H
HoundDawg
Guest
I've been borrowin' my neighbors computer as of late and it's good to get out and browse this site occasionally and see what's goin' on. I figured since I got a minute I'd tell you the story Kevin related to me over a couple cold ones last weekend.
Me and Kev decided to kill a couple hours at Hawn's last Saturday night. Our wives both had to attend a local emergency preparedness meeting, so we decided to do what we'd do in the event of an earthquake or natural disaster, go look for a bar and ride out the storm on a barstool.
So after 4 hours of drinking, Kev was loosening up and really telling me some stories of the good 'ol days. But the best story was by far his encounter with the king kong catfish.
Seems Kev had been passing his time in the summer doing some catfishing at night on the Bear River near his house. He'd found him a big 'ol slow meandering deep hole that he thought would hold some nice 'cats. It mostly consisted of lots of drinking and very little fishing, until the night he first saw the great fish. He had hooked and fought the fish briefly but it broke his line. But not before he had seen the mighty fish's tail break the surface in the lantern's glow.
It became his quest to catch this fish. It haunted his sleep by night and consumed his thoughts by day. He knew he'd have to upgrade his tackle for such a fish. The summer wore on and he had some encounters with King Kong, but all ended the same, with the mighty fish breaking off. Soon the leaves were changing and the nights were getting cold. Kevin knew he had one last chance before the cold set in, and he laid out a plan to catch the great fish.
Kevin worked like a man possessed, and soon his new fishing rig was ready. As dusk settled over the Cache valley, Kevin pulled his truck down close to the waters edge, and began to unwind the heavy steel cable from his new winch. The heavy duty three pronged grappling hook was then fastened securely to the cable with a couple of u-bolts. I'll use Kevin's words to tell the rest of the story:
"I'd stole some chickens from Little Stevie's place and so I speared two of those chickens and hung 'em on that grappling hook, just like you'd thread a nightcrawler on a hook. I coiled up some steel cable at my feet and with a couple swings and a big hurl, I tossed the chickens out into the water. They sunk into the watery blackness. Hours past and the beer began to run low, as the cold bit into my weary frame. About 1:00am, there was a twitch on the cable and soon it began to cut a slow arc through the water headed upstream. I slipped on my leather gloves and wrapped the cable around my wrist once. I waited for my moment and with all I had, I hauled back on that line and set the hook. I felt it set deep into the great catfish's mouth. A solid hookup!! The great fish thrashed violently sending waves crashing on the bank. Now manning the winch, I gave him cable when he ran, and took up slack as he tired. About 3:30am he was beginning to tire, and my winch was drawing him nearer and nearer to the shore where I, his antagonist, waited. As the winch whined and moaned, straining to drag the great fish into the shallows, king kong suddenly made one last valiant effort and began to thrash and roll around in the shallows with all he had left. As he lay at my feet in the shallows, he made one last mighty whip with his head, and much to my horrow, the strength of the fish straightened out all three hooks on the 15 lb. treble hook, and it fell limply from the fish's mouth. In horror, I stood frozen as my great 14 foot catfish began to swim out into deep water, finally free. Suddenly, I snapped to and instinct took over. I dropped my beer and leaped onto the fish's back, grasping for a hold. No two lovers have ever clung so tightly together as I clung to that fish's back. Up the river we went with him taking me under water and then leaping into the air trying to shake me. By the time we'd hit the bridge a mile up river I was damn near drowned and beginning to wonder if I wasn't riding a dolphin that was headed back out to sea. Fatigue at last claimed me and I lost my grip, sliding into the frigid water."
The great fish had finally beaten the man who had stalked him for 4 months. At daybreak a dejected, soaked, half froze man sloshed from his pickup truck into the house, his shoulders slumped in defeat. And to my knowledge that man has never been fishing since.
As Kevin related that tale to me from the barstool there was a far away blank stare in his eyes. To my knowledge the great fish has never been caught and probably never will, but at least one man came close.
I raise my glass in a toast to Kevin for almost catching the king kong catfish of Cache Valley. The fish that has become a legend in those parts. I've tangled with some 12 foot toms and almost treed a couple of 1300 lb black bears, but I've never tangled with a fish like that. A toast to Kevin!! The legend that almost was....
