Big Fish Story From Dycusburg (1925)

Farmer and Son Find a Monster Fish in River Below Dycusburg
A monster fish, possible of an ocean species, was found dead in the Cumberland River near the farm of Gordon Sunderland, three miles below Dycusburg, in Livingston County last week.

Mr. Sunderland and his sons went out in a skiff and towed the huge fish to the riverbank. Then by means of a rope fastened through a hole cut in the throat of the fish it was dragged by a mule up the bank and out into a field where some hogs were pastured. It is said the fish was intended as food for the hogs, but it seemed not to meet their fancy and they refused to touch it.

Dr. T. A. Frazer, who is always interested in such things, visited the spot and reported the following measurements:

• The fish was seven and one half feet in length, and about sixty inches in circumference at the largest place, which was about a foot back of the gills.


• The eyes were about ten inches apart and about four inches back of the angle of the jaw.


• The nose measured three and a half inches across and there were four nostrils.


• The fish had large jaws filled with about forty large sharp teeth.


• The head was about eighteen inches long, with the ears about three inches in front of the gills.


• The fins were about eight inches from the tail, one under and one over the fish.


• The tail fan was about ten inches across. The fish was judged to be an old one for the development of the teeth.


• The body was rather round and was not covered with scales but with a kind of armor.


• The estimated weight is about 350 to 600 pounds.

This is the largest fist story every told of this section of the county and created a great deal of excitement. Many people visited the place and viewed the monster fish.

From the archives of The Crittenden Press, July 24, 1925. To subscribe, visit www.the-press.com. Special thanks to Brenda Underdown for supplying this article.