Murray Cod
The Murray cod is Australia's largest
and best known freshwater fish. The stuff of legends, the Murray
cod is represented in practically every pub in South Eastern Australia
by photos and mounted examples. Stories abound of titanic struggles
with the almost supernatural fish. Ply an old codger with a few beers
and you are likely to hear how when he was a boy one of the local water
holes was inhabited by some gigantic cod. The story usually goes
along the lines that some farmer lost a large bait to the fish and kept
coming back with heavier and heavier tackle until eventually he used a
whole kangaroo on a meat hook as bait connected to the steel cable of the
winch on his tractor. The fish in the story then fights the farmer
and his tractor to a standstill, usually resulting in the demise of said
tractor. You are then invited to inspect the wreck of the machine
under an old red gum tree near the pub and shown the stretch of water which
was straightened by the fish in the struggle!
(thanks to NFA Online for this article)