Noodling

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Black pygmy catfish (Ameiurus melas)

Noodling is a fishing technique that is particularly widespread in the southern states and the Midwest of the United States and also used as a sport , in which fish from the catfish family are caught with bare hands.

Noodling is the most common term for this type of fishing, but there are many different regional names including grabbing, grabbling, hogging, snatching and tickling .

technology

The archaic technique of noodling is due to the bental way of life of the prey fish. Catfish usually stay in self-dug caves on the bottom of murky waters, often hidden in mud or under dead wood . The noodler therefore searches the bottom of the water for holes in a stooped gait, also diving in deeper water. Its hands serve as bait for the catfish to cling to. If a catfish has mistaken a hand for prey, the successful noodler goes to the surface of the water and tries hard to detach the fish from its arm, which often turns out to be a difficult and painful procedure.

The noodling is for various reasons a very dangerous undertaking. On the one hand, some specimens, such as the blue catfish , weigh more than 20 kilograms, so that the diver has to use enormous strength to retrieve the fish - there is a risk of drowning. Since clothing could get caught in obstacles, noodles usually only fish in shorts.

Other inhabitants of the lake bottom, especially snakes and turtles, pose an even greater danger. Most feared among noodlers are alligator turtles , whose bite force is sufficient to sever a human hand. Beavers that have nested in abandoned catfish burrows are also a danger.

Noodling as a sport

Noodling came into the focus of a wider public in 1989 when David Letterman had Oklahoma-born Jerry Rider noodled in front of the camera on his Late Show . For a time, Rider became the face of the noodling ; numerous television and press reports were devoted to his hobby. However, many noodlers criticized that their sport was distorted and presented in the wrong light.

Bradley Beesley's documentary Okie Noodling opened up a more objective approach to the subject in 2001. It illuminated the history and technology of sport in Oklahoma and was shown on many stations of the Public Broadcasting Service . This film also became the starting point for the first official noodling competition, the annual Okie Noodling Tournament .

Bare hand fishing, despite its widespread use, is only legal in eleven states. In 2005, Missouri also designated three stretches of the river for noodling for a period of two weeks on a trial basis . In other countries it is widespread, but partly prohibited or restricted by law. In Texas, for example, a fine of up to US $ 500 is payable in the absence of a corresponding permit.

Noodling is mainly practiced by men who usually pass their special fishing techniques on to their sons. However, more and more women have recently ventured into this male domain. In season four of his series "River Monsters", extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade took part in a noodling competition for the first and only time.

Noodling outside of the United States

The technique of fishing with bare hands is common in other parts of the world. The annual fishing festival held in Argungu , Nigeria, is the largest noodling competition in the world. Up to 5000 participants compete for the biggest catch.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Is noodling to catch catfish legal or illegal? In: Ask Catfish Fishing Blog. Retrieved July 13, 2010 .
  2. ^ Anna Borzello: In pictures: Fishing festival. In: BBC News. Retrieved July 13, 2010 .