Sally Angelle

societytnews@bellsouth.net

Henderson – Local fisherman Wilven Hayes could not believe his eyes when raising his hoop nets Monday morning near Lake Warner, a five-foot shark.

He doesn’t believe that the oil spill has anything to do with the shark being in the river.

A fisherman for the past 70 years Hayes remembers seeing sharks in the 1950’s near Charenton.

Hayes who is 76-year-old still raises his hoop nets four days a week.

For the past three weeks local residents have been joking about seeing the swamp shark at area boat landings. Bullet Films was in the Basin filming a shark movie. But this five-foot, 80-pound shark is the real deal.

“They have more people with camps on the Atchafayala River and I’m afraid that a shark might take a big bite out of someone swimming,” said Hayes.

Hayes has seen his share of unusual fish while raising his nets, stingrays and in 2002 he caught an albino garfish.