Have you ever started something where you had no idea how special it would be?
My 9 year old son went fishing with his grandmother and grandfather last summer. They went to a kids fishing pond and caught some nice catfish. My mother had cancer and was undergoing treatment, and wanted to make the most of everyday. After catching the fish she came back and was overly tired so she was not able to hang around while I cleaned the fish later that morning. Dad took her home and my son told me all kinds of stories about the trip. He really enjoyed himself. While I cleaned the fish I decided to clip the dorsal and pectoral spines and cut them free of the soft portion of the fins. These I set aside where they could rot a bit and lose their flesh covering. The catfish were good eating and the spines were destined for arrows.
Later that fall on a rainy day my 11 year old daughter came down into the basement and wondered what I was doing, I showed her the cane shafts I was heating with a heat gun so I could straighten them. She took an interest and helped me straighten three before moving on to another project. I set them aside for use with the catfish spines. By this time the spines were flesh free and needed some peroxide to sanitize them and make them presentable.
Still later that fall I took both kids deer hunting with me. I alternated their trips so we could remain quiet. My son’s turn came one Saturday morning and he had been up with me a few times and wanted to sleep in. I told him I would come back for him in a couple hours if he wanted me to. He did, but that would not work out. An hour after I got in place a nice 6 point buck walked out in front of me and I took the shot.
I returned to the house to get my son. I told him I had a big one down and needed his help tracking it. That boy set a land speed record putting on his shoes and hunting clothes. He babbled all the way out there asking questions and getting all the details right. When we reached my hunting spot I told him where the deer was and how the event went down. My son raced down there to begin looking for blood. It took him a bit to get the hang of it but he eventually got it. About 20 steps away I whipped out my camera to capture the look on his face when he found that deer. It was priceless.
He watched me gut the deer and wanted to help me drag it. He was so big. We called grandma to tell her all about it. It was a big deal how my son tracked the deer.
I processed the deer but also kept the sinew from the legs and back strap. These dried in the garage for long term keeping.
What does all of this have to do with these arrows? Well, the spines, the shaft and sinew all had special meaning. I thought about that as I put these together recently. My mom died in late January this year. So that was the last fishing trip she would ever take and the last deer hunt anyone would tell her about. Those three shafts were just enough to make three arrows. One for grandpa, one for my son, and one for my daughter. Likely these will never be shot. But they will be a tangible reminder of the outdoor memories we have as a family.
I was pleased with the spines and the barbs. I placed wooden inserts inside the cane hollow so the barbs would not be forced further down. I wrapped the tip with leg sinew. I also wrapped the feathers with leg sinew. It was almost a total aboriginal type arrow until I used acrylic paint for the cresting. I used an ink pen to put a catfish image found on a bone in a woodland era artifact in Missouri.
These three arrows may not be the prettiest I have ever made but they sure are some of the most memorable. I had no idea while I skinned those catfish just how special the arrows they would adorn would be.
