A Note from Gary "Catfish" Davis

From Sherilyn: A little over a year ago, at an electronic tournament in Chicago, I ran into Gary "Catfish' Davis. With his signature handlebar mustache, hearty smile and outgoing personality I realized that I remembered Gary from when I first started playing darts in Chicago in the late '80s. He was a top darter way back then...passionate about darts, great competitor, pleasant with everyone and just an overall nice guy. It was good to reminisce a bit with him and I was glad to see he hadn't lost his touch and was still busy playing darts and winning titles, even though he had relocated from Illinois to Tennessee. Without further adieu, here is a note from Gary "Catfish" Davis.

Gary writes: I started playing in 1985 with the Windy City Darters and added Prairie State Darters to that list till 1990. I retired from darts for 7 years to raise my family and then picked them up again in 1997. Then I started way down South in Chattanooga, TN with the greater Chattanooga Darting Association. I have been here ever since.

I have managed to do almost some of the same things as one of my mentors, Ed "BamBam" DeBehnke! I was a brass player (beginner rated player in the Windy City Darters) for one year and moved up to Tungsten (advanced darter rating). I finished 2nd to Dan Pucillo in the city singles championship in 1990 and won my 2nd "Darter of the Year" trophy in Prairie State in 1990. I won two years in a row, back-to-back, and I was only one of three people to ever do this in the history of Prairie State.

The first darter to do this was the former league President Bob Bloom, and the last was Ed "BamBam" DeBehnke. If it were not for me, Ed would have won three, if not four in a row. I had to survive a 180 and a 171 in the last leg to pull it out of that place where the sun does not shine, except on a dog's butt!

Recently, I have been fortunate to have captured the Tennessee State Doubles 501 title in 2003 only to find myself stuck in the elevator at the state finals in Johnson City, Tennessee for the mixed trips during a power outage! This past year in Chicago I was lucky enough to also win the ADA National 501 Singles title. I had to avenge my 2nd place finish the year before in Las Vegas after winning the first two legs against Jeff Morris, of Splinters in Chicago. Typical fish! I could NOT find the double in the last three legs with a combined total of 21 darts.

There are, as I have been told, in Chicago (from one of the Windy City Opens), two City Champion plaques with handlebar mustaches on them still! I have to leave my mark!

My favorite clubs and pubs? Di's Den of course, and also in Chicago, the long gone "Salty's" and Maxfields. In Tennessee, Terry's in Hixson and Mayos in Brainerd. And also the long gone "Johnny's".