Catawba Cat
| The man holding court in the River City Tackle Shop was telling his tale to all who would listen. He stood between the spinner and crank bait sections where a small crowd was spellbound by his yarn. The storyteller was dressed from head to toe in camouflaged clothing, but the patterns didn't match. His hat was two sizes too large, allowing the bill to partially cover both eyes. The faded pants he wore were tattered and torn. His almost new shirt was wrinkled and covered with gobs of stuff. River mud caked the soles of his boots and the tops glistened with silver fish scales. It took a few minutes for me to put in all together, but I finally surmised that the camouflaged man was either a commercial fisherman or a paid-for-hire-get-a-guide. Nudging the fellow standing next to me, I asked, "Who is the dude spinning his yarn?" I was told to hush up and listen. So, listen I did. The man was a river guide who specialized in fishing for world record catfish. His handle was "Catawba", short for "Catawba Cat", his real nickname. The tale he expounded on was about a morning fishing safari with a world famous outdoor writer. It seems that the writer was doing a story about fishing for hundred pound plus catfish and Catawba had offered to show him how to catch them. The trip began with a cool ride upstream in a twenty-two foot flat-bottom boat. They stopped at a logjam on a sharp turn in the river and secured the boat with a brush hook attached to a line of small diameter. While the writer was taking pictures, Catawba lowered a king-sized blueback herring to the bottom. His heavy saltwater tackle consisted of a six-foot stand up tuna rod affixed with a 10/0 Penn International reel loaded with eighty pound test monofilament line. The drag on the big gold reel was wrenched as tight as it monofilament line. The drag on the big gold reel was wrenched as tight as it could be set, to prevent a fish from pulling off any drag. A twelve-ounce sinker and an 8/0 hook completed the rig. Catawba told the writer that a big catfish had to be reeled to the surface in less than two minutes. Any time longer than that, the fish would realize it was hooked and would tangle itself in a rock or in a tree top. He went on to say that while fighting a big cat, one of three things was likely to happen. First, the tackle could break from the strain of the fight. Next, by having the drag so tightly set, the fish could pull the angler out of the boat. And finally, the fish could make it to the surface, be manhandled into the boat and bring about another challenge, as a hundred pound catfish can wreck havoc with everything on deck. Having said that, Catawba raised his pant's leg and showed the writer where a big cat had stuck a fin through the muscle in the calf of his leg. It wasn't long before Catawba set the hook on a big one and the boat began to rock. He wound down on the reel as hard as he could and within a minute the fish was lying quietly on top of the water. Catawba's voice began to tremble and his face turned grim as he related the remainder of the story to his tackle shop audience. He said he knew he had a world record cat when he saw its big head amidship and its tail out past the engine and wrapped around the stern. Quick math told him that the fish was at least fifteen feet long and over two-hundred pounds. Catawba yelled to the writer to get the gaff and stab the monster cat. The writer didn't move. His fallen jaw was evidence that he was in awe with the size of the fish. Catawba barked his order several more times, but the writer was frozen in place. Finally, the fish realized he was hooked, shook his head a time or two and headed south toward Davy Jones' Locker. The tuna rod broke from the surge and the big one swam away to fight another day. Catawba ended his saga by blaming the writer for getting "Buck Fever" and costing him a world record. He vowed never to fish with the man again. ......be reminded that small fish have large tales. Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' with Gus! at http://www.fishingwithgus.com/ or call 704 617 6812. For additional information, e-mail him at Gus@LakeNorman.com. |
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