ANGLING IN BANGLADESH

Tag: Bangshi Expedition

  • Bangshi Expedition – Final Success

    Bangshi Expedition – Final Success

    Caught From the Bangshi River
    Caught From the Bangshi River

    The Eid-ul-Azha vacation started from 04 November, 2011 in Bangladesh. There had been Eid rushes everywhere around the country because of the great festival, one of the two biggest religious festivals of Muslims. Anyway, I was planning for fishing in Bangshi river after the unsatisfied tour of Dhamrai. Its not that we couldn’t catch fish. We did catch fish at Dhamrai. Shawkat Bhai came from Chittagong for this fishing competition. The organizers apparently cheated us by informing us that there were big catlas in the pond as well as other big fishes like rohu, mrigal etc. Unfortunately all was
    bogus. Whatsoever, planning of going fishing just before the Eid day was settled. So, I am back on my track with ‘Bangshi Expedition’.

    The Chaira channel is a small canal emerged from the Bangshi river. It’s a good hot spot for anglers. Last month a 19.5 kg rohu was landed here. At around 6 am we reached the place. Shortly the lines were set. Here my companion was Shahid, one of my childhood friends. Shahid is not an angler but he has an interest in angling. So, he went with me and after a short while he was feeling badly sick. So, I called a friend at Savar to bring with a car and shortly we shifted Shohid back to Savar. Then I was all alone on my own.

    Caught From the Bangshi River
    Caught From the Bangshi River

    Time was passing in its natural way. There was nothing to do at this point except changing the baits and checking the hooks. At around 2 pm one of my lines was dragged. The strength was fascinating. It was giving me the fight like a 10 kg fish. The catlas of lakes or pond are no comparison to the wild catlas of rivers. It requires not quality equipments only but good techniques as well. Anyways, after about 20 minutes struggle the fish was coming closer. And finally about 25 minutes after it was hooked we managed to land it safely. It was a tremendous experience for any angler.  The local people were that I was the one who has caught a catla in two years from Bangshi river. Thus ended the Bangshi Expedition with a 4.2 kg catla just before the Eid-ul-Azha. A beautiful Eid gift indeed from Allah.

    By: Nasim Hasan

  • Bangshi Expedition – Another Fishless Day

    Bangshi Expedition – Another Fishless Day

    Fishing in the Bangshi RiverOn October 30, 2011 I went to try my luck to Lankar Char, just opposite to the Hemayetpur Tannery Project. The day was superb hot. Humidity was tremendously high. Over that there was a 3 KM walk to the location with the hot sun over head. The water level of Banghshi  river still was very high. Anyways, all the effort ended with a broken line after waiting the whole day under the burning sun. I don’t know if it was a fish or something else. I just saw something suddenly took my bait and pulled the line drastically with serious strength and went inside the nearby bush. It stuck my line with underwater branches. After a fruitless try for pulling the line back, it simply broke. Thus ended the first Bangshi Expedition of this season.

    Bangshi River FishingOn October 12, 2011 a man caught 5 boals from Roopnagar, opposite side of Savar Bazaar. There were news coming from here and there about catching boals (Wallago Attu) from Bangshi river. In fact, the season of catching boals has just started. The angling season in Bangladesh generally starts in October until the downfall starts in April/May. Anyways, a man caught another 2 boals the next day. Without thinking I took decision that I would go fishing the very next day which was yesterday. I took my preparation with great enthusiasm.

    Only those who hunt for boals can tell how painful it is to do things workable for boals. Nothing bothers me except the stinky, half rotten minnows which require to be boneless before putting on hooks. At 7:30 PM I went to my location. It was just beside a fishermen s village. A great location for boals. Last year about 40 fishes were caught from this very location. I also caught 1 from here last season. Anyways, at around 8:00 pm I set three lines. At this stage there is nothing actually to do but calling God.

    Soon mosquitoes found me with great pleasure and started to make the best use of me. The clock stroke  10:30, but there was still no trace of fish. Instead I was observing that the current was getting stronger. At 11:30 I changed the baits and wait there until 2:00 AM. At this point I decided to change my location and moved to 500 yards away in another location. After setting the lines I had been  I became a little upset as well as disappointed for my fruitless(actually ‘fishless’) start of Bangshi Expedition. But don’t worry, this expedition  will be carried on until we get an exclusive story to tell.