A fresh feud is brewing over a fish that is older than the Korean War.

Somehow it is not surprising that the passions inflamed by the species people in Wisconsin revere as much as cheese, keep this seemingly unresolvable dispute going.

We're back to the Louie Spray muskie caught in 1949. Or not, according to some.

Only last year, Hayward author and guide John Dettloff capped more than 13 years of research when he announced he believed Spray's colossal 69-pound, 11-ounce muskie represented a legitimate claim.

The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame retroactively recognized that fish as the record.

Now comes Eli Singer of Park Falls, Wis., who in his new book, "Musky Chronicles III," dismisses Spray's claim as false and attacks Dettloff.

Let's just say this is not a genteel debate. In fact, you could sum it up as the Hatfields and McCoys of Wisconsin muskie fishing in hostilities.

As a refresher, it should be mentioned that Spray was a rogue, a character who had brushes with the law.

Dettloff's own book, "Three Record Muskies In His Day: The Life and Times of Louie Spray," focuses on the unlikely Spray achievement of catching three world-record muskies.

Spray was a controversial figure in life for his non-fishing adventures such as bootlegging and he remains a controversial figure in death.

Singer is a muskie maniac.

This is his third book about muskie fishing and the Spray chapters constitute only a small portion of it--it contains about 300 pictures.

But it would be disingenuous to say anything but that the Spray discussions are the lightning-rod sections.

"The old-timers laughed at [Spray] and said he was always buying fish," Singer said in an interview.

Singer suggests limited photos don't support the supposed size of the fish.

In the book, Singer contends Spray purchased a mount of a large muskie, proving he didn't actually catch the record. Of course, it doesn't help that all three of Spray's mounts were destroyed in a fire long ago.

"Spray was a calculating self-promoter," Singer said.

In the book, Singer asks, "Was Louie Spray the best musky fisherman ever? Or was he just the best of the frauds?"

That is an incendiary question around Dettloff--and it gets worse. Singer calls Dettloff "a sneaky guy. He almost holds Spray as something to be worshipped."

Dettloff immersed himself in meticulous, long-term muskie investigations. He probed the claims of other fishermen from other states and proved that some of their assertions were false.

Dettloff said when he began studying Louie Spray he expected to find proof that the muskies were not true records.

Instead, he said he found evidence from pictures and witnesses supporting Spray's stake, including a photo of both Spray's giant muskie and the 67 1/2-pound, 60 1/4-inch muskie caught by Cal Johnson.

That fish also was taken in 1949 and the mount is on display in Hayward.

It recently was shown at the Chicago Muskie Show. Spray's big one was seen--with Johnson's--in Chicago in 1950.

"You can clearly see Louie's mount is longer than Cal's," Dettloff said.

The International Game Fishing Association in Florida recognizes Johnson's fish as the world record.

Spray's record was boated after he shot it--permissible at that time. However, the association's rules say a fish must be landed on rod and reel.

Dettloff believes he has proved his case.

Of Singer's remarks, he said, "There's no evidence. It's pretty much trash. [This] is a combination of misleading statements and untruths."

I would love to share a dining room table with Dettloff and Singer--but only if Judge Judy was at its head.

Dettloff thought his research and book represented the last word.

"I'm proud of my book," Dettloff said. "I worked hard at it. I put it to rest. There's no legitimate controversy on [Spray's] fish.

"Louie was a wild guy. He was a good-time Charlie, but he did live by a personal code. People were investigating Louie's fish from the moment he caught them. There always will be a few doubting Thomases.

"It'll keep coming back. There's a small clique of people who choose not to want to believe in it."

Singer is obviously one of them.

"With the mounts gone the last word will never be written," he said. "Until a new record is set."

On research alone I tend to agree with Dettloff's position. He supplies more solid evidence indicating Spray did catch the record than Singer supplies suggesting Spray did not catch the record.

Given that Spray died in 1984 and the mounts turned to ash long ago, we never can know the truth with absolute certainty.

Calmer Lansworth Johnson