A walk down memory lane....Do you remember MEREDITH MIKE? Heres a short little historical article regarding the famed catfish that some of us dreamed about catching as a child. Kind of like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the golden wrapper....... Mike fooled them all - hook, line and sinker Posted: Sunday, April 11, 1999 TERRY MOORE Globe-News Staff Writer MOORE FRITCH - Mike liked to eat. Because of that flaw he has been the object of bounty hunters desires for more than 31 years. His story is true, although seldom told. Officials know little about Mike or his whereabouts. The bits of information they have are vague. The few people who knew Mike say he had a large frame; in fact, they say he was huge. His food of choice was fish. Other information is nearly non-existent. Even his real name is a mystery. He was given the name Mike by those offering a reward for his capture. Many speculate about what happened to him. He may have been taken out of the area by someone who had not heard of him or his murky story. Mike may be dead. He may still be in the area, hiding, just waiting for the chance to strike again. Mikes ordeal began in December 1967 while he was swimming in North Canyon at Lake Meredith. L.D. Baker and Ed Coble from the tiny town of Bunavista, located between Fritch and Borger, found Mike while checking a trotline in the early part of December. He had been in the lake for some time. When Baker and Coble pulled him out of the water, he was cold and wet. According to newspaper accounts, he was tired. His condition was so bad many people did not think Mike would make it through that night, but he did. Socially, he was handicapped. He could not speak or write. But he was gentle. Nobody ever came forward and accused him of any crime. Officials had no idea of what to do with Mike after he recovered. Partly because of his size and partly because of his lack of ability to defend himself, he was placed in a makeshift prison. Because of his enormous size and ability to eat, Mike was viewed as different. He was jerked out of his cell frequently and placed in front of crowds. Newspaper accounts said thousands came to stare. He became Fritchs sideshow. Pam Pfalmer of Borger, the 1967 Miss Meredith, posed for pictures with Mike. Accounts say he reacted to the flashbulbs by cowering. He did not seek publicity nor like it. After only a few days of captivity his health turned for the worse. Fearing he would eventually die, officials decided to release Mike. Wanting to draw bounty hunters and their money into the area, more than 40 businesses in Borger, Fritch and other area towns decided to release Mike and to place a reward for his capture. By Dec. 2, 1967, the day he was released, $1,000 had been pledged to the person who recaptured him. For identification, officials tagged him. Mike was taken back to Lake Meredith and released. Nobody has seen the catfish known as Meredith Mike since. He weighed 271/2 pounds then. He may weigh up to 100 pounds now. Yes, biologists say that catfish could still be alive.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:18:07 +0000
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