Fishing Tips Included
The title of this article is my salute to Dr. Seuss, his books used to be my favourites when I was 5-6 years old.
Lots of people think that fishing is boring and is all about sitting in one place holding a fishing rod. They couldn’t be more wrong. I discovered the fun in fishing on a trip to Alibaug (a seaside town in Maharashtra). We were staying at a B&B owned by Ashish Mhatre who is a close friend of my mother. Ashish uncle loves to fish. On our first day, over dinner he explained the techniques of fishing and offered to take us fishing the next day, we heartily agreed. This is the story of my fishing adventure.
About half an hour before we were to head out for our fishing trip Ashish uncle called me and gave me a small trowel. He had one too, and a plastic container with a lid with a few pin-sized holes. I asked him what it was all about and he said that we were going digging for food, well, worms for the fish. He took me to a patch of dirt in the backyard where he stuck in his trowel and pulled out a handful of worms. “Not the best ones, Where are the fat ones?” he said. I dug out a few handfuls of soil and saw a few dozen worms. “Quite an infestation,” I commented. He got up and said, “You want to see an infestation?” Ashish uncle dug a solid piece of dirt and there were scores of worms. He pulled out a large amount dropped them in the container and walked back to the main area.
We called my parents and they came down ready to fish. I got into my Crocs and Ashish uncle and my dad wheeled out a motorbike and a scooter. My dad was to drive one and Ashish uncle, the other. I got onto the motorbike behind Ashish uncle. I was to hold the rods, so I put my right foot on the bike’s footrest and rested the rods next to it, then with my free left hand I gripped Ashish uncle’s shoulder. My parents had set themselves up as well and we were off, Ashish uncle and I in the lead with my parents following behind.
Once we were at the pond Ashish uncle picked up the smallest rod and the bait box. He pulled out a thickish worm and split it in half, Yuck! Slowly, using the side he had recently split, he pushed the worm onto the hook. Ashish uncle slowly descended into the pond and cast his rod. He explained that the best way to do this was to end with a slight flick of the wrist. The float dipped slightly indicating that a fish had been hooked, with a slight tug he pulled it out of the water and held it in front of me. I caught the fish in my right hand and slowly eased it out of the hook. I then put it in a bag filled with water that we had brought along. After a bit of practice, I got pretty good at baiting the hook and unhooking the fish, he let me do that for him. I also got a lot of practice casting the line using the small rod. My mom and dad had a go as well. All of us dropped a fish but mine was most exciting because mine was out of the water for a bit before it slipped from my grip and splashed into the water.
These are our stats for two hours of fishing.
Small fish – 16
Big fish (katla) – 1 (caught by ME !!)
Now for some information about baits and lures that I picked up from Ashish uncle. There are different types of ways to lure the fish in different scenarios, here is a list of items that fishermen use.
- Rubber Lure. This type of bait contains two hooks and is made of a material that allows it to shake like it is a little fish and attracts fish.
- Ball and Hook. This is a weighted ball with a hook attached that is used to attract deeper water fishes.
- Metal bait. The bait glints and shine to attract curious fish and make them dinner.
- The Tongue baits. This bait has a metal frame with a plasticky tongue which makes it swing. Very helpful for deep sea fishing.
Tips and Tricks to maximise your fishing fun:
- Do not leave your bait in the water too long. If it bobs steadily for more than ten seconds the fishes have probably slyly eaten your bait and gotten away.
- Cast softly, in wide open spaces people tend to do a wild swing of the rod and make large ripple when it lands. If you make a slight flick of the wrist the line will land softer so that the fish don’t notice.
- Make sure that your bait is on tight otherwise there is a chance that the fish will nibble at the loose parts and leave the hook alone.
- Fishing is all about keeping your eyes on the float and the line. It is a contest between the fish and the fishermen, you need the right equipment and some patience.
Fishing is very fun so I suggest you try it. Even a small pond with fish in it will do, just remember, fish are smart and you won’t always catch the big ones. BYE!
