Catfishing Avril 2009
Vitali DalkeA short but intense fishing trip.
On Friday noon, I drop everything and rush home!
I pack my things and head outside! Soon after, my father arrives with the boat on the trailer.
We load our gear and "race" at 80 km/h to Vadim!
We load his fishing gear and then set off!
Around eight in the evening, we launch the boat and load it to the brim with our "stuff."
Vadim and I set off, while my father stays on the shore with the rest of the gear.
The plan was to reach an island where we would fish and check if the spot was suitable for a meeting of our website's catfish community.
As we passed under a bridge in strong current, the motor suddenly died!
Vadim and I each grab a paddle and try to get out of the current!
It was tough and time-consuming, but we finally made it to calm water!
After a few attempts, the motor started! We continue...
When only about 400 meters remained to the planned spot, the motor died again!
I tried for about 15 minutes to start it, but all attempts failed.
What to do? After some deliberation, we decided to land on a small island we were drifting past.
After inspecting the area, we concluded it was a good fishing spot.
Now we just had to figure out if we could get there by car.
We unloaded the gear, and I paddled to the shore. The island and the shore were separated by a 10-meter-wide channel.
I walked through the forest and reached a road. After about 700 meters, I was at the car where my father was waiting.
We drove to the spot, loaded the rest of the gear into the boat (and as always, there was a lot of it), and occupied the island.
We quickly measured the depth. Toward the middle of the river, it was up to 10 meters deep.
A shallow sandbank extended from the island. A magical fishing spot!
Now there was still a lot of work to do! In the dark, we prepared the buoys and assembled the catfish rods.
Vadim had already set up two carp rods. By morning, all the buoys and bottom rigs with floats
were set up near the shore at depths of 3 to 6 meters. The rigs were set so that the baitfish on the catfish rods with buoys
swam 1 to 1.5 meters below the surface.
My father and Vadim set up the tents and went to sleep, while I kept watch over the rods.
I felt strong resistance on the other end! The rod was almost ripped out of my hands, and then that frustrating feeling of emptiness! The catfish was gone! ... That's how I witnessed the sunrise...
Evening approached. The catfish rods were checked. I had already set up a single bottom rig with an underwater float at 10 meters depth during the day. Now I decided to move it closer to the shore near the drop-off.
It drizzled occasionally... As darkness fell, the rain grew heavier. Again, I stayed alone with the rods while my companions dozed in the tents. Soon, the rain became even heavier. I lay on my thin air mattress, covered with a tarp, and listened through the loud raindrops hitting the tarp to see if the bells on the catfish rods would ring.
I don't know how long I lay there, but suddenly the rain stopped! I knew what that meant and sat down next to the rods to listen and watch carefully.
And then – a sharp jerk, and the catfish rod slowly began to bend! Strike! I felt some resistance, and a minute later, in the beam of the flashlight, I saw a gaping mouth and protruding whiskers! The gloves I had prepared for gripping the catfish's jaw were far away – so I grabbed the whiskered fish bare-handed by the jaw, and there it was on the shore!
Not a giant, but I was happy! Without much thought, I released it back into the water.
Hardly 20 minutes passed when I noticed the next rod twitching and slowly leaning toward the water!
And again, that pleasant weight in my hands and the adrenaline rush flooding my consciousness!
This "buddy" was a bit bigger and more experienced! At the shore, there was a bit of a struggle – he simply didn't want me to grab him by the mouth, and I didn't risk getting the hook in my hand, so I let him thrash around a bit at the shore.
I called out a few times toward the forest edge for help, where my companions were sleeping... In vain!
In my mind, there was only one worry: What if another rod goes off at this moment?
But then I had the whiskered fish in my hands, I climbed up to the forest edge and "prodded" the tents with my feet to let them know that the second catfish was already here – and they were sleeping!
I secured the catfish and lay back down on the ground, covering myself with the tarp.
Another downpour, and that meant there would be no bites during this time. After a while, I felt a small stream forming under me, flowing over my air mattress – with a wet back and butt, I moved to a chair, also covered with the tarp! Fatigue increased with every minute. Eventually, I gave up and crawled into the tent...
When I woke up, I went to the shore. Vadim and my father were already busy with the rods.
Vadim told me I could congratulate him on his first catfish. At first, I took it as a joke, but it turned out that Vadim had indeed caught his first "whiskered Frenchman"!
Not a giant, but still nice! The catfish had bitten on a bottom rig with an underwater float.
A quick photo session, and the catfish were safely released!
It was time to pack up! We collected the buoys, disassembled the rods, packed the tents and other gear, picked up the trash, and loaded everything back into the boat. Some of the gear was packed into the car.
Vadim and my father drove to the spot where we could load the boat onto the trailer, while I followed with the boat, loaded to the brim with gear and equipment. Luckily, there were no issues with the motor!
I drove along these picturesque shores, along this mysterious river, and remembered the first bite of the first day! Once again, the giant had won! But I will return! We will return!
Vitali Dalke 2009
