INDIANANGLER

Before starting my report I wish a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you.

As the year 2008 was approaching towards its end and due to pressing work, I was not able to go to Powai since long, I called up Rajat and decided that we will go for some fishing and try our luck and finish this year on a high note.

Accordingly we reached the lake and cast our lines out after ground baiting the area. Rajat was trying a feeder rig in combination of a hair rig and two hook rig with a float. I decided to use only a feeder rig with a modified hook setup by fixing the hook with the floating cork. Vishal was also fishing with his boat tied to poles, away from our machan.

Surprisingly there was no bites and even the small fishes were not nibbling at the bait. As the evening approached, I received a call from vishal that he was getting lot of bites and he asked me to join him. I was reluctant to do so as a very large catla was surfacing regularly near our baits and I was hoping to land it. I waited some more time but ultimately decided to join Vishal after his persistent request to join him leaving Rajat to deal with the catla.

As I reached vishal’s boat, he started explaining how he was getting bites after bites without getting any hook ups. He very kindly removed his rod and asked me to cast my setup on the ground bait. It took me few moments to set up and cast my feeder with the modified setup and as I was settling down, my reel started screaming. After a determined run the fish stopped for a breather and then she again took off. It was a sweet fight and after a lot of near misses, as the fish was determined to go round the poles, it was landed, a hybrid of 10Lb.After landing this fish, and explaining the rudiment of feeder to one other member who was sitting close by, I one again caste my feeder on the same spot. Within no time, the bite indicator started jumping and as I was pointing this to Vishal, my rod jumped from the stand and as I hurriedly took hold of the rod the reel again started screaming. Wow, a fish again. This time the fish was pulling more powerfully and fighting hard. After controlling the fish after first run I asked vishal to take the rod and fight the fish. Well, it was also a very neat fight as Vishal handled the fish with extreme care, and after lot of resistance from the fish, it was ultimately landed. Again a hybrid of 11 Lb. Well it was a very nice half an hour fishing and as I hoped, the year 2008 was ended on a high note.

Kindly do not ask for the photographs as we had not taken any.

Regards.

Ali.

Congratulations Ali Bhai on two hybrids. You are a modest guy. I spoke to you this evening and you did not mention these beauties. Well done. Please convey my regards to my fishing mates at Powai. Ta.