Andy Griffith Show- Old Sam the carp

[Stick500]

I've seen all the B&W Andy shows but not all the colored ones and the other day I saw one I've never seen about fishing. Andy, Opie, Floyd, Goober and Howard Sprague all head to the lake for a day of angling. They are all experienced anglers except for newbie Howard, who comes with a bunch of fancy equipment (and after reading some books), but flounders all morning.

Eventually he's the only one who catches a fish and it's putting on a great fight and when he pulls it out, it's a puny, skinny carp (not even 2-feet long) and I was expecting the gang to yell "it's only a carp", but instead it was "You caught Big Sam!"

Turns out the carp was a legend in the lake and Howard got his pic in the paper (they had a tank set up on Main Street with the fish in it) and the aquarium in Raleigh wanted to put the "Silver Carp" on display. Howard caught it with leftover potato salad.

Meanwhile Goober, Floyd and Opie all mope around town, knowing that Old Sam was in no longer in the lake to tempt them and Howard eventually lets it go back in the lake at the end of the episode.

Anyone else remember this one! (I know, it's quite obvious I'm a bit bored in Feb., but hey, what can I say?).

When I lived in So-Cal I found the site for "Meyer's Lake" (in the hills on the way to Malibu) and found the path that Andy and Opie walk down with their fishing poles at the beginning of the show!

[PurpleFloyd]

Yep, I remember that. Then flash forward to the Movie Grumpier Old Men and the legendary Catfish Hunter.Kinda similar.

[Stick500]

Homer Simpson had his General Sherman catfish, too

my favorite line was when Homer claimed he would be a hero if he caught General Sherman

Marge asks "To who?"

Homer answers "Those weirdos at the bait shop!"

the last quote below is pretty funny, too

Local legend has it that General Sherman is "a hundred years if he's a day" and weighs upwards of five hundred pounds. He resides in Catfish Lake where he competes with wives for their husbands' time, as the location is popular for couples' retreats as well as fishing. A photo of General Sherman is on display in the local service station.

Homer caught General Sherman by accident. He saw a fishing pole that another fisherman left behind, and picked up to give it back to him. At that moment, General Sherman bit on the hook, yanking Homer off of the pier and into a boat, and then dragging the boat (with Homer) out onto the lake. After a lengthy struggle, Homer managed to haul General Sherman into his boat and knock him unconscious with an oar. However, he then saw that Marge was upset with him for spending time fishing instead of with her, especially because they were attending a marriage counseling retreat at the time.

After Homer realized he had to choose between the fish and his marriage to Marge, he decided to let General Sherman go. He later became part of the local legend about the fish: "Well, one fella came close [to catching General Sherman]. Went by the name of Homer. Seven feet tall he was, with arms like tree trunks. His eyes were like steel, cold, hard. Had a shock of hair, red like the fires of Hell ..."