The Circus comes to Sawantwadi, South Maharashtra The autumn was coming to an end and giving way to the English winter. Extended weather forecasts were harsh so it seemed like a good time to head off to the warmer climes of the sub continent. Ten weeks were ahead of us in India and we had one and one plan only. To catch as many fish as possible. The whole of the Indian coast was available to us plus a fantastic stretch of the beautiful Cauvery River in southern Karnataka. Our plan couldn’t be extended any further until we touched down in India and got acclimatised.
Setting sun over River Cauvery, South India 
Mumbai was tiring as usual. We were running about the city for the first two days to see friends, purchase last minute lures and tackle and to visit the fish market at Sasoon Dock. The second sleep saw a midnight war with vast amounts of bedbugs leading us to break out of the hotel in the early hours of the morning. A long wait at CST railway station was far preferable to paying for the pleasure of having our blood incessantly sucked at two o’clock in the morning! At least we could pass the time observing the city awakening. Chai and an omelette peppered with chillies got the day going for us. Meanwhile at the sidelines Asaf, a smartly dressed guy, tried to make small talk. I wasn’t in the mood but still how could I refuse to answer the questions of such an eager inquisitor? At least he seemed to know which platform the Mandovi Express would be leaving from. Although as predicted this turned out to be incorrect as we got waved across to the next platform by a porter dressed in red, pushing a large wooden trolley.
Early morning scrum at Sasoon Dock fish market, Colaba, Mumbai It was good to finally climb onto the Express and slowly pull out of Mumbai through a low shroud of dawn mist. It was time to sit back and relax; as we crept southwards through the city we were serenaded by the low tone of the train’s horn. For the first few kilometres dotted along the side of the tracks men squatted relieving themselves. Some read newspapers and all were accompanied by a small vessel containing water. Women would have been earlier under the cover of darkness.
View of rice paddies from the Konkan railway, Maharashtra State
Sunset through the Coconut palms over the Tiracol River, South Maharashtra
Pernem Railway station, North Goa
Twelve hours after departing Mumbai we left the train at the small station of Pernem which is situated in the far north of Goa. A few stations later the Mandovi express would terminate in central Gao at the city of Margao. From Pernem station it’s a picturesque forty minute taxi ride to Arambol village which lies on the shores of the Arabian Sea. The monsoon was still in evidence; lush and thick vegetation cloaked the road and obscured views until we passed along the side of the Tiracol River. As usual the river was full of wooden boats used for hand dredging sand from the river bed which would be used in the construction industry. All of these camps along the river are illegal but continue to function year after year thanks to the right exchanges of cash. After heading away from the river the road heads over the dry plateau before dropping into the seaside belt.
Ashok Jaganath Redkar; The No.1 fisherman in Goa?
Arriving in Arambol we left the taxi and the two English guys that we had shared with and went in search of the famous Ashok. It wasn't two minutes before we were greeted by the big smile of our fishing buddy. And a few minutes later a very happy Markus arrived who I had met earlier in the year. Markus’ father was over for a few weeks so that evening we all exchanged some stories, made some plans and sunk a few kingfisher beers.
A Local lady collects Lotus flowers, Mochemaad, South Maharashtra
Our rough plan was spend the first week or so in north Goa giving us time to adjust to the climate, do some fishing and let Sam get accustomed to riding a scooter. The first couple of days had us running for cover as the heavy monsoonal cloud bursts continued to soak the already lush land. The monsoon should have ended around a month earlier, but was dragging on this year. We complained about fishing conditions not being great thanks to the rain, but it was the some of the farmers who suffered the most. Of course a few benefited but many struggled to bring rice harvests in and watched as other vegetables crops rotted. Later we would find out the unseasonal rains ruined half the onion crop in south Karnataka, driving the price up to 60 rupees a kilo. To put this into perspective; this was only a fraction cheaper than a kilo of chicken which is usually a “luxury” item.
Tomato seller, Karnataka
The guys that would be benefiting from all this extra rain were the mango and cashew growers along the coastal belt. At the start of the year the Alphonso mango trees that line the roads through the Konkan coast were literally dripping with flowers. Leaves were hidden by the floral display and the landscape took on a little yellow hue, while the sickly sweet smell permeated the already thick air. A smell you either love or hate I was enjoying every minute riding trough the plantations on the twisting and turning roads.
To really be able to explore India one needs to be self sufficient in regards to transport so we hired a couple of Honda Dio Scooters from some friends in Arambol. For 150 Rupees a day for rental which is around 2 pounds and a further 250 rupees to fill the tank it works out pretty economical. The fact that they are also indestructible meant we would have trouble free transport for the coming couple of months.
