people are telling the truth I said “wow that is great!”
“Want to see some pictures of some of the fish and turtles I caught?” Judy asked
“sure”
Judy showed me several pictures and newspaper articles documenting her catches. One article showcases 88 of the turtle
ladies trophies. More headlines include “meet the turtle lady”, “turtle lady does it again”, “She has done it again”, “More
monsters from the deep” “bigger monsters down there says turtle lady”
Turns out Judy Riffle is the real deal! I enjoyed talking and learning from the turtle lady. She well known locally and rightfully
so. There were some city workers working near where Judy was fishing last week. They were making fun of her bottle type
bobber, later that day she enlisted their help to pull out a 42 pound catfish. They don’t make of her anymore.
Judy snags her bait from the water on a non barbed hook. I had a great time talking with the turtle lady and learning her
secrets.
see this woman struggling with a fish and it appeared she might fall in the water! I asked if she needed any help and to my
surprise she said yes.
Unknown to me she had a 36 pound catfish on her pole.
I helped the woman lift the fish onto the bank. We measured and weighed the catfish and she let it go!
She did not seem overly excited for landing such a monster. “Your not from around here are you?” Judy asks. “No”
The woman introduced herself to me as “The Turtle lady” also known as Judy Riffle. “That was a very big fish you caught” I
replied.
“Not bad, but I have caught bigger fish, last week I caught a 42 pound catfish right here, I have caught over 130 trophy fish
from around this area” Judy said
If I were one to stereotype lets see… first off we are in West Virginia and that pretty much sums it up, a 42 pound catfish
last week yea right…, 130 trophy fish and last this is coming from a woman.
However not one to stereotype or assume when people are telling the truth I said “wow that is great!”
“Want to see some pictures of some of the fish and turtles I caught?” Judy asked
“sure”
Judy showed me several pictures and newspaper articles documenting her catches. One article showcases 88 of the turtle
ladies trophies. More headlines include “meet the turtle lady”, “turtle lady does it again”, “She has done it again”, “More
monsters from the deep” “bigger monsters down there says turtle lady”
Turns out Judy Riffle is the real deal! I enjoyed talking and learning from the turtle lady. She well known locally and rightfully
so. There were some city workers working near where Judy was fishing last week. They were making fun of her bottle type
bobber, later that day she enlisted their help to pull out a 42 pound catfish. They don’t make of her anymore.
Judy snags her bait from the water on a non barbed hook. I had a great time talking with the turtle lady and learning her
secrets.
