Asian silver carp take flight

I don't remember the last time I went fishing, and if I ever had a big fish story I've forgotten it by now. But last Wednesday, I found myself in the middle of some whoppers.

I spent Wednesday morning cruising a murky channel off the Mississippi River in search of the illustrious silver carp. The fish are known for their incredible size and amazing flying abilities, and luckily (or so I thought at first) they weren't hard to find.

Joe Ridings, a resource science biologist at the Missouri Department of Conservation Big River and Wetlands Field Station in Jackson, and his assistant, Annette Kelley, told me a little about what to expect before we shoved off. But as I soon found out, you really have to see it to believe it.

Silver carp are extremely jittery fish, and the noise from our motor boat sent them literally soaring not long after we entered the channel.

For most our voyage, Missourian photographer Diane Wilson was perched at the top of the boat, standing tall with her camera shield and looking strangely like George Washington leading us across the Delaware into battle.

As Kelley put it, this really was "a war zone." Giant fish grenades were falling everywhere around us as she steered the 24-foot johnboat through unfriendly territory. She and Joe both joked about needing to wear riot gear.

As I asked Ridings a question, a fat flying fish went whizzing over his shoulder and landed on the floor of the boat. He quickly subdued the giant creature, which probably weighed about 20 pounds. He asked me to hold the fish, but being a novice when it comes to fish and all things slimy I of course dropped the poor wriggling beast, creating a flopping frenzy until we could get it back into the water.

After the first fish attack, I was becoming somewhat jittery myself but couldn't help thinking about what an awesome and beautiful experience this was. The fish all had a rich silvery glow that reflected the water, and the morning was crisp and cool.

And that's about when a hefty 13-pound fish slammed me in the side of the head.

I never saw it coming. I don't even remember hearing it jump out of the water. All I can recall is a sudden, stunning thud on my right ear and feeling wet slime in my hair. My reaction then, however, was immediate. I jumped, screamed and danced around the boat while Diane snapped pictures.

It was complete chaos. I scrambled to find something to wipe off the fish goop. Of course, there was nothing. Eventually I had to use my raincoat.

My up close and personal encounter with the carp left me smelling like the inside of a seafood market. I'm sure the experience was equally devastating for the carp.

Oddly enough, I'm glad it happened. After all, how many people can say they've been smacked in the face by a flying carp?

wmcferron@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 127