Catfish Giants of the Mud Island

May 2008...

Friday... morning... France is sleeping in anticipation of Victory Day. Vadim and I are already standing in Konrad Janssen's yard, thinking about how to wake him up. When we hear children's voices, we ring the doorbell. 15 minutes later we are sitting at the table drinking coffee. After talking a little about the "catfish scene" and what is going on there, as usual, we go into the yard. In a shed equipped with large plastic containers, we see frantic crucians and tench. After a few minutes, we drag a plastic container filled with bait fish to the car.

Later, we drive with Koen in his jeep to several fishing spots. The spot where we wanted to fish was occupied. We found something suitable, but when we got the car and came back, the spot was already occupied by local anglers! We had to keep looking... After countless attempts to find a suitable fishing spot, I suggested to Vadim that we visit an old river arm that I had been aiming for last year but never managed to get there. The fact is that this spot is not at all associated with comfort and relaxation. Vadim got the same impression as we stood there looking down at the river. The slope has an angle of about 45 degrees with slippery, clayey bottom, littered with driftwood! Fishing is almost only possible standing up! But in the middle there was a small island with a few trees. We discussed for a long time what the bottom of the island was like: sand or clay with mud. I persuaded Vadim to stop here. I felt the "breath" of the catfish in this, at first glance, swampy and shallow place! We quickly inflated an inflatable boat and I rowed to the island, which fortunately was only 20-25 meters away. When I stepped onto the "Robinson Island", my boot sank up to my shin in the muddy broth... But there is no turning back! In four stages, all of our things and Vadim were brought to our island, which was to serve as our home until Sunday. We quickly put up a large parasol, assembled the catfish rods... I decided that the best way to tie our catfish rods would be to tie them with a breakaway line. That is, tie the bait fish to the branches of bushes with a thin fishing line: one end of the line is attached to the bushes, the other - to a carabiner on the catfish leader. When the catfish bites, the line breaks and the catfish is drilled with the help of the catfish rod. First up were Wadim's three catfish rods. And already three bait fish were circling on the surface, unable to escape into the depths and hide under a tree trunk!

Then I assembled my 2 catfish rods, even though I had a whole arsenal with me. I somehow had the feeling that more rods would mean more stress! While I was preparing, carp that were just spawning were ploughing through the shallow water between the water lilies! An unforgettable experience!
Soon Konrad came by with a friend named "Ninja". I took them to our island by boat.
For about half an hour they watched with us the huge carp jumping or simply stirring up the choppy water!
After drinking a few bottles of beer, they wished us good luck and left...
It is 5 pm, it smells like rain, but apart from a few drops from the sky, nothing fell to make us happy.
Believe me, after an hour of walking around the island in boots with clumps of mud sticking to them, my legs ached from fatigue...
After we sat down on folding chairs, we lit a cigarette...
A sharp "ding" from the bell on the catfish rod and a jolt - we were struck by lightning! A bite!
Vadim strikes and starts to pull the heavy load at the other end of the braided line as best he can! There is no other way - there are tree trunks and water lilies everywhere!
The braided cord cut the stems of the water lilies like a sharp sickle!
Soon I am holding the "rioter" on the catfish leader and trying to calm him down in order to grab him by the jaw!
Done! Quickly on land! We put the measuring tape on...
176 centimeters!!! Vadim's new personal catfish record!

After a quick photo session, the catfish returned to its element!
But at the photo session he was still fighting! And how! A real fighter!
After recovering, Vadim began to remove the catfish slime from his hands and wetsuit.
At this point I was close to bursting into tears when I realized that the video camera I had turned on after the bite wasn't actually filming, but was on "pause"!
Well, there will be more if it has already started like this!
I use the boat to bring out the bait fish and, when I get back to the island, I fall into the chair!
We didn't have to wait long! My catfish rod announced a bite with the ringing of the bell!
Everything happens quickly! A catfish of about 110-120 centimeters! The poor thing has caught itself on the back with the hook! We don't take any photos and it disappears with the speed of a torpedo into the murky water after the fight!
I'm back in the dinghy, bringing the bait fish out and back to land!
After a cigarette break - a bite from Wadim! After the strike everything happened very quickly! We got the catfish rig back without a treble hook!!! Broke!... (It was more like a giant pike).
We don't sit together long... My bell rings again!
After the strike, you can feel a serious opponent! After "mowing" the field of water lilies with the braided line, the catfish found itself nearby in the murky water! And soon it shows its head! It is huge!!!
Together with Wadim we pull an unusually strong and fat catfish onto land!
The measuring tape shows 195 centimeters! Hurray!!! My personal record is broken!

After I got into the water with the catfish, I tried to lift it up for a great photo, but it didn't work!
Given its length, the catfish weighed at least 65 kilograms!

While I was still trying to somehow lift the catfish, we heard a bang and a sharp ringing from my second catfish rod! Vadim was there in a flash and a second later was standing there with a fishing rod bent into an arc!
I placed the catfish in the soft "bottom" of the island, covered with a layer of mud and clay, and rushed to Vadim's aid! And soon we have another trophy catfish to our credit!

