The Great Royal Circus comes to Sawantwadi!!During the first week in Goa we kicked back a little but while we did we planned the next stage of our trip. The idea was to head north into the state of Maharashtra and travel along the coast for a few hundred kilometres, fishing as we went. Sam had not been on a scooter before so the first job was to get him confident at riding. Luckily the roads we would be travelling on are very quite by Indian standards and far from the stereotypical view most westerners may have of the average road in the subcontinent. As long as we stuck to the coast and didn’t venture inland onto the Mumbai-Goa highway we would have a pretty peaceful time. After a shaky start Sam soon got the hang of the scooter and was buzzing around confidently after a couple of days.
Sand dredgers working hard on the Tiracol River Markus and Peter decide to join us, but only for the first few days as unfortunately Peter had to return to Austria at the end of the week. Heading off mid morning we filled up with fuel before taking the ferry across the Tiracol River into Maharashtra and on towards the town of Shiroda. As usual the sand miners were hard at work on the river dredging the valuable sand. Across the river we passed through harvested rice paddies still green from all the rain, onwards through the dusty red area of the iron ore mine and then past a low lying area used for salt production.
Salt pans near Mochemad, Maharashtra
Lotus flowers
We passed Mochemad and then the village of Shiroda, following the winding road as it took us towards the town of Vengurla. In the dryer areas cashew nut bushes flourished and then as we climbed up onto a plateau mango plantations surrounded us, the trees about to burst into bloom. Up on the plateau where there is little soil and a lot of hot sunshine the landscape is a more solemn affair with brown parched grass and stone walls dominating the view. Back on the down slope the mangoes appear once again along with the odd fish tail palm poking out high above them. A beautiful view opens up down across the jungle down to a dark blue Arabian sea bordered by the white fleck of breaking waves. Soon the landscape becomes more populated as one reaches more fertile land and gets closer to the fishing town.
Filling up with petrol, North Goa
Fishing village, Konkan coast
Vengurla is a beautiful little town still sporting its original architecture. Nowadays in India many new buildings are thrown up using concrete to form cubes that can then be built upon in the future when money is available. Builders along The Konkan coast traditionally use the local basalt stone as building blocks which is then finished off with Mangalore clay tiles for roofing. The result is a far more attractive building, which when grouped together makes for very picturesque towns and villages. Vengurla is one of these and along with its beautiful long white sand beach, makes a good place to spend a few days soaking up the local atmosphere.
Markus ready for action
Markus and Peter flicking lures, South Maharashtra
The four of us headed out ready for some action from big red snappers and any other fish kind enough to bite our lures. North of Vengurla the big granite boulders form a beautiful coast line. As we fished Dolphins surfaced not far out to sea and every so often close to the rocks a huge turtle would break the surface. Briefly surveying the alien world above it would quickly vanish back to the depths to continue foraging. Above us Brahminy and Black kites soared on the thermals looking for an easy meal while the White Bellied sea eagle headed out to sea to snatch an unlucky sea snake that was coming up for air.
Goose Barnacles
Although beautiful, the rocks can also be dangerous. Unlike the jagged rocks found on most of the coast the rock here is so smooth that it’s sometimes hard to find a place to grip. One moment sticks in my mind, when, as I tried to traverse a steep smooth rock slope I lost grip and began to slide downwards to a horizontal crack running along the adjacent rock. To slide into this crevice would have been a huge problem as I’m sure I would have become well and truly wedged. And with nothing to grip onto, it may have been a long wait for rescue. Luckily I didn’t panic but surfed down the rock and steadying myself as I reached the crevice before hot footing out of danger. Next time I wasn’t so lucky and shattered the tip ring on my rod as fought for grip on the glassy surface. Below the high water line emerges another danger; Goose barnacles. A slip onto these sharp little crustaceans will not be a pleasant experience!
Konkani coast sunset
With out a bite and a broken tip ring a walk back to the hotel was in order for some repairs and refreshments. Along the way I found Sam, who having not had a bite was also ready to head back to town. Markus and Peter caught up with us a little later so we could start some very important negotiations with the hotel owner. The problem was that we wanted to fish during the night but this meant the gates surrounding the hotel would be locked when returned. The owner is an old guy that is pretty much deaf and also speaks very little English, so we imagined the conversation might prove to be fruitless. With my limited Marathi I managed to explain that we wanted to return after midnight. Remarkably the manager seemed to get the picture and suggested we should simply take his phone number and call when we were back! Ah so simple!
