For most people, the idea of swimming through a maze of tree roots and limbs in a dark, swift river is enough to evoke carnal fears. And then there are the catfish. Bob once caught a cat that weighed 90 pounds; a fish that size could grab a man's arm and hold him underwater without really trying. Losing a layer of skin to the fish's sandpaper teeth is a given, and if an ill-tempered fish decides to roll, you'll lose more than that. The larger fish can latch on north of the elbow, and getting free often means pinning the fish against the bottom. Otherwise, they'll just keep swallowing arm. I told Bob I wasn't too worried about getting scars because I had packed a pair of leather gloves.

"I may wear gloves, but you ain't. You're not gonna catch your first catfish and get your picture taken with a glove on," he said. "This is the real thing."