INDIANANGLER

RAVAS!!

I chased them all the way to Manglore almost, the closest I came to something like a Ravas probably was in Vengurla and that was most likey a bloody GT.

I cast a RedWhite right into the midts of the feeding, infact Sanjay said "Got it" but nothing..

Just got an update .. the GTs are moving around the Durg Vengurla area and also some Queenfish caught by handliners ... Bobby fancy another trip ? with camera off course this time

Don't think I can make it mate, but would love to..

Hi Vishal,

Can you reduce the size of that image and post it?

Which market did you buy that from Bazzar Road, Chimbai or Danda?

Regards,

Bobby

Hi Vishal
I have been fishing at Madh island a spot near the Old church before Madh island .. the rock is pretty famous in its hay days for ravas and I have seen guys land 3 to 4 ravas in one afternoon thou years ago. I did the spot a couple of times and caught a 3 kilo MJ and a 4 kilo rock fish on lure. thou I havent caught any ravas there. try it out u might get lucky.
cheers
Dean

Hi Bobby,
For sure, you dint chase all of them out of Bombay.

m trying to resize the images.
Rgds,
Vishal.

Hi Vishal,

I sent you a PM where I reduced the size of your image.

There were a few Rava's after I left, infact my brother caught 2 26lb Ravas at Madh after I left, not many people have taken Ravas over 20lbs and 26lb is some kind of record.

I will post those images, need to scan them first.

Anyway, you still did not answer my question WHERE?

Hi Guys,

Here are a couple of Mhad Monster Ravas taken by my brother, both slightly over 26lb and they have been weighed after they were brought back from the trip so they would have been heavier when just caught.

The one in the last pic is taken by a Rod I had made, and I am giving the same type of rod to the one who photograps the mysterious Maninga Messy.

wow thats a great looking fish bobby, whats the fight like with a Ravas that size ? more about the rod u made ? fiber glass ? what the test weight?
cheers
Dean

Hi Dean,

Those were the days when one seldom carried the camera on a trip I only wish he had got the pictures just after capture.

I have never caught a ravas that big, but from what is recorded on the photo (the one where he is in the white shirt) it took 35 minutes to land, so it must have been some fight. The fish was landed at 1605 and phot at 2100 and he says you needed to look at it when it was just landed.

The Rod is a carbon graphite composite, works best with 20lb line but has a range of 15 - 30 lb line wt. It casts beautifully given it is slightly more supple than other rods of its type but, you can see it handled a Ravas like that and I have also take Barra up to 36lbs on that Rod fought on a dead locked drag where I had to manually release line when required.

Hey Bobby ... got any more ole pics mate ... i got soem too ... will scan them and send them to you ... brings back great memories ... cycling to manori / Madh ... casting "pepsi's ,, tying single hooks to make triples ,, and running to the uncles house with the fish to take a picture ... those were the days .. not the forget the sandwiches and the hot water !!!!!!!!!!eeeeeeeee aaaahhhhh

It does bring back some old memories, here's one of a Barra I caught at the old hangout on a old spoon that Noel gave me. I don’t think you can see it but I had tied singles with wire to make them trebles. Lets' see if I can do something with the scanner.

House was being renovated at the time so the mess and at the back you can see the cage in which I kept the Fighting Chickens

My trusty old GS9 that is still going strong and can take on any fish and the Old Daiwa Telescopic, still strong, can cast upto 300 grams with that old rod mate.

wow those pics are nostaglic !! great fishing days of bombay I remember when I was young .. i used to go the bandstand fort (bandra) and watch the old timers casting off the rocks below the fort for ravas .. there was this chap called Micky .. does it ring any bells
cheers
Dean

ps I did come across a site recently that had video of the british raj in Bombay .. show them pull out ravas on reel ..

That there is a monster rod Bobby. Carbon or Fiber ?
Regards
Owen

Yes I used to meet up with Micky sometimes he used to come along with Ferrie (who Fred I think saved falling from the rocks, being pulled in by a barra ) and Jerome.

Alas Mickey passed away a few years ago.

Those were the days when though the Ravas was very welcome, the Barra was the true prize, now it is otherwise. Guess you always want what you do not have.