Markus, Sam and Peter ready for fishing
After some preparations and a great meal and a couple of cold kingfisher beers it was time to head back to the fishing. As Sam opened the door to our room we got the first surprise of the evening. A huge rat sat in the middle of the floor staring at open door before turning and quickly launching itself up onto the sink and out of the back window! Not the best room mate to have but equally not the worst so we could deal with him latter when we returned.
Evening barramundi fishing from the rocks
The tide was rising and although it was a dark night we were confident of landing a decent fish or two. It night was warm and was kept warm by the heat radiated from the rock we fished from. Sam and I choose a spot high up where the chance of getting washed into the sea by a wave was minimal. As the water reaches its maximum high it can become rough and with no light from the moon we didn’t want to take any risks. Markus and his father went across the small bay from us and fished a spot where we had landed fish on previous trips.
Surveying potential fishing spots while spotting Dolphins palying out at sea
The first hour proved to be fruitless. After Trying a variety of lures and fishing hard, a couple of small taps was the only reward. I did however hook Markus’ line. Our lures must have just landed right on top of each other as there was affair distance between us. I immediately felt I had his line and wondered if he knew the same. To have a little fun I gave line and then twitched a couple of times to imitate a bite. Sure enough, he struck, felt resistance, and so thought he was into a fish! After a short fight I shouted across that he had my line and the reply was not all that polite. I couldn’t believe that such language could come from Markus’s mouth! After a lean spell of fish I hoped Markus would get lucky and land something.
Flicking lures for Barramundi and Mangrove Jacks
To get some more range I clipped on a Rapala x-rap and launched it to the horizon. It didn’t take long for a good fish to slam into the lure when it was half way in the retrieve. Powerful short runs made me suspect it was a good Mangrove Jack. A couple of sketchy moments ensued in the next few minutes as the fish got its head down and found sanctuary in the submerged boulders. Gradually I coaxed it out and pulled it over ready for landing. A beautiful big deep crimson Jack appeared on the surface ready for landing. The plan was to return any fish by gaffing through the chin where very least damage is done. Unfortunately a slip meant this fish was destined for the pot which was a great shame as I really would have liked to release such a beautiful creature.
A fine Mangrove Jack that took a shallow diver
It never ceases to amaze me at how hard these fish fight. For their size it really is incredible and I can only imagine what it would be like to land a big Cubera Snapper from the shore. It was Markus’ turn to get his string pulled next, as he landed a very nice Mangrove Jack of a similar size to mine. His luck continued and he landed a nice Barramundi a few minutes later of also a similar size. Both were released after a couple of photos. After the Barra nothing much happened and by midnight we were all ready to head back to the hotel.
Markus and a Barra that busted his dry spell
Back at the hotel we decided it was best to ask the restaurant up the road whether we could keep the fish in their fridge until the morning. Wanting nothing to do with it we needed another plan but a more pressing issue was to get into out hotel. As the hotel phone burst into life 10 feet the other side of the gate we imagined that any second the proprietor would open his door to let us in. how ever this didn’t happen. After ringing five times there was still not a sign of life. We could see through the window that the owner’s door was slightly ajar and we could also hear a television blaring away inside the room. It quickly became clear that our old friend must have either died or passed out from consuming too much feni. The latter was more likely so there was only one thing for it. Scaling the fence I got into the compound and proceeded to bash on the door and shout as loudly as possible. I’m sure we must have woken anyone living close by, but still not a stir from the room. Peering through the window I could see the manager passed out and so decided to give up. It now seemed pointless to wake him as we had found a way over.
Likely lures for Barra, MJ's and Cod
Stashing the fish in his small fridge, which was luckily kept outside I wondered if he would feel bad in the morning for not keeping his side of the bargain. His fishy fridge would be revenge enough I thought! Meanwhile Sam was setting rat alarms back in our room and in the morning he reported that ratty had woke him in the night, but had again quickly scarpered out of the window. I slept soundly and dreamt of big jumping Barramundi, oblivious to any rat activity.
Traditional Maharashtran mud house
The road that follows the coast, north of Vengurla is a beautiful ride. Winding through the variable landscape it’s roughly another 50km to the next town of any substantial size, which is Malvan. The road climbs and dips as it passes through tropical valleys and over the parched dry plateaus. At their lowest and wettest points the valleys are dominated by rice paddies hemmed in on either side by betel and coconut plantations. Jack fruit trees, with large green fruit hanging from their trunks, grow close to the village houses along with the ubiquitous mangos. Other useful trees are also cultivated in these fertile areas, with guava, breadfruit, tamarind, papaya and drumstick being the most popular with the local people, as well as with the resident monkeys. A large troop of silver, long legged Langurs will usually take up residence close to a village to make the most of this abundant food supply.
