Giant Mekong Catfish

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James Sorenson Ms. Safier C Block The Fresh Water Giant Thailand is a vast country, with many undiscovered mysteries, and large amounts of land never before trekked upon. Things can be found here which only may have existed in the dreams and imaginations of the world. Giant Snakes which exceed 20 feet are just the beginning of things. The rainforests and other foreign areas can support large predators, making Thailand a scary environment. The monsters don't live just on land, they also roam the deep waters of the many lakes and rivers. Two local fisherman quickly found this out for themselves, as they netted a Mekong giant catfish, measuring in around 9 feet long, and described by many to be "as big as a grizzly bear." It was a warm day, sun shimmering upon the brown flowing water, a typical day for the Thai fisherman that lined the banks of the raging Mekong river. The nets sprawled across the river, hoping to prevent their hopeful catch from escaping their grasp. Fishing is a large part of Mekong life, as the large body of water feeds the millions that have built their civilization around the icon. Many sleep or play old games trying to pass time, waiting for big fish to strike. "It is hard to live your life by the dictation of one river," said one local. "If the river has a bad day, you have a bad day, and a bad day might mean a hungry family." Fish are caught daily by fisherman, but the size of the fish are quite routine. As youngsters though, almost every fisherman has heard stories and folktales of giant fish the size of the canoes they fish upon. But today felt different, the water was calm and murky, and there was an anxious feeling that surrounded the area. All of the sudden, one of the nets on the water became extremely tight, which meant only one thing: a giant fish. But how big could the fish be?
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