"Quasimodo"! That's what we called the catfish. A deep scar on the forehead, a hump and a crooked tail immediately made us think of the hero after whom it was named! We quickly freed it from the hooks and took the measurements... 181 centimeters! Vadim gets a new personal record! In total - three records broken within an hour and a half!

I quickly go to my big catfish and let it go free!
We immediately grab "Quasimodo" and Wadim goes into the water with him!
A few photos - and off to freedom! "Quasimodo" not only looked scary, he also had a bad character!

The beefy catfish grabbed Vadim's hand as he swam away! We were able to capture this footage on video!!!
And I'm back in the boat! The last bait fish are replacing their unfortunate "colleagues".
Before darkness fell, we managed to catch two more catfish, each about 110 centimeters long. Already without energy and satisfied, we guarded the three remaining catfish rods with bait fish for both of us.
Before we ended the day and went to sleep, Wadim mowed the water lily fields again with the braided line of his catfish rod! The catfish fight was really impressive! In the darkness we stretched out the measuring tape again...
183 centimeters! Vadim breaks his personal record again! But that didn't surprise us anymore. The catfish swallowed the hooks deep and after it was freed we decided to keep it on a leash until the morning.
We slept restlessly, if you could even call it sleep. In boots, in the mud and soaked, we sat on chairs like sentries. I woke up every 15 minutes because my neck went numb or my feet were freezing.
Finally, the long-awaited dawn!

In the morning, the catfish on the line delighted us by occasionally moving the water lily fields! A quick photo session - and regains its freedom!
There were no bait fish left, except for the bream that had been caught! I baited one of them on my catfish rod. Later I spoke to Koen on the phone. Shortly afterwards he came racing over in his jeep and we drove to his place to get bait fish.
He had already called all the catfish anglers who were sitting on the banks of the river.
One group caught two catfish, the other three, mostly small ones. We were the heroes of the day!!
Back on the "Island of Records" I rebuilt all the catfish rods. I didn't change the bream... as I thought I would!... But more on that later...

It was quiet until the evening, and the local fishermen were hanging around with their boats near our catfish rods. Towards the evening, the bell on my rod rang again, so excitingly!
At this sound, the blood boiled reflexively and so much adrenaline was released that the incessantly croaking groups of frogs fell silent!
We caught another catfish! It wasn't a giant, but it fought for two and I really enjoyed it! The numerous tree trunks and water lilies forced us to pull it towards us with all our strength, without giving up and without allowing the opponent to use even a meter of braided line!

The catfish were guarding our bait fish, as could be seen from the panicked jerks of the frightened crucians on the hooks, but they were not as hungry as the day before. The sun has set. Almost in the dark, Vadim has a catfish rod in his hand again, bending it into a circle! In the light of the headlamps we see the catfish tail hitting the water and a writhing silhouette throwing the water lilies aside! The fighter was worthy! On the shore we measure 170 centimeters!

We quickly take photos and the catfish darts away, whirling the aquatic plants aside!
Again, I tried hard to sleep sitting on a chair, but before I could fall asleep, I was already running to my catfish rod out of inertia when I heard the ringing! After the strike, I felt incredible resistance! Gliding on the clay in my boots as if I were on skis, a short time later I felt an emptiness at the other end... The braided line was hanging limply!
An annoying dropout! Everything is there except the bait fish. Apparently the catfish hook wasn't anchored firmly enough in the catfish's mouth!
Then a cloudburst with thunder and lightning!... Cold... The hated chair and thoughts of sleep.
Early in the morning, before sunrise, the fishing rod with the bream on the leader suddenly responded! A sharp ringing and the braided line slackened!
The catfish was coming towards me! Without hesitating, I ran to the opposite side of the island with the catfish rod and tried to tighten the line! And there it was - the long-awaited weight! I was immediately turned around 180 degrees!
Now I run to the water and roll up the braided line chaotically! Here is the water's edge! I stop and try to hold the opponent! But I don't succeed... The river giant pulled me along the bank and pulled me into the water! It swam as if it didn't notice that someone was trying to stop it! At some point the pull stops and after a while I notice that the catfish is stuck on the bottom! All attempts to free the rig were in vain! When it was already light, I rowed the boat to the place where the giant was stuck! Pumping it up with the rod didn't help. After wrapping the braided line around a branch, I started to lift the huge load to the boat. As I had already suspected, it was a sunken tree. There is also the catfish leader... Of course, there is no trace of the huge catfish! The catfish knew where to swim! The single hook, which was apparently dangling loosely, had become stuck in a fork in a branch, and the strong treble hook had simply bent open!

The catfish had anchored the hook in the tree and bent the treble hook that was in its mouth!
When the sun was shining, we dried our things while collecting the catfish rods... In two stages we brought all the things to the other side. Then we drove to Konrad's. We talked, laughed and, after wishing each other all the best and a reunion, we headed home!
The pleasant tiredness and the many impressions made us only now realize what had happened to us in the two evenings! Truly a day of victory!

Epilogue: If you sit on a well-kept meadow by the river, the car just two steps away and a cold beer with shashlik in your hand, you will not achieve real victories! Catfish fishing is an extreme sport!

Best regards,
Vitali Dalke.