-Dawg
Me and Kev decided to kill a couple hours at Hawn's last Saturday night. Our wives both had to attend a local emergency preparedness meeting, so we decided to do what we'd do in the event of an earthquake or natural disaster, go look for a bar and ride out the storm on a barstool.
So after 4 hours of drinking, Kev was loosening up and really telling me some stories of the good 'ol days. But the best story was by far his encounter with the king kong catfish.
Seems Kev had been passing his time in the summer doing some catfishing at night on the Bear River near his house. He'd found him a big 'ol slow meandering deep hole that he thought would hold some nice 'cats. It mostly consisted of lots of drinking and very little fishing, until the night he first saw the great fish. He had hooked and fought the fish briefly but it broke his line. But not before he had seen the mighty fish's tail break the surface in the lantern's glow.
It became his quest to catch this fish. It haunted his sleep by night and consumed his thoughts by day. He knew he'd have to upgrade his tackle for such a fish. The summer wore on and he had some encounters with King Kong, but all ended the same, with the mighty fish breaking off. Soon the leaves were changing and the nights were getting cold. Kevin knew he had one last chance before the cold set in, and he laid out a plan to catch the great fish.
Kevin worked like a man possessed, and soon his new fishing rig was ready. As dusk settled over the Cache valley, Kevin pulled his truck down close to the waters edge, and began to unwind the heavy steel cable from his new winch. The heavy duty three pronged grappling hook was then fastened securely to the cable with a couple of u-bolts. I'll use Kevin's words to tell the rest of the story:
"I'd stole some chickens from Little Stevie's place and so I speared two of those chickens and hung 'em on that grappling hook, just like you'd thread a nightcrawler on a hook. I coiled up some steel cable at my feet and with a couple swings and a big hurl, I tossed the chickens out into the water. They sunk into the watery blackness. Hours past and the beer began to run low, as the cold bit into my weary frame. About 1:00am, there was a twitch on the cable and soon it began to cut a slow arc through the water headed upstream. I slipped on my leather gloves and wrapped the cable around my wrist once. I waited for my moment and with all I had, I hauled back on that line and set the hook. I felt it set deep into the great catfish's mouth. A solid hookup!! The great fish thrashed violently sending waves crashing on the bank. Now manning the winch, I gave him cable when he ran, and took up slack as he tired. About 3:30am he was beginning to tire, and my winch was drawing him nearer and nearer to the shore where I, his antagonist, waited. As the winch whined and moaned, straining to drag the great fish into the shallows, king kong suddenly made one last valiant effort and began to thrash and roll around in the shallows with all he had left. As he lay at my feet in the shallows, he made one last mighty whip with his head, and much to my horrow, the strength of the fish straightened out all three hooks on the 15 lb. treble hook, and it fell limply from the fish's mouth. In horror, I stood frozen as my great 14 foot catfish began to swim out into deep water, finally free. Suddenly, I snapped to and instinct took over. I dropped my beer and leaped onto the fish's back, grasping for a hold. No two lovers have ever clung so tightly together as I clung to that fish's back. Up the river we went with him taking me under water and then leaping into the air trying to shake me. By the time we'd hit the bridge a mile up river I was damn near drowned and beginning to wonder if I wasn't riding a dolphin that was headed back out to sea. Fatigue at last claimed me and I lost my grip, sliding into the frigid water."
The great fish had finally beaten the man who had stalked him for 4 months. At daybreak a dejected, soaked, half froze man sloshed from his pickup truck into the house, his shoulders slumped in defeat. And to my knowledge that man has never been fishing since.
As Kevin related that tale to me from the barstool there was a far away blank stare in his eyes. To my knowledge the great fish has never been caught and probably never will, but at least one man came close.
I raise my glass in a toast to Kevin for almost catching the king kong catfish of Cache Valley. The fish that has become a legend in those parts. I've tangled with some 12 foot toms and almost treed a couple of 1300 lb black bears, but I've never tangled with a fish like that. A toast to Kevin!! The legend that almost was....
-Dawg
