A primitive mode of fishing, involving a lot of patience and advanced planning, is still in vogue in the Anchar lake spread over 4.26 square kilometres in Srinagar, and comes handy when the Valley’s chilly weather freezes portions of the lake.
Mehraj-ud -Din Taploo, a resident of Anchar locality, stocks his shikara with reed grass as he embarks on the tedious process to fish in the lake, locally known as tchay gaadi or shadow fishing.
“The lake, which has marshy patches, is divided into small pools by the fisherman. There is this legend that a fisherman can only fish between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A special dua (Quranic verses) is recited as we start fishing,” Mr. Taploo said.
Mr. Taploo like other fishermen in the lake stops at a particular pool and anchor the topless shikara. “We conceal half of the shikara by turning reed grass into a small hut. It also hides the fishing pool identified for the day. The temporary reed roofing should be able to accommodate half of the body and completely cover the pool, turning it into a pitch dark,” he said.
Then begins the tedious process of wait and watch. The dark pool beneath the reeds attracts fish.
“I keep a watch for hours together to allow fish pass the well curated pool. I have either a harpoon or spear in hand and dash it on the fish. The light beneath the lake helps my eyes to track fish movement. We use the natural light beneath to track fish,” Khazir Muhammad, another fisherman said.
The shikara has to stay stationary while the fisherman, positioned flat on the surface with half body inside the dark portion of the boat, starts picking the fish with harpoons and spears, a method mainly used at the peak of winters when the movement of fish remains restricted.
“If you are lucky, one can fetch up to 10 kg of fish. The Anchar lake produces fish worth lakhs of rupees. The local variety of fish, which is still sustained by the lake, tastes far better than other lakes of the city,” Mr. Muhammad added.
The residents of Anchar lake said it’s a rare skill within the community, which avoids using any modern technology of fishing in great numbers.