Owen, that was my first serious rod it's fibre and a telescopic that can cast up to 300 grams. My wife presented my Brother have another Shakespear telescopic that can do the same thing. I remember a Kenny (ring a bell Fred?) trying his best to get that rod from my Bro, unsucessfully. Those rods can catch any damn fish (spinning) even today.

I dont use telescopic rods any more and I have close to 100 good rods in my colection now. I use my 15 - 18 foot rods as outriggers when I go trolling now .

Any details re this site. I am very interested in old pictures / info dealing with Bombay during the British raj.

Here is a picture of another very large Mhad Ravas. This one got away...

Mickey gone ... so is Jerome ... Feedie still around ...

hi man the pics and catch is owesum. can u sugest me of a kind of a rod of that type and its make with details pls.
rgds
M

What fish are you after?

Hi Fred,

Here's a better picture of that spoon, the one where singles are tied with wire to make a treble



And this is me casting from the stone wall breaker behind Sea Rock



Do you remember Amir Salman and were you there when he hit one of those "bhayya" chaps with his gaff?

If you have not then I will relate the story.

i am a new comer to corse fishing and i was wanting to get some gear relavant to that. can u sugest i would like to get some stuff for game in the salt water.. ur gear looked good so i asked u for details.
lookforward to ur response.
M

Hi Mayursud,

Again there are different types of fish in saltwater and different ways to angle for them.

You can troll, surfcast, spin, floatfish, Jig, chunk, drift, Flyfish so the question you asked is a very broad one.

In the pictures above the fish are caught surf-spinning. I have given up the super heavy spinning gear now for lighter (in wt) tackle. So this is what I am going to recommend.

Rod - 10 - 12 ft, able to cast 30 - 80 grams and handle a line wt of 20lbs

Reel - a smooth drag, one that can handle saltwater and can take 150 yards of conventional mono. This will make your outfit light when you load 15 - 20 lb line of smaller diameter.
Reel something like the Penn SS5500 - SS6500 or the Daiwa Fireams 4000 (loaded with Fireline).

Hope this helps...

thnaks for the info. i too wanted a similar gear but a rod which can handle around 40lbs and a surf spinning.

Hi Folks.. read all the post above. ..quite interesting haan...
Bobby, it seems you have really enjoyed your fishing days in Bombay. Cool Man.

Unfortunately now, with very little opportunity available, I don’t think we will enjoy as much as you did.

Thanks for reducing the resolution of my earlier pic. Actually my access to the net is limited these days, hence the delay in checking these posts.

Hey and remember we love reading your good old day stories .. so keep telling is more of it,

Fred is Bobby older that i am or what ??

Shorter OMO Shorter .... and fatter ... thats the best i can say .... but if there was an age measurement for the amount he talks .... then hes rip wan wrinkle 3 times over all the way

Well Fred, its measured by the fish I have caught mate, by the fish I have caught and don’t you forget that.

If it were talk YOU could beat Adam!! And there are several people to vouch for that

Owen, I am shorter than you but taller than Fred, Fatter than you but better built than Fred…and I have caught a lot more fish than Fred, that is why I sound older. its all that experience..

Hey Freddy, what happened to Amir Salman?

Hi Vishal,

I still enjoy my fishing in Bombay, even today..dont get me wrong there is still a lot of opportunity, but you need to change your approach.

I think Bops changed the resolution of the picture.

I am sure Freddy has a lot of stories to tell, we fished together quite often man.

Hey Bobster ...Where the evidence of that man ... more fish than me ... now thats a first .... definately more tackle than me ...

To date I have posted more picture of fish I have caught than you have, it's that simple

Lets see some more from you

Anyway anynews about Amir?

Hi Vishal,

Lets leave Freddy scratching his head now he has gone a bit touchy and I would not want to go near him.

Believe me, there are loads of fish you can catch in and around Bombay if you are willing to change your approach. You need to diersify the species you catch, you can even catch bream on a lure. You will, in between catch odd Barramundi as well and no matter what people tell you about the past or present it was not easy earlier. It is just that people did not have the means to explore other more productive locations and had to hit the spots in Bombay more often. Yes the nets have increased but they scare more fish than catch them so you need to find new locations and most important KEEP THEM A SECRET! it is not so much that other anglers will get there it is those sods who will then net the entire area of someone blabs...

