Pauls Valley Set of New Catfish Noodling Film

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma -- Noodling is defined as the barehanded catching of catfish. It's well-known in Oklahoma and surrounding states, but it's about to go worldwide thanks to a film crew.

California filmmaker Rebecca Eskreis remembers first reading about noodling in the New York Times.

"Then I read about Oklahoma and how noodling is sort of a popular--cult--sport, I guess, but also sort of rite of passage in certain families, and I just became really fascinated by it," said "Noodling" writer and director Rebecca Eskreis.

So now, three years later, Eskreis and her crew are preparing for a week of shooting in Pauls Valley for "Noodling" the movie.

Since Bob's Pig Shop is the headquarters for the annual noodling competition, Pauls Valley is the perfect place to shoot the movie. The crew will use some local homes for interior shooting, and the crew will use some residents as extras in scenes.

Some local kids hope to land roles as extras.

"I was excited because this really usually doesn't happen," Breanna Ventura said.

"I thought it was pretty cool 'cause like Pauls Calley is like a pretty small town, and like having a movie filmed here is pretty cool," said Xavier Jones.

But a noodling movie has to be about more than just man versus the fish.

"It's really a coming of age story about a girl growing up in Pauls Valley and she doesn't really like it here," said Eskreis.

Auditions for extra, non-speaking roles will be held Saturday, July 31 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the American Inn and Suites lobby in Pauls Valley.