Take a look at the photo above. It was shot by outdoor writer and my long-time friend Jeff Samsel on a recent trip to Virginia's James River. This cat was one of a few that helped Jeff and company rack up a one-day catfish weight total of 244 pounds. I urge you to check out his trip report and photo gallery in "Fighting the James River Blues."

I have to admit that I don't have much catfishing experience. Perhaps it's because catfishing isn't really part of the Northeast culture. My biggest ever was probably 10 pounds, and I caught it on a worm intended for trout at age nine.

I realize that fish like the ones in Jeff's story are monsters, but here's the way I see it: The take isn't that inspiring...they don't explode on topwaters or anything. The best fishing is often in dirty, murky water with a rod sitting in a holder. The tackle is brutally heavy.  And catfish are, well, kinda ugly if you ask me.

I'm not criticizing cafishing. What I'm trying to learn from you is, what's the appeal? Is it that they're good eating? The pure size? The fight? All of the above? Not long ago, you guys adamantly defended carp when Merwin asked this same question in a blog titled "Sell Me On Carp." So let's hear why you (and I should) love big old cats.

JC

Mr. Petzal over at the Gun Nut blog is a huge fan of western movies and posts about them frequently. I thought maybe it was time to look at fishing in films and figure out the best of the best. Granted, "fishing" is hardly a movie genre, but it pops up enough to warrant a list of top scenes. Here are my picks. Unfortunately, while YouTube has videos of babies dancing to "Thriller" on top of Mount Everest, they did not have clips of all these scenes.

Jaws - "Put your gloves on": Hands down the best fishing scene ever. Quint yanks on that old Fenwick and cranks the giant Penn Senator, then when they lose the fish, he tells Hooper that no marlin or stingray could have "bit through that piano wire."

A River Runs Through It - Paul Maclean's Swim: Man, just a killer scene. Old school bamboo-rod fly fishing, a perfect cast, and an epic fight with a giant trout.

Funny Farm - Snake Attack: If you didn't crack up the first time you saw this, something's not right. I can relate to Chevy Chase in this clip, because I did actually hook into a giant water snake one time that scared the hell out of me. It ate a Mister Twister.

Honorable Mentions:

• You gotta love the scene in "Son In Law" where Pauly Shore is fishing with an upside-down fly rod.
• Yeah, it's commercial fishing, but the whole Flemish Cap scene in "The Perfect Storm" rocks hard!
• Paul Hogan dynamite fishing in New York Harbor in the beginning of "Crocodile Dundee II" deserves a nod.
• Anything with Burt Reynolds is automatically cool, but it's even cooler when he shoots a trout with a bow in "Deliverance."
• And let's not forget Tom Hanks reeling up a hammerhead shark that roars like a lion in "Joe Versus The Volcano"

I know there's more great one's than these. Tell me what I missed.

JC

I take some solace from the fact that this morning's snowfall will eventually become part of next summer's trout stream. That's how I consoled myself while clearing the driveway so my wife could get to work. It is still snowing hard as I write this, 15 degrees, and with a harsh wind.

As with so many other places, our winter snowpack eventually becomes the ground water that feeds area creeks all summer. In years with little snow, our streams and trout suffer from low and warm water. But not this year. I haven't seen bare ground since November.

I've often though of living in Florida or New Mexico or someplace else warm and snowless. But I'm not sure I could do it. I think the harshness of winter makes spring seem all the more glorious. A couple of months from now, spring flowers will be in bloom along the riverbanks, flowing waters will have cleared, and the trout will be rising to a Hendrickson hatch--all fed by this morning's frosty blanket. I can deal with that.

My old pal Rob Southwick has just released his annual compilation of best-selling fishing brands as determined by his Angler Survey.

Based on more than 20,000 survey responses during 2008, here are the brands and items that were the top sellers in their respective categories last year. Check the list to see if you were following the herd in 2008, or were you a more independent-minded consumer?

Price doesn't seem to have much bearing on best-seller status. Rapalas are premium-priced hardbaits, for example, while Ugly Stiks are low- priced rods. It seems fishermen are most willing to buy according to what works, as opposed to marketing hype or trends in fishing fashion. Check the list to see....

Top rod brand: Shakespeare Ugly Stik (14.3% of all purchases)
Top reel brand: Shimano (21.9% of all purchases)
Top rod and reel combo brand: Shakespeare (24.9% of all purchases)
Top fly rod brand: Sage (10.8% of all purchases)
Top fishing line brand: Berkley (Trilene, Fireline, Big Game, Vanish 
(35.8% of all purchases)
Top hardbait brand: Rapala (21.7% of all purchases)
Top softbait brand: Zoom (17.9% of all purchases)
Top spinnerbait brand: Strike King (22.4% of all purchases)
Top sinker brand: Bullet Weights (18.2% of all purchases)
Top fly line brand: Scientific Anglers (23.4% of all purchases)
Top fly brand: Orvis (9.8% of all purchases)
Top GPS or radio brand: Lowrance (40.9% of all purchases)
Top tackle box brand: Plano (44.9% of all purchases)
Top fishing knife brand: Rapala (33.3% of all purchases)