Recently did a short trip to one of my favorite haunts on Konkan coast with Rajat, Babloo (angler_mh) and Hakeem (Non IA Member). Atul (Snakehead) with some of his friende was to join us next day. The objective of the trip was to intercept Barra from the mouth of the estuary with the incoming tide in night, do some beach fishing adjoining the estuary and then explore the estuary by boat during day time and try to land some good MJ’s that abound the rocky stretches and Mangroves.
First evening Babloo and Rajat decided to do some beach fishing while myself and Hakeem choose to try our hand, intercepting the Barras from the point of sand bar formed at the mouth of the estuary. The tide was already coming in when we started spinning. As the Moon came up behind the hills, I got my first hit, a Barra around 3 Kg. Within half hour landed two more Barra, respectively 1 Kg and 3 Kg. Hakeem also got some hits but unfortunately failed to connect.
As it was full moon, the water was rising dangerously and we were forced to leave the spot. We did try to catch some MJ’s from the rocks but without luck.
As we boarded the boat next day, our sprits were high and we all were confident of catching some good fishes. The spots we were targeting, are renowned for MJ,s, occasional Barra and Reef Cod. We tried every thing in our armory including bait fishing but did not catch any thing. As the sun climbed high our hitherto soaring sprits sank and we abandoned the search and returned to the base camp. As the tide started coming up in the evening, we tried some bait fishing but without any bite. Atul and his friends joined us also and only Baya, one from the group of Atul, landed a decent Ray.
Once again as the moon was rising above the adjoining hills, we all started spinning and after some time I managed to hook a decent Barra. As we were fishing from the sand bar, there was no hurry to bring the fish to the shore and after a very enjoyable and exciting fight, the fish was finally landed. I got another hook up but the fish managed to throw the lure while jumping. That night also we tried to hook some MJ’s but again we all failed.
Next morning was the same and no one got any bite although we did try very hard by anchoring the boat on very promising spots and spinning for a fish. It was like there were no fishes in the estuary.
Did some enquiry from the locals and every one said, that the fishes have vanished from the rocks due to spurt in the population of Otters!
Believe me that the spots we tried are such places where one is bound to catch some good fishes but there were no hits from even a small MJ. Even tried some bait fishing but without a single bits.
Now, can Otters destroy or scare away the residential population of fishes? The only fishes we caught during this trip which was coming in with the tide, otherwise, not a single hit.
Is the spurt in the Otter population, bane of our estuaries? Is it a local phenomenon or any one else has experienced the same. Please share your thoughts.
All in all, a very enjoyable but a very puzzling trip.
PS: last day hooked mother of all Barras but lost the fish including my lure and some line. Never seen something like that in my life.
A Beautiful estuary
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Some of the Spots
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Spinning from the Boat.
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Good fight and good Ray by Baya.
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Some of the Barras
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Bane of our Estuaries, the Otters. (Photos courtesy Atul and Col. Nair)
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Regards,
Ali.