Every night of the weekend, scores of people - from teenage boys to septuagenarian men riding motorbikes, or aboard buses and vans - briefly stop at Quaidabad on the National Highway. They are here to purchase water, ice in the summer season, soft-drinks, cigarettes, betel leaves and other items. But there is a group that stands out from the rest. These are people buying earthworms, shrimps, metallic hooks, weights, and cords. They are heading for the lakes and canals in Thatta District outside Karachi to enjoy their favourite pastime - game fishing, an activity which largely remains unnoticed in a city like Karachi.   

Among them is Syed Tahir Ali, a 32-year-old businessman and resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, who has been going fishing in the lakes and canals outside Karachi for the last 20 years. He has been doing this since his childhood with his uncles, and now with his friends and brothers. Their preferred fishing spot is Mirpur Sakro or simply Sakro, a place some 70 or 80 kilometers away from Karachi, where a large canal is divided into three smaller canals for irrigation and drinking purposes for the locals. But for Tahir and his friends, it is a favourite spot to catch fresh-water eels and other species of fish.

“We go to Sakro especially to catch Baam (a fresh-water eel) which is abundantly found in the canals of Sindh and Punjab. Most of the people in Karachi have probably not seen this fish or heard of it but thousands of amateur fishing fans spend hours trying to catch this fish and consume it for lunch or dinner on the spot where they are fishing,” Tahir explains.

Describing Baam, Tahir Ali says it is one of the most delicious fish found in our canals and dams, although the majority of people are unaware of its existence or are doubtful about whether it is edible or not. “Fresh-water eel is an important part of Japanese cuisine where it is called Unagi and its dishes are sold at very high prices in selected restaurants,” he said.

Catching Baam is a complicated task as it is a carnivorous fish that feeds on insects, smaller fish and worms. It lives in cracks between the stone-walls of the canals, and luring it with the right bait and fishing it out from the water is a tricky business.

“We use small, sea-water shrimps or earthworms as bait for Baam and instead of using fishing rods, we simply attach a small hook with a little weight to a cord, put it in the water and wait for the fish to swallow the bait and get hooked. Fishing depends on a number of factors including the weather, turbidity of the water, the air and the speed at which the water is flowing, but the most important factor is luck,” Tahir explains.

Another favourite fishing spot for people like Tahir Ali is Hub Dam, which is hardly a couple of hours’ drive from the center of the city. The Hub canal is full of fresh-water eels in addition to many other species of fish, which attract hundreds of people from areas such as Pak Colony, PIB Colony, Manghopir and even Baldia Town.

Hundreds of fish-lovers throng Hub Dam, the canal that supplies water from its reservoir to Karachi and Balochistan, in search of fish whenever they find time from their businesses or jobs. The lucky ones carry bags full of fish to their homes, that include eels and Rahu, a very delicious fish found in the River Indus, the lakes of Sindh as well as the Hub dam.

“Fishing for Rahu is a very skillful job and it can take an entire day. First we feed a specially-prepared mixture of herbs and spices to fish and when they eat it, it cleanses their stomach. When the fish become hungry, it is lured by the bait that is usually prepared from flour,” Raziuddin, an expert of Rahu fishing, told Kolachi.

In addition to this, there are also enthusiasts of snakeheads, a delicious yet ferocious game fish that is found in lakes such as Haleji and Keenjhar as well as several others and even some uncemented canals in the province.

“Locally, the snakehead fish is called Sowl. It is a predatory fish that is found all over the world in lakes. It is a game fish and enthusiasts love to catch it,” said Farid Bhai, a resident of Pak Colony who is a chef by profession, and loves to go fishing twice or thrice a month to the lakes outside the city.

Farid says Sowl is called snakehead because its head is like that of a snake, but it has a wide mouth with tentacles in it. “Sowl is also a carnivorous fish and the best bait we use to fish it out of its habitat are frogs,” Farid Bhai says adding that while going to Haleji lake, they briefly stop at a damp place to collect frogs. Without doing so, they can’t even think of fishing for Sowl.

He recalls that once they were fishing at a lake near Thatta at night while using live frogs as bait and had fished out seven snakes along with three snakeheads.

“Live frogs are the preferred food of both the Sowl fish as well as snakes. That night, there were more snakes in the water than fish and whenever I felt a tug; it usually turned out to be a snake. I fished out seven snakes that had swallowed the frog bait and was able to get only three Sowl fish,” Farid Bhai recalls.

There are scores of other places around Karachi such as Gharo in the interior of Sindh and Gadap as well as the Hub Tehsil of Lasbela District in Balochistan where fishing enthusiasts regularly go and get freshwater fish with the help of cords and hooks that only cost a few hundred rupees for an entire fishing trip.

However, some of the more adventurous fish enthusiasts even travel to the Hingol River in Balochistan, which is some 230 kilometers away from Karachi, where the biggest attraction for them is the Golden Mahseer or Mahsheer that is considered as one of the best game fish in the world.

The Hingol River in Balochistan is unique in the sense that it flows 12 months of the year and guarantees that fish is available if somebody wants to quench their thirst for fishing.

“I have visited the Hingol River twice in recent years and it is the best recreational and fishing spot near Karachi. The river water is crystal clear, has an abundance of fish and the landscape is marvellous. What is unique about the Hingol is presence of crocodiles and alligators, which can often be seen sunbathing on the riverbed,” Syed Tahir Ali says. Fishing enthusiasts in Karachi say such fishing trips provide them the required recreation and a break from their busy schedules.  It refreshes them and is a welcome distraction from the hectic day to day activities in cities like Karachi where they have to work non-stop to earn their livelihood.

