There's no danger, so he hook the handle right back onto his belt loop.

"I've yet to encounter any critters so bold. Maybe they mistook you for a princess."

A trope-y joke. He wonders if anyone would get these references, as he finds they're a hit or miss type of deal. All the noise and the vibrations of their footfalls scared the fish he'd been previously staring at, so when he looks down, the pool is clear aside from a few lazy bubbles.