CHANNEL CATFISH

The most common catfish species in North America and the official fish of the State of Missouri! They can reach 2’ and 50lbs. Growing up we spent a lot of time chasing channel cats. Fun fact: This little guy started the whole taxidermy head situation here at The Golden Hoosier. I was looking for some traditional vintage fish for the bar when I came across this little guy at an antique store here in St. Louis. Having caught a lot of channel cats over the years, this little catfish head struck me as strange for a couple of reasons. 1. It was not very big so why mount it? What made it special? Was it a kid’s first fish? 2. Catfish are not mounted as trophies but when they are, it is almost always the entire fish. This got me thinking. I wondered where it came from. I wondered who caught it, who mounted it? Then, sitting there alone in the bar during construction, perhaps high on paint fumes, I realized that I identified with this little catfish. Unlike the big buck with massive antlers I usually saw in bars, this little guy was not big or impressive. He was just part of the ecosystem. Not magnificent, but still important. I figured most of us are like that. That’s when I decided that our collection would focus on the regular Joe animals that you are not likely to see in other places.