Our trusty Honda scotters that carried us through 4500km of South India over ten weeks
For the first few days in Goa the wind and rain continued to push in from over the Arabian Sea meaning conditions were far from perfect for lure fishing. Bait fishing can often be more productive when the water has been coloured from a blow so that’s what we tried. A session or two at the mouth of the Tiracol River was a very pleasant way to spend some time but didn’t yield what we’d hoped for. Using Sardine and Mackerel cut baits numerous catfish graced the shore along with a couple of late running tiger toothed croakers which weighed in at half a kilo. These mauve flanked beauties usually arrive inshore number during the monsoon proper. Voracious in their habits they will take bait as well as lures if the water conditions are right.
Tiracol River mouth with Tiracol fort in the Background and catfish corner in the foreground
Stefan, our Austrian friend was fishing lures for barramundi while we soaked baits in the back eddy of the river mouth. He didn’t have a touch all evening so we were a little glad to have had a modest amount of action to our beachcasters. Although the catfish are a nuisance they do put up a good scrap for their size and keep the angler interested when other species fail to bite. Although we suspected the lack of Barra was due to the poor prevailing conditions it could have just been one of those fishless evenings. Barramundi fishing often benefits from a slight tinge of colour in the water so bearing this in mind we decided a lure session from the rocks was in order the following day.
Sam trying his luck from the rocks and quite enjoying it by the looks of things!
The next day was spent hanging out waiting for the sun to start dropping towards the horizon. Day time fishing in Goa is usually fairly unproductive unless fishing from a boat. There are times however that shore fishing can be rewarding such as when larger fish are actively driving the sardine shoals towards the coast. Most notably threadfin salmon and Trevally will feed during the day but with a good feed on offer Barramundi and Mangrove Jacks can also be tempted out of their day time hidey holes. It’s always worth flicking some lures midday, but usually by the time prime o’clock is reached the fisherman has succumbed to heat exhaustion. It’s worth conserving energy for when it might really go off.
Rubber Shads rigged with treble hooks
Around four o’clock, with sun taking on a rich orange glow we headed to the rocks with our rods and lures. That’s the beauty of art lure fishing; a small bag and rod and you’re ready to go. Having been busted up by some huge fish in this area in the past I was excited to be back and have another chance.
Ashok trying his luck just after sundown
For some reason I didn’t feel that the first rock that we stopped at was the ‘one’. Leaving Sam and Markus I headed further along the coast to join Ashok and Peter for a cold Coke as it was still a little early to start fishing. Twenty minutes later we were down at the water’s edge ready for a bit of fishy action! I had brought the light spinning rod as it was still early in the trip and enjoyment was the name of the game. Before I have landed some good fish with the Oceanmaster and although it lacks stopping power it has enough grunt to subdue some serious fish.
Sunset over the Arabian sea
We started casting around twenty minutes before the sun dropped into the Arabian Sea and after ten minutes something substantial slammed into my rubber shad. The rod was immediately pulled round into an alarming curve as the fish made its bid for freedom! Because of the rugged underwater terrain and oyster encrusted rocks a fish can often win break free pretty easily if not fought hard or skilfully enough. Line was momentarily torn from the spool but little was gained as I applied heavy pressure to stop the fish reaching the sanctuary of the rocks. After a few seconds a beautiful barramundi broke the surface, hurling itself into the air. It was a sight we would see often over the coming months As silver scales shone in the evening sunlight it shook its head vigorously try to shed the hooks. It only began to tire after another two skyward leaps at which point I managed to pull it to a point where Ashok and I could land it. Around five kilos it was a great first fish of the trip and would feed us all well that evening!
The first Barramundi of the trip, a fine specimen of 5kg+ and also our evening meal!
Over the moon with my first fish I wasn’t all that bothered whether I had any more takes that evening. Luck was however on my side and not even five minutes later a big Barramundi “boofed” my rubber shad from the surface. The take was quite spectacular. A big boil was left on the water’s surface as the fish quickly turned to make a break for the open sea, after realising something was not right! I quickly realised it was a big fish which was going to test my little Oceanmaster rod to the extreme. It was my good fortune to hook the fish close by in the central pool between submerged rocks. Had it been further out my luck probably would have run out pretty quickly. The Barra fought hard giving short powerful runs against the tight clutch of the Navi 8000 but I was able to prevent it from gaining any real distance. The little rod was bent around to the butt but performed superbly! As I tried to keep the fish’s head up out of the rocks as it was rushing around the pool Ashok arrived after hearing my shouts. As the Barra came close to the rock it decided to change its fighting tactics. It now repeatedly launched itself from the rough sea in a bid to free the hooks. My heart was well and truly in my mouth as this is the most common time for the hook hold to fail during a Barra fight. Being so close to the rocks Ashok and I had a great view of the Barra’s vertical stunts; its yellow tinged mouth wide open as it vigorously shook its great silver head.
