The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-10-17
The Shovel Catfish,

mo queorcr fish swims, " exclaimed the
tall Missouran who was talking fish and
fishing in the Office of one of the down
town hotels tho other evening, land no
fish that will give n moro furious fun for
an hour or so than our homciy old shovel
cat of tho west.
In all the creeks and branches tribu.
tary to tho Mississippi and Missouri one
may catch this awkward, heavy fish, and
if one be only out for cats alone no will
give rare sort But to tho Graphic fisher
man he is a great nuisance, stealing the
bait as fast as it can he put on the hook
and seldom allowing himself to be hooked.
Despite his clumsy shape he is agile to
remarkable degree.
From side view tho fish is not I'M
graceful, its long broad nose showing an
edge and appearing rs slender US a sword
fsh's weapon His tail is sharply forked,
and his fins large and of raliish cut. He
often attans n length of feet and
weighs as much as 30 pounds. A stran-
ger whose dugout has driftcd into shoal
water or up into one of the shallow bayous
where he Is angling for crappie will sud
denly be startled by loud splash hard by,
and if he is quick enough he may turn and
catch n glimpse of shovel cat at work
The great fish will throw its entire body
Ouu VI WultGt uOuDlt ONtF III I1luulF anu
descend hcadforcmost, like professional
diver He is feeding, and as he lives
mostly upon the tiny animalculm and
creeping things hidden in tho soft, muddy
bottom this leap is necessary to give him
/ impetus enough to make tho deep plunge
! He drives his wide shovel far into the mud
and, turning up long furrow, catches
whatever food Is washed out in the proc
ess.
ION light rod one of the big fellow.
will give lively tusslc, but it require
TIE patience of a job and the enthusiasm
of an Ike Walton to sit a whole afternoon
and broil undora hot Mississippi sun in the
dreary hope Of hooking cat. The fish are
too tickle in biting to furnish reliable sport
i'm that way, and the market fishermen
! generally resort to nets to insure a catch
But the real hair raising, line stretch
! ing, bubble tossing fun is spearing. We
used to always choose Il gray day, when the
sky was overcast and no breeze blowing
! to rulllc the surface of the water Two of
us would set out for the branch about two
hours before sunset, armed with a short
! homemade harpoon, consisting of u steel
barbed head loosely set in hickory shaft
To ring in tho lance head was made fast
about 100 feet of heavy line. Arriving at
the bank of the creek, we would cut off a
! cottonwood limb to lash to the end of our
| line, to act as float if we had to let the
whole business go overheard. Then one
would paddle the dugout while the other
stood in the bow watching for the shovel
ers. OF course we had to hunt only in the
shadows, not only because the fish were
moro plentiful there, but because the spear
was uncertain in more than four or five
feet of water. When we had located our
victim, who would be turning splashing
somersaults far ahead, the man at the pad
| dies would mako for the spot where the
shoveler last went down. The sportsman,
peering ahead, could dimly make out the
huge fellow at his mud blowing toll ana
waiting until he was fairly over his prey
! would send the steel a-whirling.
What a foam of yellow mud then, and
If he had struck big one how our leaky
old dugout would roll and jump as we were
dragged up creek by the mad shoyeler.
| The furry is short, however, for the steel
soon cxhausts tho energy and courage of
| the fish. But tho first few moments of
excitement are wild. Many and many a
time our dugout upset, and we would swim
and wade through the water and mud to
| shore dragging our shipwrecked craft and
our yet unconQuered captive behind us.
'Once 1 remember leaving school with
| NV cousin led Mt noon time recess and
boolinf, off to tho crcel, for shoyelers. We
would both be well floggcd if it were
found out, but that danger only added an
other charm. We had hidden our spear
under willow root tho day before and in
n fcyy moments we had if and were n0ont
| ON n raft of old bonrds. We were only
small sbavors-Jcd 10 and 10 wears old
and could nolo orr vessel only Very
SLOWLY For long time we saw no game.
Jed rcmor,od unensiIv that we were
drawing near our house. which then stood
on the hanl, of the creek about n mile
above where wa had started We had
botb taken off our trousers for fear the
synsh Of the river would wet them. and
lin bctrov ps nt sumner time and Stood
,ritb am, sLir+s O,nnino i'm tho brecyo-
two eooer snortsmrn If sucb ever lived
'"su 40 s1Si,'" 'ii0 iiOuse oi""ii" WIG