Revisiting the Psychofish

I was going through some old things yesterday and came upon this old photo of my grandfather's art table. It was fun to see the old familiar table that he kept in the corner of his cabin once again, it's like an old friend.I thought the fact that it showed his original Psychofish painting in progress was doubly cool. We offer that fish on one of our beautiful t-shirts (in case you hadn't heard). You can get it HERE.

With as much traveling I do and with all the stuff that occurs in the field, I often forget the legacy of my Grandfather and the things he went through. Reading the story of the Psychofish brought back some memories, let me tell you. 

 

Here it is: 

 

"Well known to the fishermen of Mexiana Island on the East Coast of Brazil, the Psychofish has been creating havoc for centuries. These men who toil in the early darkness are likely to find their nets chewed to pieces or their bait bitten in half by this marauder of the sea. Known for random acts of violence and penchant for bloodlust, there have been accounts of whole schools of Psychofish devouring themselves at the slightest whim. Professor McGill kept a specimen in his personal collection for many years but eventually found the bills for counseling the fish too costly and eventually had it released it back into the wild."

Now, after reading this, I had vivid memories of my Grandfather's tank (it was enormous!) and, although I was very young, I think I remember the whole Psychofish episode. I can recall a "doctor-type" coming over once a week and sitting in a big chair at the corner of the tank with a pad of paper. The Psychofish would linger in that dark corner of the tank and, as he took notes, the "doctor" would speak softly to the fish. It was all very strange and I know it upset my Grandfather as he would roll his eyes and pace out of the room. As soon as the guy would leave, it wouldn't be long until the Psychofish was racing around like a maniac, snapping at the other fish. My Grandfather would lament the "wasted dough" he'd spent on a "Fish Quack" and get very upset. It wasn't long until the Psychofish was gone forever and peace was restored to the tank.

I've still got the original painting although it's in need of some serious restoration.

And...of course, you can get your hand on a gorgeous, screenprinted (in the USA!) shirt at our shop and...I almost forgot: Each shirt comes with the story of the fish (or lure) on it's accompanying hang-tag! Check 'em out!