Chasing the Mahaseer

Publisher: Lotus Roli

Price: Rs 295

Pages: 256

There arent many places in India where one can hope to catch the great mahaseer Barbus tor mussalah. It has a magical attraction for anglers. The name mahaseer is perhaps derived from two Persian words mahi fish and sher lion,because of the way it fights when hooked. Fishing on the Cauvery is a challenge as well as a feast for the senses. Nature stages a veritable show.

All fishing days begin in dreams. Most end in tall stories and strong drink. But occasionally they end dreamily too, writes Jeremy Paxman in Fish,Fishing and the Meaning of Life. Fishing days on the Cauvery usually end both dreamily and in strong drink,around a bonfire. The merrymaking is facilitated by the elixir of the gods,barbecued mural Ophiocephalus striatus,Carnatic carp Barbus carnaticus,or catfish and,yes,there are stories of the big one that got away.

Angling for mahaseer on the Cauvery is very different from casting for trout in the Himalayas,or trying to hook mahaseer in the Ramganga. The Cauvery involves shooting the rapids in flimsy coracles that go skimming down the roiling water and occasionally capsize,avoiding crocodiles who generally leave you alone,occasionally running into a herd of elephants,watching aerobatics by a variety of birds and being ferried around in ancient Mahindra jeeps over rocky tracks that can shake every bone and stretch every sinew in the body. Saad Bin Jung,probably one of the most experienced anglers who have fished the Cauvery except for the ghillies,has brought alive the experience of chasing the mahaseer in Subhan amp; I.

The stories of epic struggles with the big fish are the stuff of an anglers dream. I relived many of the experiences that Jung describes so vividly,as any angler would. There is much to learn from some of the detailed descriptions of the equipment,of how to read the waters and where to find the big fish in different seasons. However,he could have taken a leaf or two out of Henry Sullivan Thomas The Rod in India,a classic that he often refers to. While some of his stuff is detailed,some is not. As an angler,I would have loved to hear more about the pros and cons of different types of equipment. Jung,with his wealth of experience,and with a bit of help from an illustrator,could have made the book much more instructive with diagrams,illustrations of casting techniques and maps of the location of the swims that he talks about. The editors of Roli Books have not done justice to the author. The number of typos and repeated sentences in some cases within the same paragraph point to slovenly editing. In places,the book is tedious and rambling. The editing and proofreading errors are irritating.

The author does manage to bring his mentor,Subhan,to life. It is obvious that the two shared a close bond. The empathy and affection are evident and the accounts of their exploits together are heartwarming. I do wonder,though,how Jung managed to get such intimate details of Subhans fathers sex life and Subhans own views on marriage,sex,etc. Or is some of the stuff only put in to make the book more readable?

Jungs descriptions of his rather colourful family,his royal antecedents,his many eccentric ancestors and the story of how he wooed his wife may have been amusing if they were brief. But the author spells out the names and titles of his ancestors in such detail that some of them run into two lines. And frankly,all of this bumf has little to do with either angling or conservation. I could have happily skipped those pages. The last section of his book,30 pages and more,on conservation,is a diatribe against Indias conservation policies.

What Jung says may be true,and while appreciating his concern with all that is wrong with our politicians and administration,there is little that the average reader can do. His laments,repeated over and over again,are best directed to those who make policy. And I am ready to bet that none of them is going to read the book,let alone pay heed to his suggestions,many of which are rather general.

If you are an angler and want to know about Subhan and his story is interesting read Chapter One. Speed-read through Chapter Three for some interesting anecdotes and fishing tips and,finally,read Chapter Four for practical knowledge and angling tips. The rest of the book can be ignored.

Nripjit Singh Noni Chawla is a fisherman,management consultant and teacher