THE MAGIC HOUR

As the sun began to fall the big girls came out to play. 22-incher pushed six pounds.

There is much to be said about the final hour of the day, the 'magic' or 'golden' hour...the twilight zone. There are some writers who claim this is the very best time to catch the big one, the mystical time when creatures great and small are stirring. New sounds from different critters are now in the mix. Nocturnal things fly about in an effort to capture insects. Bats, snakes, bugs, and more, emerge and welcome the dawning of night.

Cubbyhole at the tree root was home for some hawgs.

Places that seem normal during the day take on a whole new light when the sun is calling it quits. Night sounds take over like the drumming of cicadas. Fish can get active, too.

Day time calmness.

But despite all the lore and mystery surrounding the magic hour, I have found that, on most occassions, fishing has not always been improved or any better than many daytime efforts. Yes, the hatches are coming off and the bullfrogs are groaning, but the fishing is only marginal, sometimes shutting down completely with the falling of the sun. Some species kick it up a notch...crappies, walleyes, catfish...perhaps stripers or hybrids in some waters. Bass, however, don't always come running to the dinner bell at last light. But once in a while, they do...

Nice, late evening bass took a stick worm.

My son Matt with a Twilight Zone bass on a surface frog.

As the sun drops, senses heighten.

All creatures great and small become vulnerable.

But there is a degree of excitement, even charm that comes with fishing at the Magic Hour. It's almost like every living thing is on edge, ready to bolt, even explode, at the chance for a meal or for very survival. Sounds in the distance seem louder and movement in the brush just a little scarier. With amplification of the senses, everything seems more intense. We try to become more aware of what our surroundings are, or could be.

Sundown bass gave me a scrap. Some of the blood is mine.

Stick worm pig...16.5 inches and almost 3.5 pounds. FATSO!

Big-headed bass was gaunt and light, despite pushing 22 inches.

Doesn't look like much, but in the shade of this tree...

What is astounding to me is the fact that a Great and Merciful God created and ordained all the sights and sounds of the Magic Hour according to His hand and great detail. He created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain. His hand painted every cloud, painted all the leaves and air-brushed every blending of the colors in the twilight zone. Those big bass are but mere gifts from a gracious God who loves all of us. I like the way Psalm 19 : 4-6 explains it...

'In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun,which is like a bridegroom coming from his pavilion.
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes it's circuit to the other.
Nothing is hidden from it's heat.'

Yes, the MAGIC HOUR, is always a gift from the Lord. Catching a fish is just a bonus.

THE UGLY TRUTH

WOUNDED WARRIOR...Matt's sensational cat shows scars from a prior battle.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If that is indeed the case, then whatever it is we are beholdin' might just be pretty ugly! Upon closer inspection, things, or fish, may not be as we envision.Take channel catfish, or instance...big, brawny, tough fighters and delicious on the table. In there own weird way, they can be beautiful. Popular in many areas of the country as both a food and sport fish. I love these critters! But many don't...they're ugly...got whiskers...feed on the bottom. Yet the same can be said for many of our politicians.

LIVER SACS...wrap 'em in cheese cloth & hook 'em up!

Lately, we've gotten into the catfish gig and have had fun with some quality fish. You land some and lose some. Cool thing about these fish is that a variety of household, store bought foods can put them on the bank, or in the boat. Simple chicken livers have been a perenial favorite as have been any kind of fresh cut oily fish. We like to wrap our chicken livers in a cheese cloth 'sac' and then run our hooks through the sac and toss 'em out with no weight. The liver stays on the hook, via the mesh of the cheese cloth, and the cats come runnin'.

Head-on shot of the channel catfish. Say...aaahhhh!

Nicer cats have a pretty big mouth, but we like bite-sized baits that they can easily get in their maw and retain a 2/0 or 4/0 circle hook. No weight, 20 pound braid with a 20 pound mono leader to the snelled hook. European bite alarms help, especially at night, as cats can pick a bait up and move around a lot.

TWILIGHT CATTIE...lean and mean at 28 inches.

Most folks think that cats are exclusively nocturnal, but we have done quite well with some mid-day efforts, too. Here are a couple mug shots from a recent catfish line up...

Nice 6.5 pounder hams it up for the camera.

We removed the hook from this 32 incher and let her swim.

Paul with a nice one from last summer.

Clean looking public water catfish.

Matt seems to have a knack for the big girls!

Yes...some think catfish are ugly, but the truth is...they are one of God's creatures and have their very own quality of beauty. Funny how that works, sometimes, where something that is ugly actually is beautiful and some things that appear to be beautiful are very much ugly. In the same way, sin is almost always at least visually appealing and comes across as 'beautiful'. The deceiver, whom we spoke of in the last blog, was the most beautiful of angels, but fell from heaven and continues to fool many who are not aware of the ugly truth.

Bite alarm tells us when to jump.

As sinful humans, we need an indicator of sorts, a guideline, that will show us the difference between true beauty and false beauty...the 'ugly truth'. The Holy Bible and the word of God is the standard by which we can discern what is, and isn't, beautiful. Truth is, many aspects of my life are very ugly...the jealousy, the lust, the self-centeredness...just to name a few. As a broken down, shell of a man who is completely powerless at times, I find the honest, gut-wrenching testimony of the apostle Paul to be comforting...

'What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!'   Romans 7: 24-25

Yes, it is comforting to know that all my dirt, all my ugliness, will be as far as the east is from the west and my crimson stains will be washed white as snow. Yes, I am ugly, but I have been made whole and beautiful by a loving Savior named Jesus Christ.  That, my friend, is the beautiful truth!

Even the storm clouds can be beautiful!