5kg Barramundi that fell to a rubber shad
The hook hold was good so we were in luck. After an awesome display of acrobatics lit by the setting sun Ashok took the rod so I could pull the fish ashore. A hefty specimen of over 20lb lay in my arms. Her large scales reflected a myriad of colours as we clicked off a couple of photos. Such a beautiful beast would have to swim another day so I slipped the beautiful creature back into the warm water. As I did so Ashok as gasping for air as he couldn’t believe what I was about to do. With a kick of the tail the fish was gone and after a few complaints Ashok headed back over to his spot.
10kg Barramundi prior to being released
When Barramundi are biting it pays to get your lure back in the water as fast as possible. A shoal may come through and when the fish have gone it’s game over for the next few hours. My next bite didn’t take long in coming. This time the fish took the lure much further out which never helps. The fact that it didn’t seem at all bothered about the tight clutch had me worried! As line flew out to sea and the reel screamed I knew I would be very lucky to see this fish. A moment later everything went slack as the line parted over a sharp rock! A big Barramundi, Trevally or Grouper may have been the culprit!
A very happy Peter with his first Barramundi
Sitting down to take a rest and smoke a cigarette, Ashok arrived carrying a lovely little Malabar Rock Cod of around 2kg. He seemed a little more pleased now and was even talking to me. I can understand that he though I was completely mad releasing my Barramundi. I would too if I was him. A fish of that size can easily be sold for two and a half thousand rupees which is a substantial amount of money for the average Goan. I tried to explain, and I think slowly over the next couple of months he began to understand the alien concept of catch and release.
"India Is Great"
Sam and a Malabar Rock Cod
Over the next few days we had some more success from the rocks. More Barramundi fell to our lures as well as another rock cod that decided Sam’s bucktail jig would make a good meal. Sam landed a good fish of around 7-8kg and also got well and truly smoked by a big fish that couldn’t be stopped. For it to ignore 80lb braid and a powerful catfish rod it must have been a substantial size. Ashok also lost a big fish and much of his line one evening after the fish couldn’t be stopped. Over the last couple of years we have lost at least ten unstoppable fish from this spot so I vowed to get revenge. I planned to return later in the trip with heavy tackle to see if I could stop one of these big fish.
Sam and a barramundi that took a lure just after dark
I also took my kayak out one morning as it had been a while since I was on the water. I fancied taking a short paddle from Querim along the rocks to Arambol and then return for lunch at the Omkar beach shack. Not being the time for fishing I half heartedly took a rod along and trolled a shallow diving Yo Zuri behind the yak. Much to my amazement half way along the rocks, the rod hopped over and line peeled off the spool. At first I thought it was a rock but as soon as I got the rod in my hands and the “rock” started pulling back I realised it was a decent fish. And after a short spirited fight I pulled a lovely Barra of 7kg aboard and headed on to Arambol beach.
Ghost crab
A little further along a couple of European guys were scrambling about the rocks in the midday sun. I realised they were bait fishing so enquired whether they had had any luck. Looking hot and bothered they replied that nothing was happening! So of course I couldn’t resist pulling the Barra skyward in a bid to refuel their enthusiasm. They still didn’t look all that happy so I paddled on happy not to be stinking like a rotten sardine! On the beach Markus kindly came down to take the fish to be cleaned, along with an inquisitive group of locals who all seemed to think my fish was for sale.
Local Mackeral fishing boat
The rains seem to have passed after a week of being in Goa and the last storm came one evening just before we headed out to the rocks. After waiting for a heavy downpour to pass we walked through a light drizzle under a leaden sky, hoping the worst of it had passed. By the time we reached the fishing spot our clothes were saturated. The fishing trip didn’t seem such a great idea now and considering the water had taken on a brown tinge form fast runoff; chances of a fish seemed slim now. There was however one clear patch of water that the brown mud hadn’t reached so this was the place to try. After five minutes as the rainfall increased we were off back across the slippery rocks carrying a small but perfectly formed Barramundi! Some days luck is there when it really matters!
A one rupee land ine as seen all around the subcontinent
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment