Robert Z. Cohen - Catfish Fishing

New Y ork

I D C I C h a p t e r G D F I h I G I F F I h I G C h a p t e r C F I h F h m I C C h a p t e r C C h I G C F I h C h a p t e r h D L I G Y C C h C h a p t e r F I h I G D h v I m G L Y F m I F m I F F h D I G I L I G P h Y I D x

i g , t o u g h , a n d t a s t y , n o f r e s h w a t e r s h c a p - t u r e s t h e a n g l e r s i m a g i n a t i o n a s m u c h a s t h e c a t s h . C a t s h r a n g e a l l o v e r t h e c o n t i n e n t , f r o m c e n t r a l C a n a d a s o u t h t o M e x i c o , a n d t h e r e i s a l m o s t a l w a y s g o o d c a t s h w a t e r w i t h i n a s h o r t d i s t a n c e o f a n y o n e w h o c a r e s t o g o o u t a n d s h f o r t h e m . Y o u d o n t n e e d f a n c y e q u i p m e n t o r a h i r e d g u i d e t o n d c a t s h . F r o m t h e s m a l l - i n c h ( c e n t i m e t e r ) b u l l - h e a d s t h a t o f t e n l i v e i n c i t y p a r k p o n d s t o t h e g i a n t b l u e a n d a t h e a d c a t s h t h a t l i e i n t h e b e n d s o f t h e g r e a t r i v e r s , c a t s h a r e j u s t a b o u t e v e r y w h e r e . C a t s a r e o f t e n t h e r s t s h t h a t a n e w s h e r m a n c a t c h e s , a n d c a t s h o f f e r e v e r y o n e a c h a n c e t o c a t c h a r e a l b i g g a m e s h w i t h o u t t a k i n g a t r i p t o t h e o c e a n . S l e e k , s t r o n g , a n d p e r f e c t l y a d a p t e d t o i t s w a t e r y w o r l d , t h e c a t s h i s a r e a l e v o l u t i o n a r y s u c c e s s s t o r y . Mention catsh to many people and they may respond in disgust: Ugh! It s ugly and slimy , has no scales, and has a big wide head and long whiskers! But beauty is in the eye of the beholder . When you pull a big catsh out of the water and it has a good look at you, what do you think the catsh thinks?

Catsh have played a big role in American folklore and culture, even before the arrival of Europeans. Among the Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi Indians of the Great Lakes region, the catsh is represented as the family totem of the catsh clan, Maanameg, and the bullhead clan, W awaazisii, which are charged with educating and mediating disputes between chiefs. In Japan, catsh are feared and rarely eaten, since it is believed that the giant catsh called Namazu is the cause of earthquakes. Catsh were very important to African Americans in the southern United States as a food sh and as a symbol of strength dur - ing the period of slavery and later . Folk songs are still sung about the wily and tough catsh. Catsh also became a common nickname. New Y ork Y ankee baseball pitcher Catsh Hunter and the inuential funk guitarist Catsh Collins are rarely remembered by their proper namesJames and Phelpsanymore. O n e r e a s o n s o m a n y s h e r m e n l o v e c a t s h i s t h a t t h e y a r e o f t e n t h e r s t s h a y o u n g s h e r m a n c a t c h e s . C a t c h i n g c a t s h i s o n l y a p a r t o f t h e s h i n g e x p e r i e n c e . G o o d s h e r m e n e n t e r i n t o t h e w o r l d o f t h e s h a n d i m a g i n e t h e m s e l v e s i n t h e m i n d - s e t o f t h e c r e a t u r e a t t h e o t h e r e n d o f t h e s h i n g l i n e . F i s h i n g i s l i k e t h e m e e t i n g o f t w o a l i e n w o r l d s : o n e p e r f e c t l y a d a p t e d t o t h e u n d e r w a t e r e n v i r o n - m e n t , t h e o t h e r y o u a l w a y s l e a r n i n g m o r e a b o u t i t . A n d a s w e c o m e t o a p p r e c i a t e o u r p r e y , w e c o m e t o a p p r e c i a t e o u r e n v i r o n m e n t a n d a l l t h a t w e n e e d t o d o t o p r e s e r v e i t f o r f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s t o e n j o y a s w e d o .