Village Banyan Tree (Ficus bengalensis), altar towards the right
Plenty of different birds can be seen down in the valleys, with the early morning being the best time, before they melt away into the surrounding forests as the day warms up. The local Banyan tree, usually found in most villages, will, when in fruit be a magnet to the local bird population. Cuckoos, Bul Buls and Barbets will abound during the day, but later will make way for the night shift of flying foxes, that love to gorge on the small juicy red fruit. Beware of sleeping under one of these magnificent trees in the wrong season, or for that matter, at any time if local customs are going to be respected. With its mass of twisting and interlocking aerial roots and potential prey, snakes also take up residence in this great tree. The birds and lizards may be saved from the alarm calls of the resident palm squirrels who also find the tree a comfortable home. Below all this activity incense will burn in a small temple. It’s not hard to see why this sacred tree represents eternal life.
Lush vegetation after the monsoon
Village women congregate on streamside rocks to wash the families’ laundry. The colourful saris they wear, contrasted against the green of the forest makes for a pretty scene. Lazy water buffalo may also come to make use of these cool streams in the hottest part of the day. Only their heads may protrude above the surface as they cool their large dark bodies. If they can’t make it down to the shade of the valley a muddy pool up on the sun baked plateau will also make do. During the hottest part of the day these gentle looking animals can be seen making a bee line for their favourite bathing hole, often left to it by their owners, who know exactly where they will be found.
Fishermen haul a huge net ashore
Clear water and a deserted beach backed by coconut palms just about sums the place up. There’s a small cluster of houses behind the beach amongst the coconut palms, and if you know where to look can find a guest house run by an incredibly hospitable old fellow. We fancied a bit of a fishing session at the river mouth in evening, but before, as it was still early we decided to check out the next village to the south. We retraced our way and took a right turning following the road back to the coast. On the way we saw a couple of Peacocks scuttle for cover as well as a group of magnificent Giant Malabar Hornbills.
We arrived at the village at the perfect time and found most of the men on the beach pulling in a large brown net. It was a substantial affair, with the net reaching a few hundred metres into the sea and with around 30 guys pulling it onto the beach. To begin with a boat would have pulled the net in an arc, trapping any fish unlucky enough to be in that area. When the net was in position and both ends were on the beach, pulling could begin. The net gradually moves closer to the beach with the internal area reducing all the time corralling the catch into an ever tightening space. Finally a last grand effort is needed to get the catch safely onto the beach.
The catch!
Markus holds the biggest fish of the catch, Southerm Pompano
Confident of something decent eating our fresh bait Sam and I soaked Mackerel in the river mouth while Markus and Peter tried some lures. Both were slow going but eventually Markus managed a Barracuda of a just over a kilo. Later he lost another but Peter got one in of a slightly better stamp. They were hitting silver slices cast into the rough water. Although confidence was sky high nothing happened on the bait until the evening had well and truly drawn in. A couple of small snappers were all we could how for our efforts along with one moray eel. At least the Barracudas would give us a good meal. Our host kindly agreed to prepare the fish and after a while appeared with a spread of some delicious Malvani dishes. Fried fish, fish curry, rotis and rice cooked to perfection really hit the spot as we were all famished. A further night fishing session threw up only one small Mangrove Jack.
Sam sitting with some Vijayadurg locals
The next day we headed to Malvan, where we said goodbye to Markus and Peter as they would be heading back to Goa the day after. Peter was due to fly home in a few days; it was a shame they couldn’t continue up the coast with us. After filling up with fuel and getting lost in the picturesque town of Malvan, Sam and I carried on north. Taking it easy and stopping here and there for Chai and Misal Pav, we headed in the direction of Vijayadurg. For those readers that haven’t tried Misal Pav I can highly recommend it. A small dish usually eaten for breakfast, it consists of a pile of what the English call Bombay mix along with peas, chick peas and possibly sprouts. All this swims in a thin fragrant curry sauce, and is topped with fresh chopped onion, coriander and a squirt of lime. I was not convinced the first time I came across it, but quickly became well and truly hooked.
Vijayadurg Fort
In around three hours we made it to Vijayadurg. The last 10km was lovely smooth new tarmac so we could fly along and really enjoy the scenery. We passed this area as the school kids spilled out from the rural schools and made their way home. Most seemed pretty excited to see two foreigners passing by and so whooped with joy while hopping around and waving. We waved and tooted as we sped by. Always immaculately dressed it was nice to see such happy smiling kids who from the outside seemed like they enjoyed going to school.
