The Fish that got away and other tales

Olympian trap shooter Mansher Singh extols the many virtues of a pastime called fishing

Those who fish for recreational purposes are said to love bragging about the size of the fish they have caught. Olympian trap shooter Mansher Singh is no different, only he is quick to tell the truth about the size of the biggest fish he has caught in the many years that he has been passionately involved with the sport of fishing, when I mention this to him. He says with a wide smile, "So you know that everyone who is into this sport tends to lie about the size of the fish. The truth is that the biggest fish that I have ever caught weighed about 69 pounds, though if you fish in the Cauvery river it isn't uncommon to catch one that weighs up to 90 pounds. It's just that I have never fished there." He backs that figure by showing pictures of him and the 69 pounder.

Singh, who has been a trap shooter for almost 25 years now, says that his interest in fishing predates his shooting by many years. In fact, he was all of six years old when he first sat down for a spot of fishing. He says, "My father was building a hotel in Kullu-Manali and so we kids also went there very often with him. That's how it all started. My father was fond of it as well." But at the age of six, little boys are normally more interested in running around the place creating havoc rather than sit quietly by a river and fish. I mention this to Singh and he responds by saying, "There is a lot of excitement in fishing. You don't know when the fish will bite and that creates a lot of fun for the angler. Also, the reward of actually catching the fish makes it enjoyable."

Singh points out that in fishing the fun isn't just limited to the actual act of fishing but the atmospherics that go along with it. Says he, "There is so much more to fishing than just the act of catching fish. Being near water, for instance, is very relaxing. Also, the bonding session with friends that you go on a fishing trip with is great." Singh, though married with two children, is known to sometimes take off with a couple of male buddies to fish in solitude. On other occasions it's more a family outing though sans any frills. Says Singh, "We live in tents, carry our own dry rations and cook ourselves in the wild." However, as per the ethics that most anglers follow around the world, Singh and his friends do not kill the fish that they catch.

I quiz him closely on this one and he says, "Fish are our treasure and I don't want to do anything that would further deplete our water bodies. Anyway, there is so much environmental degradation that is happening all around us." But what about the harm to the fish's gullet due to the hook and the struggle that it wages with the angler after it is caught? "It takes about an hour for the fish to be fine and survive so any ethical angler will wait and ensure that the fish is completely in a position to survive in the water once it is released back. But before that we do take pictures." And like the picture with the 69 pound mahseer, Singh has a catalogue of many such mood pictures which leave no one in any doubt about the fact that his passion for fishing is backed with a fair amount of skill as well.

Mahseer is his favourite fish to match his wits against and he says that, "When any fish is caught, but this is more true of a big fish like mahseer, it tends to fight back a lot and that really gets the adrenaline flowing. The fish will try to break your line, straighten the hook or keep running." Singh's long association with the pursuit has led to his developing a thought process that can only be classified as being activist.

He says, "The fish in the river gives you a fair idea of the state of the river. If you try fishing in the Yamuna in Delhi you won't get anything. At Yamunapur, the river is beautiful and fishing there is extremely enjoyable. It is sad to see what has happened to some of our rivers. Dynamiting, fish snares and netting have caused distress to many rivers."

Of Singh's many trips, his most memorable, he says, was when he went fishing in the Sarda river. He recommends the Chambal as a fine place to fish apart from the Narmada and the Brahmaputra. But his all-time favourite in India remains the Cauvery, also home to the mahseer, a fish that fishing enthusiasts would love to get their hook into. Only to lovingly be released back into the water from where it came. That's the joy of this sport "" in the end no one is hurt. There is no bloodshed, no trophy to mount on the wall at home, no needless machismo in this gentle hobby.