Location, location, location. In what part of the world are your listeners sitting when they hear a piece on public radio? I'm sitting in southwestern Oklahoma. While I've never personally met a catfish noodler, I'm familiar with the sport; and while it does take a daredevil spirit, (perhaps aided by some alcohol), to thrust one's hand into the mouth of a catfish, I have never viewed the people who participated in the sport as part of an "oddball subculture" as alluded to by another reviewer. Granted noodling is not golf or tennis, but it's certainly a colorful sport. Scott Gurion's report takes the brilliantly colored radio spectrum and blasts it all over the air waves like a many hued paint gun. Audio is very clear. I felt like I was there with Thomas and Scott, bending over into the reddish brown waters of the North Canadian River, grubbing my fingers down into the sides of the riverbank, holding my breath, waiting for that first brush of a catfish's whiskers. Great piece for the summertime. Well done.
Review of Catfish Noodling in Oklahoma
Deborah Astley
Posted on July 17, 2005 at 03:37 AM
Location, location, location. In what part of the world are your listeners sitting when they hear a piece on public radio? I'm sitting in southwestern Oklahoma. While I've never personally met a catfish noodler, I'm familiar with the sport; and while it does take a daredevil spirit, (perhaps aided by some alcohol), to thrust one's hand into the mouth of a catfish, I have never viewed the people who participated in the sport as part of an "oddball subculture" as alluded to by another reviewer. Granted noodling is not golf or tennis, but it's certainly a colorful sport. Scott Gurion's report takes the brilliantly colored radio spectrum and blasts it all over the air waves like a many hued paint gun. Audio is very clear. I felt like I was there with Thomas and Scott, bending over into the reddish brown waters of the North Canadian River, grubbing my fingers down into the sides of the riverbank, holding my breath, waiting for that first brush of a catfish's whiskers. Great piece for the summertime. Well done.