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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.” Along with the Wildlife Commission, other Catfish Roundup sponsors included Wheelin’ Sportsmen, National Wild Turkey Federation, Johnston County Longbeards and the Johnston County Wildlife Club. To provide disabled sportsmen with more hunting opportunities, the Wildlife Commission, in cooperation with private landowners and local sponsors, has scheduled three dove hunts in Craven, Halifax and Robeson counties for early September. For more information, or to donate the use of your land for a disabled sportsmen’s event, contact Susie Fish at (919) 733-3391 ext. 225 or ronda.fish@ncwildlife.org. |