Just about 3 years ago, some 250+ barra were caught in Bandra in a single "Wana" netting. So the fish are there but then so are the crowds, try fishing off lands end now and you will gather an audience with 100 people offering you advice on how you should bait your spoon and asking if your plugs are alive.

Any way here is another fish that I took just off Bandra about 3 - 4 years ago, incidently just opposite Freddy's house

I see a storm on the horizon. Fred hope you catch a big one mate!

Hi Owen,

I like Fred mate and he really is a very good angler, only hope he loads his scanner and posts those pictures.

This is already a pissing contest when it should not have been one .

Only good that will come out of this is if Fred posts some pictures

I have been fighting all day today any way, with Hong Kong Cricket Association because of an unfair ban on our club, I think they are now reversing this.

Regards,

Bobby

Hey Bobster .. no pissing contest man .... theres only one if you know how to really piss it up ... anyways more fish or not ... posting some of the cobia pics ... this on a 10-30 rod , 50 lb line ... and no fancy fighting belt .. and the final 5 mins with a broken rod ... thats something huh? .. nice rod .. we use soething like that to push of the jetty at Durg

Fred,

Glad to hear that Fred. Post images of fishes caught in Bombay mate. Get off your lazy butt and scan some of those old images.

Seen these nice images before, no harm seeing them again, you dont loose points for using a belt, but you do when 3 anglers play the same fish, in fact that's illegal

Bobby

Great fish, Fredfish!

Cheers

[quote="Bobby"]Hi Vishal,

Believe me, there are loads of fish you can catch in and around Bombay if you are willing to change your approach. You need to diersify the species you catch, you can even catch bream on a lure. You will, in between catch odd Barramundi as well and no matter what people tell you about the past or present it was not easy earlier. It is just that people did not have the means to explore other more productive locations and had to hit the spots in Bombay more often. Yes the nets have increased but they scare more fish than catch them so you need to find new locations and most important KEEP THEM A SECRET! it is not so much that other anglers will get there it is those sods who will then net the entire area of someone blabs...

Just about 3 years ago, some 250+ barra were caught in Bandra in a single "Wana" netting. So the fish are there but then so are the crowds, try fishing off lands end now and you will gather an audience with 100 people offering you advice on how you should bait your spoon and asking if your plugs are alive.

Any way here is another fish that I took just off Bandra about 3 - 4 years ago, incidently just opposite Freddy's house

*************

Hi Bobby,
I agree to what you say and shall take note of it the now on.

Regards,
Vishal

This goes to all the mumbaites. I have created this forum with the intention of inviting all mumbaikar's to come together and share their angling experience. New Friends, Fishing Trips, Get-togethers can all be planned and actioned out. Kya Bolta Hai..



Hey Vishal need an apprentice? Can carry your gear for you on your next trip

Yaj.

dear yaj, pls make that two apprentice ... . what say vishal.????

Tell me where Vishal ... Ill be there ... 3rds on Man what time !!!

Hi everyone.. was out of touch for a long time..
now that i am back, can we hear some fishy talks in and around.

Hello Vishal!
Where have you been?Please give me a call.Hope everything okay and family is well.
regards,
godfrey

Hi Godfrey,
All well.. just a little tideup with work.
Are u back in town. Shall call u

Hi Folks,
Have been ofline for quite some time now..'Fishing' infact has not been on toplist for quite sometime. The only place i manage to go fishing is Powai..however oflate havent had any successful trips. Just managed to catch some Mirgals and those cruel Mangurs who spoil the line..

Its 2 years since i have caught a Catla. Guess my ground bait is driving them away...wonder whats going wrong..

Needles to say, i am enjoying reading old and new post (old post, just to get my basics right)

My working on a new ground bait formula..hope it works.

Vishal

Best of luck......

[quote="Tathagata
Best of luck......[/quote]

Thanks buddy

The best ground bait for Powai is that you do not use any groundbait.

Regards.

Ali..

How the hell did I miss this one.... Great read guys.

Superb fishing Fred and Bruce.Simply love those old pics.

Regards,
Madhur.