“It is a healthy recreational activity and the fish catch is the additional advantage. Often I cook the fish we catch from the lakes or canals on the spot, boil rice and my friends and I eat our meal while sitting on the ground. Sometimes we have to come home empty-handed but  once in a while, we get so much fish that it lasts for two or three days even after coming back home,” Tahir Ali says.

Eighty-two-year old Mazhar Ali Jabalpuri says he has been up for fishing since he was 10. And now, even after 72 years of fishing in both unified India and then Pakistan, he still goes out for fresh-water fishing whenever he finds the time and a suitable group of people.

“I hail from Jabalpur in the Madhya Pradesh province of India, which is a city of lakes, ponds and streams. The area receives 45-50 inches of rainfall every year so its wetlands remains filled with water and fish the entire year. I used to go fishing there when I was a school-going kid,” Mazhar Jabalpuri recalls.

Author of the first and only book in Pakistan on freshwater fishing that was published in 1997 in the Urdu language, Mazhar Jabalpuri says he knows all the water bodies in and around Karachi, especially in Thatta district and the Hub Tehsil of Balochistan like the back of his hand. He has been going to these areas since 1948 for fishing.

“I’m a Baam (fresh-water eel) expert. On days when others used to catch a dozen or so eels, I managed to catch 100 or more fish in the same time and from the same spot. Actually, it is a sport that requires skills and an attentive mind. If you are a sharp angler, you can have a better fish catch than those who stick to traditional ways and methods,” he said.

The octogenarian fish-enthusiast says he is not a professional or expert in game fishing. Instead, it is his hobby which helps refresh him mentally after days of work in a busy city like Karachi. “When you go to a water body away from the city, it has the greenery, fresh air and calmness that helps you regain your mental strength”.

According to him, fishing seems to be a boring and tiresome hobby but for those who are fond of it, it helps them remain in a better mental and physical shape. “Fishing causes physical fatigue but it is good for your mind too, because while sitting with a cord waiting for a fish to go for the bait, you remove all the worries of your home, work etc. and concentrate only on the fish,” he observes.

Asked which are his favourite spots in the country, he said although he has gone to the Rawal and Mangla dams as well as the rivers in the country but water bodies in Thatta district are the best places as they are near Karachi and have all the calmness required for an ideal fishing environment.

“Haleji Lake, the canals near Gharo and Thatta and Hub Dam are some of the places where I still go whenever I get time and spend 24 to 36 hours there. We catch fish and cook it on the spot and eat it. If by chance we get an abundance of fish, we bring it home for other members of the family,” he said.

Father of two sons, and several grandchildren, Mazhar says one of his sons, Syed Athar Ali, is also very fond of fishing but the other son is not an enthusiast like him.

“Since 1998, locals have started using very small nets that have caused unprecedented loss to fish species in our lakes and canals. Earlier, I used to catch hundreds of fish but nowadays I hardly manage to get five to 10 due to what I would term the genocide of fish in our lakes and canals by the locals, “ he angrily.

According to him, experience tells him that now only 10 per cent of fish have been left in Sindh’s water bodies due to the use of prohibited nets by the locals and fishermen. “When you go to the interior of Sindh, you come across people who are extremely poor and many of them also catch fish with nets, even though they are not fishermen by profession,” he claims.

Asked why he avoided game fishing, he said he started fishing as a hobby, which requires minimum resources but game fishing is a very costly hobby that requires a lot of resources while the catch is not guaranteed.

“Actually, I started and adopted fishing as a leisure activity and now it has become so important for me that even at the age of 82, when somebody asks me to go fishing I am always ready for it. This activity has kept me alive and physically fit although people at my age, if they manage to stay alive, can’t move from their beds,” he said.

Describing  his book on fishing, Mazhar Jabalpuri said he wrote it for beginners who want to go on fishing trips but lack information about what they should do and where they should go. “I have discussed the places near Karachi, kinds of fish found locally, what sort of gear is required to catch them, what type of hooks, cords, and bait should be used for fishing,” he said.

“I have also discussed the weather, environment and timing which are suitable for fishing in a freshwater body. I have also included the techniques which I learnt over the years as well as my experiences to let the younger generation know what they should and expect during their trip if they are planning a fishing trip,” he informs.

He says he want to let Karachiites know that going to the outskirts of the city once a month is a healthy activity, during which you become closer to nature. It is highly beneficial for their health and mind.”

“Eating fish regularly is good for health too but going after it in its habitat is even better. It keeps you alive and away from the worries of the mechanical life of a mega-city like Karachi,” he advises.

– MWB

Freshwater fishing points near Karachi

- The Hub Dam and Hub canal that supplies water to Karachi is the nearest and popular place for amateur fishing enthusiasts.

- In Thatta District Keenjhar or Kalri Lake is a known recreational spot for fishing. Also, canals in Thatta District, especially in Mirpur Sakro, show some best fishing spots.

- Not a very common place, but an ideal place is Hub Tehsil of Lasbela District in Balochistan where the presence of Golden Mahseer, a freshwater game fish found only in dams and a few rivers of Pakistan, is found.

- Freshwater eel (Baam) is well-liked, abundantly available in Hub Dam, its canal and canals in Sindh.

- Snakehead (Sowl), another popular fish, is found in Keenjhar Lake as well as ponds and lakes in District Thatta and Badin.

- Golden Mahsheer or Mahseer is also a game fish but very rare in Sindh. Usually found in Hub Dam and Hingol River in Balochistan.

- Rahu is a carp fish and tough to catch (requires special skills) but found abundantly in Hub Dam and water bodies in Sindh.

- Tilapia is a small fish having the weight from 50 to 500 grams, found in shallow waters, especially ponds in Sindh and Balochistan.

- Catfish are found in several sub-species, available in lakes and canals in Sindh, especially in Desi Khagga.

- Malli is also in abundance in local canals and lakes but not very popular among anglers although local population is very found of it.