Once a year, for a couple of weeks people are alowed to try and catch a paddlefish. We thought it would be great fun to take our boy scout troop out for this rare opportunity. So myself and two other leaders packed up 15 boy scouts and hit the road for an overnight stay near the Yellowstone river just outside of the city of Glendive, MT.
The process of fishing for paddlefish is no simple matter. Paddlefish do not eat during their spawning season, so you can't entice them to bite a hook. No, the means of catching one are much more primitive, you have to snagg them. You take a size 8 treble hook, attach 5 ounces of lead to it, and throw it out into the river, then yank on the line and real like a mad man so you can yank it again. Hopefully somewhere in this process a paddle fish gets in the way and your hook will get caught on it. More than likely you end up getting snagged on a rock or log that is under water. Once you go hook one, then the fight begins. A paddle fish can weigh any where from 19 to 110 pounds, with the females tending to be much larger than the males. Trying to catch one can be quite physically tiring.
Anyway, it really is something that not many people will get a chance to experience in their lifetime, so we thought is would be great fun for the boys. Saddly, we were not successfull and went home empty handed, but we sure had some fun doing it.
Here is what a paddlefish looks like. Notice the long flat snout
that looks like a boat oar, hence the name paddlefish.
The first order of buisness was to set up camp. It rained the entire way there, so we were pleasantly surprised that we had fairly mild conditions for camping.
With some large hooks and heavy pieces of lead flying around, the river bank would get a little crowded, so here some of our scouts are waiting their turn to try.
This young man is about half the size of the pole we had to use. I thought it was very telling of how tiring it can be trying to catch a paddlefish.
Here I am trying to instruct one of the boys. I spent most of my time teaching and tying on new hooks and wieghts, so I did not get much of a chance to fish, but I had a lot of fun anyway.
3 comments:
I didn't know you had to snag them like that. Why don't you show pics on the ones you got a few years back. I'll bet most people don't know what they look like and on the picture you had, it was hard to see the paddle. What a strange, prehistoric looking fish. Why China and Montana???
Mom
I can't believe that I grew up in Montana and I have never heard of this thing! I wish so badly that you would have caught one.
I am so sad that you planned such an exciting event and were unsuccessful at getting one of these creepy looking things. At least you had a good time and I'm sure your troop was glad you gave them this rare opportunity.
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