Return of the Killer Catfish is the fourth episode of the ninth season of River Monsters.
Episode Description[]
Jeremy Wade investigates a case in Nepal that sounds strangely familiar - a lone fisherman dragged off his feet & into a mountain river by an unseen creature. Is the original river monster, the goonch catfish, back from the brink?
Episode Summary[]
The episode opens as Jeremy reviews his mysterious report. Hailing from Nepal's Karnali River, it tells of a lone fisherman, dragged into a mountain river. Jeremy had caught aGoonch Catfish before in the episode Killer Catfish. Since that time, the Kali River has slowly deteriorated. In some regions, it has become a serious health hazard, and Jeremy feared that the monsters that the ecosystem of the region had crumbled with it, and the Goonch had been whisked off in the process.
However, in light of this report, Jeremy resolves to make sense of it, and maybe prove that the mighty and iconic Goonch, the fish that launched the entire series, is still around. Jeremy manages to track down a friend of the victim, and hears the eerie story of how he decided to fish on after his companions had left. He fastened a string from the net around his wrist, and was never seen again. Jeremy then heard from the victim's friend that he himself had once fished the river, but after being pulled nearly to his death by an underwater creature, and was fortunately rescued by several other men, he decided to abandon the river and become a farmer.
Jeremy attempts to track down the monster, but soon runs into trouble as the river is so full of snags that it is nearly unfishable with rod and line. Jeremy then attempts to travel to the even more remote Babai River, where another report of an attack hails from. Jeremy hears from the victim, who shows him scars. This attacker seems more like an Alligator Gar, making Jeremy wonder if perhaps the culprit is not a Goonch.
Jeremy's search continues. He pulls a Snakehead out of the river, which adds yet another predator to his suspect list. However, this one is scarred with a long, narrow bite mark. This was perhaps caused by the culprit. As Jeremy heads further downstream, he encounters a Gharial. Gharial are some of the rarest river monsters. They resemble crocodiles, and have long, narrow, snouts, designed specifically for catching fish. Jeremy is sure he has found the culprit, at least for the attack on the Babai. However, the Karnali River is colder than the Babai, and too cold for the Gharial. This proves that a different culprit must be responsible for this attack. While Snakehead do attack humans, they are not strong enough to drag a person from the bank into the river. Jeremy feels like he has boiled the list once again down to the Goonch.
The days pass. Ten years ago, when the first episode of River Monsters was filmed, Jeremy took six weeks to catch the rare beast, which is now even rarer than before. The odds couldn't be more against him. However, catching a turtle in a pool reminds him of when he caught a turtle so many years ago, which came before the capture of a Goonch. He only has two more pools left to fish, and the first one is lined by fresh tiger prints. Rather than risk confrontation with a potential man eater, he decides to fish at the final pool. As the hours drag by, Jeremy begins to lose hope.
Finally, an ominous tap hits his rod. Soon, the reel is screaming. Jeremy tries to fight, moving to a different rock that puts him closer to the fish. However, this one is steeper, and he loses his balance, and is dragged into the river. He is retrieved by his guides, but the fish has taken advantage of the situation, and found a snag. The boat moves toward the center of the river, with Jeremy attempting to loosen the fish's hold on the snag. Suddenly, the line gives way, and Jeremy has lost the fish.
While his attempt to catch the Goonch was ultimately unsuccessful, Jeremy believes he has found legitimate proof that this fish still inhabits these regions waters. Also, Jeremy wonders if perhaps this is the right end for his story with this great fish.
Animals Featured[]
Locations Featured[]
- Nepal
- Karnali River
Trivia[]
- This was actually the last episode of River Monsters to get filmed. However, it was not premiered last.
- The reason for airing Malaysian Lake Monster last hasn't been officially disclosed however.
- It is conjectured by fans however that the series intended to end the same way it started, with an episode about the Goonch Catfish. However, when Jeremy failed to catch the Goonch, the film crew decided that it would be best to end the series on a high note, and Malaysian Lake Monster became the series finale.
- The reason for airing Malaysian Lake Monster last hasn't been officially disclosed however.
Gallery[]
.jpeg){kind=link}
Jeremy fishing