OL' BLUE HOOKED ON RETIREMENT; AFTER 17 YEARS AS SPECTACLE, CATFISH ROAMS TRUMAN LAKE

OSCEOLA, Mo. -- Few fish attain the fame that attends Ol' Blue, the lunker catfish known to tens of thousands of Missourians who have attended the State Fair in Sedalia over the past 17 years. Apparently few are as lucky, either. The fish that spent 25 years of captivity and then won freedom recently survived a brush with a deep-fryer.

The story of Ol' Blue began in the spring of 1971. She was spawned at a federal fish hatchery in Alabama, then sent to the Blind Pony Fish Hatchery near Sweet Springs, Mo. There she spent nearly a decade, swimming carefree in a pond and growing fat on hatchery pellets and the occasional grasshopper that fell into the pond.

Ol' Blue was being groomed for more than a life of ease, however. When she reached a weight of 10 pounds, she became a "brood" fish, supplying eggs that spawned thousands of descendants to populate ponds, lakes and streams all across Missouri. By 1980 she had grown to nearly 30 pounds and was promoted to the job of MDC spokesfish and given a starring role in the 155-gallon aquarium at the Missouri State Fair. A generation of Missourians grew up dreaming of hooking a monster fish like Ol' Blue.

It was steady work with free room and board and medical insurance. Most fish would envy those benefits. But as the years rolled on, the lure of celebrity and easy living apparently lost its appeal for Ol' Blue. As she entered the twilight of her years, the grand dame of the MDC aquarium -- by then tipping the scales at 75 pounds -- lost her sweet disposition. Workers at the state fair noticed her picking (and winning) fights with the other catfish. That's when they decided it was time for Ol' Blue to retire.

Late in August last year, after the close of the state fair, she was given a free ride to the Sterett Creek Access on Truman Lake near Warsaw and released into the 55,600-acre lake. First, though, Blind Pony Hatchery Manager Jerry Hamilton fitted her with a yellow plastic "spaghetti" tag offering a cash reward to any angler who caught Ol' Blue and reported it. It is the same kind of tag the MDC uses in its several ongoing fish research studies. The chances of ever hearing of Ol' Blue again were slim, but it was worth a try.

Seven months later, Shannon Harrison of Belton was fishing at Truman Lake and hooked a heck of a blue catfish. When he finally subdued the leviathan, he noticed the tag and removed it . . . before releasing the big cat. He reported his catch, giving Hamilton an unexpected surprise and giving Ol' Blue a second chance at a life of freedom.

"I was glad to hear that Ol' Blue was doing well," said Hamilton, "Apparently Mr. Harrison weighed her, and she weighed about the same as she did when we released her. It's nice that he released her to swim and maybe fight another day."

"I'm glad I was the guy to catch her," said Harrison. "I wish I had taken the number from the tag and left it on her, though. I plan to catch a state-record catfish some day, and it would have been neat to know if it was her. In another 10 or 12 years she may weigh over 100 pounds."

Ol' Blue will be replaced at the state fair by one of her sisters. At 60 pounds, Blue No. 2 isn't quite as big as her sibling. But she is big enough to remind fair goers of the behemoth that cruises beneath the surface of Truman Lake, thanks to Shannon Harrison.