Jungle Hooks

[Paul Boote]

Is it late? Only just before midnight in these parts. "up to" ? goodness.

 

Ah, but then, for some, "Yours Truly" at, say, 5.00 - 8.00am, on just tea, then coffee, then orange juice, is a bit too much...

[Dick Dastardly]

I couldnt stand "Reel wars" (the programme Mr M mentions) not just the fact that Steve Broad gets my back up but just the whole thing! As you say it takes all sorts

[fishfinder]

Personally, I think he's (that Jerremy bloke) a terrible presenter - he reminds me of a spoilt little brat at my son's boarding school that constantly gets picked on because he never knows when to shut up about his rich parents. even I want to beat him up (not really!).

 

HOWEVER - I think its great to be able to watch something other than the usual repettitive stuff that we get on Sky TV. I would love to go in search of those Mahseer etc.

 

The only really negative thing I can say is that on the original seriers, I wish he would skip all that messing around for the first 5 programmes "training" for the big day by catching smaller fish first. Its only fishing for gods sake, not the lindon Marathon!

[Ken L]

"Better not start doing any no-bucks reminiscing"

 

Paul I can see what your thinking but the reality is that these days, the Indians have largely woken up to the potential value of the fishing in their worthwhile inland rivers and sting forigners accordingly. Although we had cheap fishing by European standards, we were still being charged more than 10 times what Indian Nationals were being asked to pay - despite the fact that the only Indian anglers that we met whilst there were owners and directors of multinational companies who were earning several times my salary.

Where the Indians fail to maintain the waterways, they are netted, poisoned or dynamited to a degree that renders fishing pointless.

This leaves two choices - Poach (something I wasn't prepared to do) or pay.

 

I'm sure that real groundbreaking Mahseer fishing is still possible on a misers budget and in rivers where there are still some decent fish but I suspect that you'd have to go to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur or completely out of India to Myanmar (Burma) to do it.

[Paul Boote]

"

I'm sure that real groundbreaking Mahseer fishing is still possible on a misers budget and in rivers where there are still some decent fish but I suspect that you'd have to go to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur or completely out of India to Myanmar (Burma) to do it.

 

 

My last long India trip, just a few years ago, was "out East" (not Burma - I wouldn't go there until the repressive, fascist regime has finally gone). I also know of a few bods - one of them a truly excellent angler and mahseer-fisher (no name, he doesn't court publicity) - who have been recently, too. Very, very difficult fishing - water levels, monsoon timings, location of fish, fish if present at all experiencing extended bouts of absolute lock-jaw, etc etc... Very tough. I had a few mahseer, none very large. But, then again, even in the Raj "heyday", the Eastern fishing was no pushover; you literally had to be living there full-time (as a tea-planter, say) to be able to hit it right (and, even then, right would turn out to be all wrong, with the fish not playing ball; I know this from speaking at length with several tea-planters, both Brits and Indian). Someone get over for a year or two, please; crack a bit of the fishing, then invite me over...

[Ken L]

I know what you mean about Burma. I've spoken to people who've gone treking in Burma and walked into a Karen hiltribe village only to find everybody there massakered by the Burmese army. Not my cup of tea and I'll be laying off a visit until the current junta are out of the way.

 

When we were on the Cauvery, we were told that there'd been a disease outbreak that had killed a lot of the catfish and when I mentioned that it was a shame because we fancied a shot at the Ghoonch, we were told that they're only present in the north of India. Is that right ?

[Paul Boote]

Goonch, as far as I know, are confined to the North. Never encountered them outside of the Himalaya.

 

The Silund (used to be named Silundia gangetica) is the catfish to go for in the Cauvery. A free-swimming, whisker-less, silvery predator found especially in the very rocky gorge sections. Runs to 100 pounds or so. I have had a few to 30-odd pounds, seen handline-caught (you freeline a dead / live bait for them) fish to 50, and know of a 70-pounder on rod and line. Sometimes caught on a heavy silver spoon, too.

Edited May 7, 2006 by Paul Boote

[Paul Boote]

Hmm...

 

Better not start doing any no-bucks reminiscing...

 

Or someone will think I have been doing (late-night) drink / drugs (you can't do what I have got up to on either).

 

Or some Me-too East Anglian Angling Super Hero will kick off again in the weekly / monthly comics, AGAIN...

 

After a visit to a local newsagents just now - 1.00pm-ish, Wednesday, 9/5/06 - and doing a bit of free reading at its stands, I am inclined to think that I am psychic...

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

An interesting thread guys..........well done to those of you with the combination of circumstance and mental wherewithall to realise your dreams.

[gozzer]

After a visit to a local newsagents just now - 1.00pm-ishwednesday, 9/5/06 - and doing a bit of free reading at its stands, I am inclined to think that I am psychic...

 

 

Psychic, maybe Paul, but do you know what day it is?