Indians For Guns

Three years ago, to the very day, saw GG, a friend and me motoring down to the site where the WASI cottage was being built.

On reaching the place I was introduced to a few WASI members who were camping there and one of them asked me to hold his rod whilst he cleaned out a fish for the pot.

I was told to keep an eye on the float and my finger on the line. A shortwhile later, I felt these taps and saw the float disappear. Amidst cries of, "strike and reel in" a small tilapia appeared out of the water and I was well and truly hooked to a sport I had ignored for years despite living in a place that was surrounded by the sea on three sides.



So what's your 'first catch' story?

Well Mack The Knife. I am 51 years now and iwas always fascinated by angling since I was twelve. I had been watching the anglers land carp and eels in a lake near where I stayed in Bangalore. I decided and made a rod out of my Grand pa's walking stick and got some kite strings for line. Having no Idea where to buy hooks, I made myself one out of a safety pin, used a peacocks quill for float. When I arrived at the lake side with this equipment, I was the butt of jokes from the experts of the trade there. Well, I dug up some worms and set to fish along side of the experts.To all their surprise and envy I landed a 2 pound Murrel within five minutes of my start! That was my first catch and I still remember the day with fondness and pleasure. I have been fishing with my own Bamboo rods and lines since then and the largest catch was a Murrel weighing 10 pounds caught with a 10 foot bamboo pole with a frog as bait!
I am sure every body who have the love for nature loves this sport as it sets your adrenaline pumping every time there is a bite on the bait and a fight!

Hi SSK,

Your story is the sort of stuff legends are made off. I do see villagers using a branch (not necessarily cane) as a rod but I never thought good old manja would do the trick.

I am a relative newcomer to Bangalore (Dec. '96) but I was told that Bangalore had forty or so lakes within its limits in those days.

For me, the part where I begin to feel the tentative bite/s followed by a lunge or the gradual pressure of the take and then the strike is more exciting than actually landing the fish. There's nothing that grabs my attention as fully as a bite.

Hi Mack The Knife, Where in Bangalore you live?
I used to live near Old madras Road near Hoskote!

Richards Town.

Here is my first catch,

this was in january 2007 somewhere near lucknow....i was at a friends farm .....he had got a new fishing rod(neither of us had ever done any fishing before).......we used bread as bait.......n whooa...our first catch ....a huge chunk of algae n fungus......we continued for about 2 hours ...but never managed anything worth mentioning...lol.....

heres me on the banks

http://picasaweb.google.com/paraggad/P/ ... 8529108642
havent had the chance to go out after that.....even though i didnt catch a fish....i enjoyed myself.....

regards
parag

LOL. We are getting some really funny firsts.

One of our members started off by catching socks but that did not kill his enthusiasm...despite the ribbing. Infact he has even been known to lie to his wife that he has to attend a medical seminar in Bangalore...

Hello Mack The Knife, I do that many times now also when I get away with freinds on out doorings!

Would that be catching socks or fibbing to the Home Minister?

Hi Mack The Knife, It will be Explaining to the HM about the importance of seminars and workshops!

I had waited to do some fishing ever since I knew about others doing it in and around Bangalore.
The day came on March 2nd 2008, when my first trip to the WASI stretch, at Forbes hapenned. Usual start - morning, breakfast on the way, etc...
And after I reached there, I was only too eager to learn what I need to do. I got a quick briefing from Rustum on casting and reeling in. I headed for the bank close by and did my first ever cast.
Lo and behold - a Murrel latched on before I knew what hapenned. I felt the pull and I watched as others around me yelled 'Strike'! But little did I know what strike meant
The luckey blighter got away.
The rest of the day was a yawn and a sore, but by evening, I caught my first ever fish - a good sized Golden finned Mahseer. Was I happy. WOW.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/RHB ... CN4731.jpg
Its a feeling that I will never forget for the rest of my life

But little did I know what strike meant

That's the spirit! Blame it on me, you blighter.

The first time ever for me was in Indian Ocean. Well, it was Dec 2006, I was in Lakshwadeep, Agatti Islands on vacation. There they take you out in a motor boat and use tuna fish as bait and the line is about 30-40 lbs test and you fish for brightly colored coral fish in the reefs.

Well, the casting is done by the experts there, its like a hammer throw, you spin, spin and then release the bait using a small flat rectangle of wood as a ree. there is no rod. You need to hold the small piece of wood at an angle, for the reel to come out smoothly like you do when you fly a kite you hold the spool

And after some time I felt a small tug on the line and pulled/yanked in a small fish. I have a picture of that , I need to get around to scan it. well it was released as well... that was my first . And soon I learnt to cast my self and landed another one. And I was hooked

And that part of the world they always tie a line with a hook and some bright colored plastic thread , and troll along where ever they go, for another group they had a 10-15 Kg tuna on line.

Then after that the other fishing experience was in Galibore...that was fun..

Cheers
Ranjeet