Stop junk e-mail and misinformation.

BreakTheChain.org

Fishing Equipment By Rawlings?

Date Added: July 6, 2004
Last Updated: July 6, 2004

The subject matter of this chain letter would suggest that it a classic 'fish story,' but the facts bear it out.

I JUST LUV THEM NEW KOBE FISHING LURES ! THEY ALWAYS RETURN TO THE SURFACE . . .

For those of you that claim fishing is too hard, or you just don't have the knack, this should embarrass you for good. It proves how stupid fish really are and will try to eat anything smaller than itself.....

Subject: What A Fish

FISH STORY FROM WICHITA EAGLE NEWSPAPER

This was a pretty interesting story from The Sunday Wichita Eagle newspaper a couple of weeks ago. Anyhow a resident in the area saw a ball bouncing around in the developments pond and when he went to investigate.

It was a flathead catfish who had obviously tried to swallow a basketball. The ball became stuck in its mouth.

The fish was totally exhausted from trying to dive but unable to because the ball would always bring him back up to the surface. The resident tried numerous times to get the ball out but was unsuccessful. He finally had his wife cut the ball in order to deflate the ball and release the catfish. Now this is some fish story!!

When faced with photographic chain letters, we have to ask three questions: Are the images real and unmanipulated? Is the story true and accurate? And, do the pictures and the story go together?

Are the images real and unmanipulated? The pictures above are among 5 or 6 typically associated with different versions of this chain letter. They show no signs of digital manipulation. Human manipulation, however, is harder to detect. As About.com's urban legend expert, David Emery, points out, we don't know if the fish really mistook the ball for food or was "fed" the orb by a jokester.
Is the story true and accurate? The May 30, 2004, edition of the Wichita Eagle featured a story that echoes many of the points in the e-mail above. An approximately 50-pound fish was spotted by Wichita resident Bill Driver. Driver coaxed the fish into shallow waters where he attempted to remove the ball, but the fish was too exhausted to 'help' and too big for Driver to get proper leverage to pull it out. Frustrated, Driver sent his wife for a knife to deflate the ball. The fish appeared unharmed and returned to the deeps.
Do the pictures and the story go together? While working to free the fish, Driver's wife, Pam, took photos. At least one of photos was featured in the Eagle piece and is attached to the e-mail version. The other images were presumably also taken by the Drivers.

Some who have received this one have doubted the images' legitimacy, mostly based on the disbelief that catfish can really grow that big - not surprising given that most of Americans' impressions of catfish are based on the eight ounce filet at the local homestyle restaurant. However, catfish do get big. In fact, the North American record for largest catfish caught is around 150 pounds, but some southeast Asian varieties have weighed in at around 600 pounds.

References: About.com, Snopes.com