It was in the way back period, on the Neuse River in North Carolina, just outside the capital city of New Bern. I was visiting my sister Bexie and her husband Gattis. "Come on Thom get up...Let’s go bow fishing". Now I’ve got to admit I responded, "Bow fishing"? Well at 20 years old I was up for most anything. So up I got and bow fishing I went.

So there we were out on the river...scouting for fish. I was standing at the bow of Gattis’ row boat with a 45 lb draw bear set up for fishing. Not long and there it was...a pretty river Bass just waiting to be shot through. I pull back and took aim and let fly...I missed, and I missed again, and again. I turned to ask Gattis. He was laughing, I mean

really laughing, "What"? I asked him as I could feel the heat rise up in my face. You see and I bet a lot of you already know what I gonna say. I didn’t take in account for the water refraction. "HA HA Gattis".

Just as in the name, bow fishing is the sport of shooting at fish with a bow and arrow. The arrow is attached to the bow with a braided line. The arrow is loosed from the bow and the line feeds out from a reel that is attached to the front of the bow. When you’ve made your strike the barbed arrowhead snags the fish and you pull him in either by hand or rig. An exciting sport which I’ll be revisiting in the near future. Hey, Maybe I’ll learn just how to do it this time. Anyway, it’s something I’m looking forward to.

Thom Stocks

Staff Writer