Sunset from Vijayadurg Fort
Vijayadurg is famous for its fort that is the oldest of all the forts on in the Sindhudurg region, being completed in1205. The fort is quite a spectacular construction, built of huge rocks; it is surrounded on three sides by the lapping waters of the Arabian Sea. The village itself is not much to get excited about. A few shops and a couple of hotels are the centre of most of the activity, along with the central jetty where the fishing boats arrive early morning to unload their catch. The main income in the town is from fishing and mango growing. The locally grown Alphonso mangoes are exported far and wide and have become pretty famous throughout India and the rest of the world.
A fine Mangrove Jack caught by livebaiting squid
We took a hotel room right in the centre of town with a large window overlooking the jetty and fort. It was a comfortable room but the owners seemed highly confused over how to get the lights working. Excuses were made while they came and went from the room a few times, but with no joy. It seemed a bit excessive to have 15 different light switches when only one tiny bulb would work. Much later in the evening the lights suddenly starting working for some unknown reason!
Water Buffalo
When the day had sufficiently cooled down we took a walk up into Vijayadurg fort. The town was quiet apart from a few school groups who had also come to view the spectacular defences. As usual there were a couple of guys hanging around at the entrance of the fort that insisted that they would be our guides. We insisted other wise and knowing how persistent they might be, around the corner we bolted up into the maze of walls and rooms. With no one to bother us it was extremely pleasant to amble around and watch the glowing sun drop from the clear sky.
Konkani fishing boat
On the road to Ratnagiri
Later after eating a great Thali in our hotel, we headed down to a large jetty a few hundred metres back up the road. Thinking the place would be deserted, we were surprised to see a couple of other guys fishing. I guess they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. We planned to lure fish until we noticed that a throwing net was being cast over the edge of the jetty. After a few friendly words, we managed to secure some perfectly sized mullet to throw over the edge. Soon a few more local guys came and joined their friends, until 8 or 9 of us were fishing. It seemed we had come across some local experts, as they told us some big fish lurk about under the concrete pillars. This was good to hear as the incoming tide was pushing in forming some fishy looking currents. Not much happened though, apart from one of the guys bashing the shit out of an unfortunate Moray eel and another catching a lovely Mangrove Jack on a live squid. Around midnight we headed back to the hotel, to firstly get eaten by mosquitoes, and then to get woken a few hours later by a bunch of noisy fishermen on the jetty.
Tiger fish
As Vijayadurg sits on a long arm a long loop was required to get going north again. After a long way we passed on the far side of the river and could see the fort and town in the distance. We wanted to head a little further north to find try and find some steeper beaches where the shore fishing might be good. After riding most of the day we found a long stretch of beautiful empty beaches dived divided every few kilometres by rocky headlands. From the roadside high up above we could see deep into the clear blue waters. Out at sea the wooden trawlers looked for Pompret and prawns followed by hungry sea gulls. As with all fishing, the main problem was were to fish! With so much empty coastline available, a bit of prior knowledge and water craft came to the rescue. Deep troughs and gulleys were evident in some areas of the beaches and it was these areas we chose to fish.
Sand Shark
After quite an effort to track down fresh bait we had a good feeling we would be rewarded. Earlier I had caught a few hermit crabs and after extracting them from their shells tied a few to the hook. Knowing hermit crabs are high on the list of fishy delicacies I wasn’t too surprised to get a good bite after just a couple of minutes of casting in waves. The fish was on and after a short but good scrap a sand shark was pulled from the white water. Around 5kg it was a great sign of things to come. Fingers crossed we went to search for sardines and mackerel.
Sam and a Sand Shark
Stingray
When we finally got our bait, we headed for the same spot and cast into the trough running offshore. Sure enough there were fish there, and again within the first 5 minutes I pulled in another Sandshark a little bigger than the previous. Over the next couple of hours we caught another 12 or 13 and missed a few other good bites. I also caught a lovely Stumpnose, the first I have had in India. It was lovely fishing, with bites coming regularly, it kept us thoroughly entertained. Some local people were surprised to see us throwing the fish back. We tried to explain catch and release but most walked off shaking their heads and tutting, probably thinking we were completely mad.
