Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-18
THE SHOVEL CATFISH
HE IS VERY QUEER, BUT FURNISHES
 EXCELLENT SPORT.

found In the Mississippi River and Its
 Tributaries and Behavior Both
 Out of the Ordinary-A Missouri Boys
 Exciting Experience.
 "No queerer fish swims, " exclaimed the call Missourian who was talking fish and fishing in the offico of ono of the down town hotels tho other evening, "and no fish that will give more furious fun for an hour or so than our homely old shovel cat of the west.
 ''In all the creeks and branches tribu- tary to tho Mississippi and Missouri ono may catch this awkward, heavy fish, and if one be only out for cats alone ho will give rare sort. But to tho crappie fisher man ho is great nuisance, stealing tho bait as fast as it can be put on the hook and seldom allowing himself 10 be hooked. Despite his clumsy shape he is agile to remarkable degreo.
 From q sidc view tho fish is not un- graceful, its long broad noso showing an edge and appearing as slender as sword fishs weapon. His tail is sharply forked, and his fins large and of rakish cut He often attains length of feet and weighs as much as 50 pounds. stran- ger whose dugout has drifted into shoal water or up into ono of the shallow bayous where he is angling for crappie, will sud denly be startled bya loud splash hard by, and If he is quick enough he may turn and catch glimpse of a shovel cat at work. The great fish will throw its entire body out of water, double over in midair and descend hcadforemost like professional diver He is feeding, and as he lives mostly upon the tiny animalcule and creeping things hidden in the soft, muddy bottom this leap is necessary to give him impetus enough to make the deep plunge. He drives his VI ido shovel far into the mud, and, turning up long furrow, catches whatever food is washed out in the proc ess
 70. "a light rod one of the big fellows will gHo n lively tussle but 1t requires tho patience of Job and the enthusiasm of an IAc Walton to sit whole afternoon and broil under a hot Mississippi sun in tho drcary hope of hooking cat Tho fish arc too flcklc in biting to furnish reliable sport in that wny, and the market fishermen generally resort to nets to insure catch.
 But the real hair raising, line stretch ing bubble tossing fun is spcaring Wo used to always choose a gray day, when tho sky was overcast and no breeze blowing 
 nus would set out for the branch about two hours before sunset, armed with a short homemade harpoon, consisting of steel barbed head loosely set in 0 hickory shaft. ITO Q ring in the lance head was made fast about 100 feet of heavy line. Arriving at the bank of tho creek, we would cut of cottonwood limb to lash to tho end of our line, to act as 0 float if we had to let tho whole business go overheard. Then ono would paddle the dugout while the other stood in the bow watching for the shovel CTS. Of course we had to hunt only in tho shadows, not only because the fish were moro plentiful there, but because tho spear was uncertain in moro than four or five feet of water. When we had located our victim, who would be turning splashing sornersaults far ahead, the man at the pad dles woy1 make for the spot where the shoveler &went down. The spearsman IpeeringI ld, could dimly make out tho huge fe E at his mud blowing toll and waiting lntil he was fairly over his prey would q the steel a-whirling.
 "Wbat, foam of yellow mud then, and if he had struck a big enc how our leaky old dugout would roll and jump as we wero dragged up creek by the mad shoyelcr. The furry is short however, for the steel soon exhausts tho energy and courage of the fish. But the first few moments of excitement are wild Many and many time ourdugout upset, ahd we would swim and wade through tho water and mud to shore dragging our shipwrecked craft and our yet unconquered captive behind us.
 .Onco remember leaving school with my cousin Jed at noon time recess and hooking off to tho creek for shovelers. We would both be well fogged If it were found out, but that danger only added an other charm. We had hidden our spear under a willow root the day before, and in few moments VIC had it and were afioat on raft of old boards. We were only small shavers-Jed 10 and 12 years old and could pole our vessel only very slowly. For long time we saw no game. Jed remarked uncasily that we were drawing near our house, which then stood on the bank of the creek about mile above where we had started. We had both taken off our trousers for fear the swash of tho river would wet them, and thus betray us at supper time, and stood with our shirts Tapping in the breeze two eager sportsmen If such over lived.
 Just as sighted the house around the bend through the young cottonwoods and the dreaded form of my mother hang ing out clothes on the line Jed gave long 'shsh, and bending forward sent his spear flying with all his might. An angry splash answered, and was terrified to see Jed's blue shirt and white legs tumble headlong from the raft. He had struck monster and was being lowed down stream at lively rate. We could both swi n like ducks, and I, like flash, dived aftt him. After being yanked along for 200 yards or more we struck shoal sand bar where we got foothola. Just as we had begun L.. rain a bit and were hauling