Capturing moments like this is highly motivating for a dedicated catfish guide. (Photo by Owen Koch)
Why We Catfish: Bonding Families, One Trip at a Time
By Owen Koch
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to catch a fish!” the boy blurted out as he ran up to my boat, his dad in tow.
Forty minutes later, father and son were doubled up on two medium-sized Potomac River blue catfish. Nothing remarkable—probably in the low teens—but judging by the boy’s boisterous exuberance as I netted each fish, they might as well have been world records. After giving some high fives, back slaps and effusive praise for a job well done, I unhooked the two fish and reached for my cell phone to capture the moment.
His dad, a recently retired Marine, shot me an approving nod. For a moment, the hardened old warrior’s face mirrored the same excitement as his son’s. No doubt, professional demands had postponed or cancelled countless moments like this over the course of the boy’s life. I felt privileged to play a small role in creating a shared moment for these two, and I hoped that the memory I was capturing would earn a prominent spot on a desk or mantle for years to come.
In an instant, I thought back to some of the treasured fish pictures around my parents’ house: a six-year-old me with my uncle and a stringer full of channel catfish caught in a Texas farm pond, a 10-year-old me proudly straining to holding up a salmon caught on a family trip to the Pacific Northwest, and my dad and me holding up two nice Lake Okeechobee largemouth bass from a recent father-son trip.
These photos are powerful reminders: the joy of childhood, family bonding, shared experiences, something to cling to during life’s inevitable hardships and tumult. The fish themselves are paradoxically central, yet ancillary. They merely anchor the excitement, anticipation and joy of youthful exuberance and shared quality time together.
A few hours, a dozen fish and a number of photos later, my younger passenger fell fast asleep under the drone of the outboard. He stirred and turned his head out from under his dad’s arm as I throttled down to pass another angler. “Did you have fun today, Captain Owen?” he asked.
Struck by the innocence and irony of the question, I grinned and eagerly replied, “You bet, buddy. I had a great time fishing with you. You did fantastic reeling in those monsters!”
“Good. This was the best day ever,” he mumbled as he settled back into his spot and nodded off under the hum of the motor.
(Owen Koch is the owner and operator of Capital Blues Fishing Charters in Washington, D.C. Contact him at capitalbluesfishing@gmail.com or on Facebook/Instagram @capitalbluesfishing.)
