Catching excitement, not fish: about the joy that only anglers can feel
The soft rustle of water, silence, a motionless fishing rod, and hours of waiting. This activity, which may seem boring to some, is a true pleasure for others. What is the secret of fishing? Why do people find joy even in its hardship?
Not fishing for fish, but hunting for excitement: About the pleasure only those holding a fishing rod can feel
The Karkidon reservoir, located in the Kuva district of the Fergana region, is crowded with people as usual. Today, anglers have come fishing with their loved ones as well. Despite the drop in air temperature, fish are biting the hooks. We spoke with master anglers about the joy of fishing.
Qoyil aka Abdurahmonov, one of the master anglers, once caught a 17-kilogram catfish from the Karkidon reservoir. Taking time off from his farming, he comes fishing twice a week.
"Fish have become cunning"
"My late father was a hunter and angler. When I was 7-8 years old, I used to follow my father to hunt and fish. For so many years, fishing has been my hobby. Look at that, now I am bringing my grandchildren to fish.
I am retired; if I don't go fishing twice a week, I feel unwell. We have farming at home, which also needs to be done. Taking time off from farming, we come here to rest and enjoy ourselves... Today I cast 6 fishing rods into the water.
We go to many places in search of fish. Recently I went to Arnasay, Chust, and the Chortoq reservoir. During my practice, I caught a 17-kilogram catfish right here in the Karkidon reservoir. It was during the month of Ramadan back then; we had just sat down for the evening meal to break the fast, at dusk... Suddenly there was a sharp tug; my friend Rustam was my companion, and we went inside on a boat. Since the fish was large, we struggled with it for 1.5 hours. The 1.5-hour struggle completely exhausted the fish. Then, coaxing it bit by bit, we managed to catch it. After that incident, I also caught a 16-kilogram carp and a 14-kilogram grass carp.
Whether fish have become smart or cunning... For some reason, big fish aren't coming out now. The bait is the same, the rods are the same—look, these are fishing rods from the old Soviet era.
They call this fishing. It's 1:00 PM, and we haven't caught a single fish since morning. If luck is on our side, we might catch 30 kg, or 20 kg, but there are also days when we go home empty-handed. The fish biting also depends on the weather; there might be wind, as fish react to atmospheric pressure," says Qoyil aka Abdurahmonov, one of the master anglers.