Well, Sunday I loaded up the boat and made the 110 mile drive to a power-plantlake near San Antonio that has yielded some nice stringers of Tilapia in the past.

That twitchy Cousin-Neal of mine was supposed to go, but had to cancel last-minute. Lucky for him as you will soon see...

I'd gotten into a good spot, amongst the lily pads and managed to thump a couple of nice Tilapia, when I beheld some oddmanner of dark colored fish, swimming jerkily near the surface... I thought that maybe it was a dying catfish so I sent in an arrow, "twang-splop!" and never touched a scale, clean miss.

Few minutes later, I spies another. This time I connected and proceeded to reel in a creature straight from a maniac's nightmare...

It had the appearance of some manner of armored catfish, and as such appeared very low on the evolutionary scale. Its skin was slimy, black and mottled. Tall venomous looking dorsal spines and flaccid, bat-like pectoral fins along with tiny, beady eyes, all filmed over and myopic, completed this abomination.

I have never beheld such a wretched-looking creature and I've been bowfishing Calaveras for 10 years.

Once I'd stopped screaming, I tried to sort out what it was, at first I thought that my arrow had gone too deep and I'dplucked a tadpole straight out of Hell... oh, and the mouth! A horrid, sucker-fish looking orifice lined with little needle-teeth (hard to see teeth in the pic).

Well, I mean, well just look at it!!

Faugh!

Ain't the worst of it either boys, there's more of 'em out there...

Afterwards I saw several more of the filthy critters but refused to let-fly on them, believing as I did that I could not withstand another such assault to my delicate sensibilities... as it is, I'll be sleeping with the lights on for awhile.

Yes, they cavorted about before my very eyes, thirsting for human blood and greatly disappointed that I had not brought a bar of soap and a sponge!

And just when you're asking yourself how could it get any worse?

I had boated six Tilapia, with the promise of more to come, when I broke the rip-cord on my ancient and damnable outboard, leaving me stranded without the proper tools to fix it...

Murphy! You tireless wretch, why must you torment me at every turn?! (Murphy's probably a relative of someone I owe money to...)

I managed to trailer the boat after an ordeal that involved a 3 mile hike in 103 degree heat with wet shoes wearing blisters all the while, beneath the merciless Texas sun.

Let someone try and tell me I didn't earn those six Tilapia... well, just let 'em try!

(On a happy note, I just bought a new outboard and it's a beast)

Anyhow, the Tilapia filleted out nicely and I was glad to have them.

Still don't know what to do with the polywog-from-purgatory.

You want him Big Jim? Probably some damned fine eating. Just say the word and I'll flash-freeze him and overnight him out in a package labeled "Gumbo-Stock". Don't that make your mouth water?

Faugh!

If anyone knows what the wretched creature is, I'd be glad to know...

BrushPopper out.

Stick 'em and stack 'em!