o o d i s h i n G s a F e i s h i n G ishing is one of the safest outdoor activities, but acci - dents can always happen. The shing environment, whether standing on a riverbank or sitting cramped in a small boat, can seem like an alien world to a beginning sherman. Remember: Y ou are out shing for fun, not survival, so take precautions to ensure that you sh safely . Safe shing is successful shing. T ake the time to learn how to handle your shing tackle with skill and condence. The shing environment is not like the world you know at homeit requires care and preparation to master . Gb Y ou G! F i s h i n g i s a m e s s y a c t i v i t y , s o d r e s s i n c l o t h e s t h a t y o u w o n t m i n d g e t - t i n g d i r t y . F i s h i n g o n t h e s h o r e s o f a l a k e o r r i v e r c a n m e a n g e t t i n g m u d d y o r w e t .

C A T F I S H F I S H I N G S t a n d i n g a r o u n d a l l d a y i n w e t s h o e s o r s n e a k e r s i s n t f u n , s o m a n y s h e r m e n c h o o s e t o w e a r r u b b e r b o o t s t h a t r e a c h u p t o t h e k n e e a n d h a v e r u b b e r c l e a t s t h a t p r e v e n t s l i p p i n g . B e w a r y a b o u t s t e p p i n g i n t o t h e w a t e r . C a t s h o f t e n l i v e i n r i v e r s w i t h s t r o n g c u r r e n t s t h a t c a n s w e e p a n u n s u s p e c t i n g w a d e r o f f h i s o r h e r f e e t . I f y o u a r e k n e e - d e e p i n t h e w a t e r , s t e p p i n g i n t o h i d d e n h o l e s a n d s u n k e n l o g s c a n s e n d y o u t u m b l i n g i n t o t h e w a t e r e v e n i n c h e s f r o m t h e s h o r e . W h e t h e r i n a b o a t o r o n t h e s h o r e , a h a t p r o v i d e s p r o t e c t i o n f r o m t h e s u n , a n d i t s a g o o d i d e a t o t a k e a l o n g s u n b l o c k t o p r e v e n t s u n b u r n . T h e l i g h t r e e c t - i n g o f f t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e w a t e r i n c r e a s e s t h e c h a n c e o f p a i n f u l s u n b u r n , w h i c h c a n a f f e c t y o u e v e n t h o u g h i t i s n o t s u m m e r . A g o o d p a i r o f p o l a r i z e d s u n g l a s s e s p r o t e c t s y o u r e y e s a n d h e l p s y o u s e e b e l o w t h e g l a r e o f t h e s u r f a c e w a t e r . P a c k a l i g h t r a i n c o a t o r p o n c h o i n c a s e t h e w e a t h e r c h a n g e s . F i s h i n g c a n o f t e n b e g o o d d u r i n g a l i g h t r a i n , b u t a t t h e r s t s i g n o f a t h u n d e r s t o r m , i t i s b e s t t o r e t r e a t t o s o m e d r y s h e l t e r . N e v e r s i t u n d e r a t a l l t r e e , w h i c h c a n a t t r a c t l i g h t n i n g . M o d e r n g r a p h i t e s h i n g r o d s c a n a c t a s l i g h t n i n g r o d s , s o i t s b e s t t o b r e a k t h e m d o w n a n d w a i t o u t a b a d s t o r m . D o n t l e a v e h o m e w i t h o u t a g o o d b r a n d o f i n s e c t r e p e l - lent. The waterside attracts all sorts of small insect pests, including mosquitoes and black ies, which can turn a good shing day into a miserable experience. A void the cans of aerosol spray repel - lents and use the roll-on types. They are safer for the environment and lighter to carry .