A Fishermans Tale By Jynx Guthrie

In the small town of Huntington there was only one lake. You might say that
the entire town revolved around it. But, this was no ordinary lake. It was
rumored that inside this lake there was a catfish as large as a cow. The
mysterious catfish was a legend around the small town, but no one really
believed in it. Most people believed it to just be a myth, or another tall
fishermans tale. But not Bubba. See, Bubbas grandfather swore up and down
that hed seen that catfish, seen him just as plain as you might see the nose on
Bubbas face. All his life Bubba had heard tale of this fish. Large as life, his
grandpa used to say, gesturing out as wide as his skinny old arms could reach.
But he was quick! His grandfather warned. Fast as a mustang and harder to
catch than your grandmas attention when her shows on!
That was some time ago. Bubba was a grown man now. A grown man, with
grown man goals and tonight was the night. Hed devised a plan to sit out all
evening on the boat, in the exact place his grandfather said hed seen the fish.
Mertles Cove, the old folk called it. No one bothered fishing in there anymore. A
sink hole and mud slide had drug down Old Man Hoppers house a couple
years back, and most people deemed it haunted or damned. Most people like
Trevor, Bubbas best friend, who had been suckered into coming along on this
wild goose chase.
Close to midnight Bubba and Trevor put the boat in the water and headed out
with their fishing gear. As they were pulling the boat into Mertles Cove Trevor
was telling one of his own tall tales, involving Mary-Lyn, who just happened to
be one of the prettiest girls in the factory they worked at. And then she said,
Why, Trevor, have you always had a pickup truck?, and I said.. uh yeah! And
I was just about to tell her what else I what was that? Something off in the
distance moved in the water, causing ripples to ride in tiny waves to the reed
covered bank. Bubba reached for the flashlight and turned it on, shining the
light out into the water. Mmm.. might have been a tur just then, the boat
rocked violently to the right.
Jesusbisquits! Trevor grabbed a hold of the sides of the boat, looking angrily
toward Bubba, I told you this cove was haunted! Oh, calm down, Bubba
sighed, not one to believe in haunted coves. Probably just bumped a log.
Bumped a log. A log, Bubba? You see any trees out this far in the water?
Well, there was a Noooo, no. No, dont you gimme that sink hole story,
Bubba. We both know what really happened is that Old Man Hopper was

practicin some of that voodoo hebejeebee stuff and God done seen fit to drag
his blasphemous soul to hell. Would you just shut up? Youre gunna scare
him off. Scare him off? Scare him off? Old Man Hopper?! NO, not Old Man
Hopper, you yellabellied lizard! THE FISH. Now, see, you doin all that yellin
aint exactly gunna call him out neither, Bubba.
It got real quiet, both Bubba and Trevor listening and watching for any sign of
the catfish as large as a cow. Then, with a sudden lurch of one of the rods, both
boys were all hands on deck. Oh, shit! I got somethin! I got something! Bubba
pulled hard on the rod, eyes wide with excitement. Pull it up, pull it up! Dont
let im get away, Trevor cheered, hovering behind Bubba. Hes getting away,
help! Grab on! Quick as he could, Trevor reached around Bubba to help grab
the fishing pole. Both of them leaned and tugged, getting jerked forward and
then, with a sudden release, falling backwards. Flying through the air came
An old shoe tangled up in the fishing line. Mighty fine fish you got there,
Bubba! Trevor bust out laughing, lifting up the shoe caught on the line.
Biggest catfish I ever did see, he wheezed, barely able to breathe from
laughing so hard. Bubba looked a little sore at first, but as Trevor continued to
laugh, he began to crack a smile. Oh, yeah biggest one I ever saw nearly
tipped the boat over, he chuckled under his breath, looking a little
disappointed but in good humor. Oh, cmon, Bubba. You didnt really think
your grandpa actually saw ahey, wait a minute Oh, cmon now, Trevor, no
need to no, really Look! Look over there. You see that light?
The boys boat had drifted further into the cove, past where Bubbas grandpa
had said hed spotted the catfish. Are those fireflies? Bubba asked.
Grabbing the ores, the two slowly paddled further into the cove, hearing the
sides of the boat scraping and clawing against reeds where the water got
shallow and close to the bank. Count my stars, Bubba breathed, looking
around at the hundreds of fireflies. Is that a cave? Trevor reached for the
flashlight and directed it over toward their right. Trevor grinned, If you were a
huge catfish, Bubba where would you hide? They continued to paddle in,
looking around them in awe. Put the pole back in the water, Bubba, Trevor
whispered, turning the flashlight off. In the dark of the cave, only the fireflies
outside let them know where theyd come in from.
As they floated along, it got darker and darker until there was no light at all in
the cave around them. All they could hear was the sound of water against the
cave walls and their breathing. Bubba, Trevor whispered. What? You
reckon we might oughta turn the flashlight on? I I cant see mah hand in

front of mah face Yeah, go head and turn it on. Okay, Imma grab A
sound of something plunking into the water echoed through the cave. Trevor.
Uh Trevor. Nothing. Trevor was that the flashlight? Uh You packed
the other one, right? Um HEY! Thats not funny, Trevor, knock that out!
What?! Youre rockin the boat! I aint! THERE! You did it again! I aint
done nothing, you quit rockin the boat! Tryin to scare me, aint gunna
BUBBA! By my stars, Ill lick you one good if you dont--- AH! SPLASH. Both
boys toppled into the water. Sweet LORD, this waters freezin! Bubba?
Bubba? Trevor scrambled back into the boat, heart hammering nearly out of
his chest. Bubba? BUBBA!
Trevor tells the story of the great catfish to his children now. Tells them all
about his best friend Bubba, and how hed finally found that cow-sized fish he
was looking for. Trevor goes fishing every Sunday to this day. Some people say
he goes out to Merles Cove and talks to the water but his grandchildren
know, hes really talking to Bubba. He tells Bubba all about Mary-Lyn, and how
much he misses her since she passed away ten years ago. Tells him about how
much their daughter and grandbabies look like her, and have her laugh. He
tells him about how crazy everyone thinks he is, talking about a catfish as big
as a cow. He dont tell them what he knows to be true. That that catfish is real,
and that he goes fishing every day cause he made a promise to his best friend.
A promise that he was gunna catch that fish catch that fish and cut Bubbah
out of its belly. His grandchildren think hes gone crazy. They say that catfish
is just a myth, nothing more than an old fishermans tale but Trevor knows
the truth; and hes going fishing.