08-16-2004, 03:47 AM
[font "Arial"][size 2]RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 13) – “The catfish were so thick, they were biting bare hooks,” joked Bill Collart, a fisheries biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “One angler reeled in five channel catfish in under 30 minutes. Another angler, who was blind, caught fish about as fast as he could get his hook in the water.”
By all accounts, the free Catfish Roundup held on July 24 was a rousing success. Nearly 30 disabled anglers, ranging in age from 8 to 98, fished from 8 a.m. to noon, reeling in catfish weighing up to 1.5 pounds, one right after the other. The channel catfish were stocked by the Wildlife Commission three days before the event.
“One 98-year-old lady who was fishing for the first time in her life caught two buckets of catfish in less than four hours,” Collart said. “As many experienced anglers know, the fishing doesn’t get much better than that!”
The Catfish Roundup, held at Howell Woods Environmental Education Center in Four Oaks, was part of an initiative by the Wildlife Commission’s newly formed Disabled Sportsmen’s Committee to create more sporting activities for the disabled.
“It was a great turnout, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how smoothly everything went,” said Susie Fish, who chairs the Disabled Sportsmen's Committee. “The Wildlife Commission appreciates everyone’s support in this effort to bring fishing to disabled anglers.” [/size][/font]
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By all accounts, the free Catfish Roundup held on July 24 was a rousing success. Nearly 30 disabled anglers, ranging in age from 8 to 98, fished from 8 a.m. to noon, reeling in catfish weighing up to 1.5 pounds, one right after the other. The channel catfish were stocked by the Wildlife Commission three days before the event.
“One 98-year-old lady who was fishing for the first time in her life caught two buckets of catfish in less than four hours,” Collart said. “As many experienced anglers know, the fishing doesn’t get much better than that!”
The Catfish Roundup, held at Howell Woods Environmental Education Center in Four Oaks, was part of an initiative by the Wildlife Commission’s newly formed Disabled Sportsmen’s Committee to create more sporting activities for the disabled.
“It was a great turnout, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how smoothly everything went,” said Susie Fish, who chairs the Disabled Sportsmen's Committee. “The Wildlife Commission appreciates everyone’s support in this effort to bring fishing to disabled anglers.” [/size][/font]
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