Stumpnose
At night time, as the tide came up, we flicked lures for barramundi in a shallow river mouth. With the moon shining down from above, it was a delight to stand in the warm water casting across the flow. As the water flooded the sand around me fish began to arrive from all directions. Big jumping mullet flew out of the shallow water directly behind me, scarring the life out of me. Sometimes I would see a small stingray pass by my feet and be glad I wore my sandal. As the water reached higher up my legs I started to get bites and then it wasn’t long until something slammed into my shallow diving minnow. A moment later it broke the surface and cart wheeled through the air before breaking the surface a second time. It was a Barramundi and considering its size, it was fighting hard aided by the strong current. My little baitrunner sung a sweet note as the fish ran down the river jumping as it went. Hooked solidly it soon lay on the beach, ready for a quick photo before we slipped it back.
Night time Barramundi that took a shallow diving minnow
The next bite nearly was incredible and nearly saw me lose my balance. I had changed lure to a small 3inch rubber shad. On about the third a Barra followed the lure to within a metre or two of my legs and decided to noisily engulf it on the surface just as I was pulling it home. It was a real shock as it boofed it in leaving me nearly unable to strike. Luckily the hook found something to hang onto and Barramundi number two was in the bag. I was worried during the fight that the fish might decide to swim past me and at that moment decided to jump into the air. The result could well have been a Barra hanging like a Christmas decoration from some part of my body.
Deserted beach
The action was now coming fast, and it wasn’t long until another fish struck at the lure. This time however, it screamed away, against the current, flinging itself skyward as it headed back to sea. Unfortunately the hook popped out after only a few seconds. It was a better fish, but to land two out of three isn’t bad. I was lucky though as a little while later my lucky craft flash minnow got nailed and another spirited Barramundi found itself getting hauled onto the beach before having its photo taken. It swam away with a powerful slash of its tail and that brought a close to the evening’s fishing. Unfortunately Sam didn’t have any bites, but I guess that’s fishing for you.
Lure caught Barramundi and Mangrove Jack
There was one more thing to do while on this exploratory trip which was to find the secret hotspot. When I was kayaking from Mumbai to Goa, I looked down through the water one morning and saw twenty or more big barramundi, all around 9-10kg circling below me. I quickly caught one of 9kg before we pushed off south, but I’ve always wanted to go back as they were in casting range from the shore. According to the map we weren’t too far from the place and so one morning we set off to find it. Expecting it to take all day to locate the rocky headland I was dumbfounded when we rode straight to the beach to the south of the rocks. I had surpassed myself with my map reading skills! It looked damn good for an overnighter as the beach was close to the fishing spot and it seemed that the local people weren’t at all interested in our presence. In fact we only saw one old man who at the time was carefully placing all his water damaged cassettes on the rocks to dry in the sun!
Camping on the beach
First we needed to gather some supplies and pick up our equipment back at the hotel where we were staying. After buying some general supplies such as bananas, biscuits, chocolate and Bombay mix we were back and raring to go. We were so keen; we started to fish in the midday sun, which something we wouldn’t usually do. It was damn hot on the rocks and with no shade to shelter in we soon started to wither. Early on I hooked a mangrove Jack but lost it just by the rocks. Later Sam got a baby Queenfish on a silver wedge. Things were looking promising and I was excited for the evening when the fishing might pick up.
Deserted beach with fishing spot in the background
While I was lounging around in a refreshing rock pool, Sam was bait fishing with some sardine on the hook. Earlier he had asked whether I thought he should fish light or heavy tackle. My reply was to fish the heavier tackle, as we were on the rocks and there would definitely be some better fish about. For some reason he chose to use his light spinning rod and a small 2500 sized reel. Each to their own, I guess! I watched as he stuck the butt of the rod in a rock crevice and leaned back to rest a little. A second later the rod was violently ripped forward snapping the butt clean off. It fell down and flew across the rocks towards the sea with a very worried looking Sam chasing after it. As he grabbed and lifted, the top foot of the rod snapped off and slid away down the line as the drag screamed and line shot out to sea. A second later the line parted and it was all over. I may have laughed a little but think I managed to with strain myself from saying “I told you so”. I’m sure it was the last thing he wanted to hear at that moment.
The greenhouse effect! I rescued him a minute later
Beach fishing
Back at the camp which was under a grove of casuarinas we collect a load of wood and built a large fire. It was a fine evening that couldn’t get much better apart from if we had had a couple of cold beers. As the fire burnt down we covered the fish with the coals before sitting back and waiting. I set up a big rod and threw guts into the waves before sticking the rod up by the camp. Maybe I would get lucky with a stingray or shark. Twenty or thirty minutes later, we uncovered the fish and blew the ash away before peeling the skin away, and tucking into the beautiful juicy white flesh! Perfectly cooked the plan had come together nicely! By the time I brought the bait in the crabs had whittled it down to nothing.
Checking the map
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