Creek

 

Today is our office picnic at a nearby park.  A few minutes ago I was making a supply delivery to the park as part of set-up, and I walked past the small creek that flows through.  With the exception of during and after heavy rains, the creek is quite shallow.  I can see the bottom of it throughout the park, and in many places I could probably jump across it.

 

I dropped off my delivery and was leaving when I noticed a little boy and his mom walking up with fishing poles.  They studied one spot, then started moving along the edge, studying the water.

 

As they passed, I said, "I wondered if anyone ever tried fishing here."  I'd considered it and dismissed it because it's so small.  I've never seen anything bigger than a minnow there.

 

But the mom said, "He caught a catfish here recently, a big one."  That surprised me.  "Good to know," I answered.

 

I don't know what "a big one" would be.  Maybe not very big at all.  However, big fish do end up in surprising places.  I've seen two-foot carp in ridiculously shallow stretches of Beargrass Creek, and I've heard of similar sized catfish being caught in places like that, too.  I suppose they are more likely to be found after a period of really wet weather, such as this past spring and early summer, when water levels have been high and fish can swim far.  That particular section of creek is probably cleaner than most streams in Jefferson County, and that counts for a lot.

 

Or maybe the lady was crazy. A lot of them make it this far upstream, too.