Fishing feat

The recent feature about World Fishing Day in The Courier Weekend magazine inspired Ken Miln to send in a story from his jute-wallah memories. As he explains, the star of the show was a giant Catla fish.

“Dr Babu, better known as old Cha Cha by the ex-Dundee jute-wallahs then living at Megna compound, was our much-respected company doctor and a most dignified Bengali gentleman.

“The good doctor was a veritable magician in all things piscatorial and one of the best ‘tank anglers’ (tank, in Bengal, was a reservoir).

“On one particularly hot, humid Sunday afternoon I came upon old Cha Cha squatting on his heels by the water’s edge and staring intently at two peacock quill floats some two yards to his front. The scene was typical for the month of May at our compound, very hot and still with only the cawing of crows, punctuated by the deep-throated bellowing from water buffalo in the nearby Hooghly.

“It happened suddenly – one of the floats plummeted from sight, immediately followed by the good doctor’s swift upward strike with his rod.

“The line tightened and the archaic brass-reel screamed as his rod-tip curved downward, as if pointing to whatever had taken old Cha Cha’s bait.

“Some two hours later, by which time a number of jute-wallahs had gathered to watch and shout words of encouragement, two malees (gardeners) were standing waist-deep in the water and ready to assist the good doctor.

“Within minutes the great fish was pushed on to the bank for all to see – a Catla fish of over 60 pounds and almost five feet in length.

“For some years afterwards a much enlarged photograph of the great Catla fish adorned the good doctor’s dispensary wall.

“Included in the picture was, of course, old Cha Cha himself – while at his side stood a mesmerised young fisherman.”

“This pair of puffins were in front of their burrow, where the puffling is, on the cliffs near Stonehaven,” says Eric Niven who took this delightful picture.

“Anyone know what this fungus is? It appears about the same spot at Burnside golf course each year,” says Stuart McLean.