Fishing as a living and hobby

by Godwin Withane

Sri Lanka surrounded by tropical seas, is long-famous for fish fauna. Vast resources out at sea have been exploited by our daring fishermen from their native craft from time immemorial. Although the outrigger canoe is still used by most fishermen, the fishing trawler is a welcome improvement introduced with Government subsidy.

The grant of loans through co-operative societies has enabled the local fishermen to explore fish hordes in deep seas that were not available to the small craft fishermen, during off season.

Mechanisation and employment of co-operative methods of marketing and distribution were prerequisites for subsistence and the purchase of their fishing gear from rapacious middlemen who dispensed credit to them and obtained a lion-share of the catch, pushing them to be helplessly drenched in perpetual debt.

The novel advantage has augmented the fish supply completely pushing away the middlemen, shoals of tuna, mackerel, shark, seer, marlin and sail fish all available out at sea were not exploited before.

There are refrigeration facilities that enable the fish to be stored for days while on expedition before they arrive on shore. In days past, coast fishermen used to migrate to the Eastern country during South West monsoons and return home when the North East monsoons struck there.

Unlike the present day trawlers the small outrigger fishing craft is dragged for miles, sometimes for days when a large fish is hooked. When the supply of water and food is over the fishermen very reluctantly sever the line and turn back home, hungry and exhausted. Stirring indeed are the tales related by these men who have battled large fish.

When a large fish is caught it is tied firmly to the boat to be towed to land.

For this unsung heroes it is all a common occurrence. The fisherman is afraid of the sea because of its unpredictable weather of sudden storms and evil currents.

He, however, adores it for its resources, the abundance of fish which is his living. It is a common sight to see a fisherman worshipping the sea before he ventures into the waves to go out fishing.

The destruction of coastal fish resources is mainly due to indiscriminate dynamiting. Dynamite, throw nets, siene nets, traps and lines, all contribute to the waste of fingerlings and eggs. The few laws imposed are openly infringed in many places while insufficient supervision leads to impediments in conservation.

Dynamiting of fish is ripe in Sri Lanka and is blatantly resorted to on every sea coast as well as lagoons, lakes, rivers and streams. This leads to untold destruction. Although sardine or small fish like Koraburuwa, Baggu and Ehelaburuwa are meant for only line fishing, dynamiting them or netting, lead to uneven harvesting by unscrupulous fishermen.

If not for the monsoons we would have been left without a single fish to be harvested. This is nature's protection of fish. Foul fishing or Karvo Gahanawa or pinning of fish is done on crowded shoals during day time but throw nets are used during the night.

No single fish is protected by law at any time of the year on the coasts of the island. Unlike for animal fauna there are no sanctuaries for fish fauna in any part of the country.

There will be no exhaustion of coast line fish if properly controlled. The Government animated by the large potential available to improve the science of fishing and having understood indepth the present need for same, has induced young unemployed boys to accept a vocation which had been despised decades back.

On our newsheets in the mainstream media we see daily the scene of progress unfolded. Hordes of fish, unloaded from trawlers and fishing boats are daily grabbed by itinerant vendors, thus improving the economic fabric of our country.

Young boys are trained in the art and science of fishing. The broad knowledge of professional people, gleaned from their lifetime expertise in fishing is introduced into their lessons, taught under this training. The potential for the improvement of fresh water fish in Sri Lanka is found to be advantageous.

The waters of lakes, tanks, and rivers are conducive to the establishment of any non-native species of fish. To improve fish population fingerlings are introduced into the waters. They can breed rapidly and can spread quickly.

The Japanese Gouramy was a breeding stock which had escaped into the Mahaweli Ganga some years back during floods that has now invaded almost all the tanks, villus, streams and canals connected to the Mahaweli river.

To all who love to fish and knows the ways of fishes the true Sri Lankan tight-line fisherman is a supreme artist, someone to be admired.

It has been practised from very early times by the fishermen and now branched into many ramifications. The tight-line fisherman has the knack of catching the tiniest to the largest fish, the weakest and the most powerful through the marvellous instinct and skill handed down to him by his forefathers.

The stilt-fisherman on the sea coast along Galle-Matara road is a tourist attraction. Besides affording the tourist, opportunities to enjoy picture perfect golden beaches of our island, especially those of the eastern coast, the magic of the lush scenic beauty of hill country and the ruined cities displaying our glorious heritage Sri Lanka afford first class big game fishing to those who value such sport.

Fishes such as giant sharks, sail fish, seer and marline, the best of fighting fish are available in our seas for the interested rod and line amateur fisherman.

All thrills await the spear fisherman at the fruitful reefs of Hikkaduwa, Galle and Trincomalee. River mouths provide chances for bountiful fishing of Barrakluda, Moddha, the estuary Perch and Dhalla. The lure of fishing is a mania with some people.

This is mainly a sport of man where women do not take a liking for. They say it is a waste of time and energy for such small gain, as sometimes they come empty handed after hours spent under a scorching sun.

The charm of fishing lies in its variety which provide all thrills to an amateur, who indulge in the sport of fishing. To a professional fisherman, fishing is a means of living and catching a big fish is a common everyday occurrence, but to an amateur who does it for sport and as a hobby it is a thrilling experience.

If he catches a big fish with his reel-rod and line, it is an occasion to shout about it to the world. He weighs it, poses to be photographed with the Prize Catch to be flashed in the daily papers in similar fashion of a world heavy-weight boxer or a tennis star would display their winning trophies with expressive glee.

The writer was once enamoured with fishing, that during his childhood days he enjoyed hooking small Danias (Dandi) in the stream that flowed by the temple at Alutwala.

He usually spent a part of his holidays at his aunt's place in this village. A bent pin formed the hook which was tied to a piece of sewing thread and a small stick completed his fishing gear. The hooking of the small fry with a grain of boiled rice as bait which usually dropped in the water gave him the thrill of his life.

This fascination induced him to resort to this pastime when he grew up and had plentiful opportunities to do so during his postings at several stations around the country as a government servant.

The cheap and abundantly available kitul pitta is a remarkable device used by the skillful tight line fisherman. It rivals the products of the most novel and up-to-date reel rod. The local fisherman produces hard lines or 'Yothas' still in use and proving their superiority above the imported nylon lines.

The local fisherman uses his patience, ingenuity and skill in turning out the yothas a crude contrivance but highly efficient line that can land the largest fish such as sharks and sail fish.

The writer has experience in this sport by the use of Yotha and also using the finest line and the tiniest of hooks using very small bait to fish small fry such as Hendollo a type of sprats that breed in the brackish waters of Dodanduwa lake.

The kitul rod has the most sensitive tip that would detect the softest nibbling of the small mouth of the fry. Shoals of full grown gouramy are found by the bund of Topawewa tank near the Rest House in Polonnaruwa which weight up to ten kilograms that can be caught with kitul rod and line with a wire trace using ripe Attikka fruit as bait.

This fish has sharp teeth. The ingenious method of catching large snake head or loolla also called murrel in the shallow waters of Polonnaruwa villus interspersed with small jungle growth is by using a long length of cane as a rod, a short length of line with a float six inches away from a live bait stuck to the hook is gently pushed through the jungle growth in the shallow water for some distance when the watchful loola grabs the live fish to be hooked with just one jerk of the cane by the fisherman.

Amban ganga before it enters the main Mahaweli ganga at Dastota near Manampitiya feeds both Parakrama Samudraya and Minneriya tank through a Yoda Ela starting at the anicut at Angamedilla. During dry weather all that is left of the fury and spate of the river during monsoon rains are giant rock pools acres in extent on the bed of the rocky bottom of the river which are the home of huge fresh water sharks or Walaya.

The landing of this incredible size fresh water fish using a hand line with a big hook baited to a six inch carp is possible when the bait is whirled round the head and flung far into the pool with accuracy. No sooner the bait sinks to the bottom of the pool than a large Walaya is bound to grab it.

The experienced fisherman hooks it with a sharp tug on the line and eventually the battle starts.

The fish races the length and breadth of the pool for some time until it gets tired, when the fish is carefully brought to the edge of the pool to be dealt with a blow or two on the head and landed on the sand bank.