Dabilpur fish collection trip 19-10-2008

Dabilpur is a small village 10kms after Medchal and 35 Kms from Secunderabad.... I have been to this place once before with all my classmates, i was amazed by its beauty and largerly undisturbed natural way of life far from a big city... i was even more amazed seeing the lake and little streams flowing from the lake into the fields for irrigation...they were teeming with life...fish, shrimp, water plants and all kinds of aqua life were abundant... i cursed myself for not bringing my net and other equipment...but the company wasnt very encouraging either...so i made up my mind to make another trip to the place, with the right equipment and company at a later date....this brings me to my present story of my fishing trip....

I stared off at 9.00 am on 18th oct 2008 from my home in old bowenpally... My backpack consisted of fishing nets, plastic covers, rubber bands, a big plastic bottle, camera, batteries & my hunting knife. Between my legs in my Honda Activa was another fishing net & a bucket with a lid.... i picked up my friend Ranadeep from alwal and we hit the Medchal highway by 9.30am.

We were on our way and just crossing Kompally village when i felt my bike wobble a bit and a slight hissing noise...i knew we had met the first obstacle of the day...a flat tire...!! We had a tough time..pushing the bike for a kilometer...running from mechanic to mechanic...1 to remove the wheel another to find the puncture a third to rectify the situation and back to the first to refit the wheel..(mechanics like doctors have becomes specialists nowadays...they too do only their range of work..!!)...well to cut a long story short...at 11.45am , 2 hours & a new tube in my rear wheel later...we were back on our way....!!!

I guess my bike has some sort of an allergy to Dabilpur...last time i went there i lost my keys and had to borrow a bike.. drive all the way back to Sec-bad get the spare keys make the 40km trip back to dabilpur, get my bike & drive all the way back home again...this time it was a flat tire!! well im glad it happened on the way to the place and not the return journey...i would have been more tired and carrying live fish..!!!

We finally reached Dabilpur by 12.30 and went to my friend Vigneshs house there, we were welcome and had a cup of tea before setting off for the lake....!!

The lake is a kilometer walk from the village through green fields and lovely scenery...!!
On our way we climbed a hillock..to visit a temple and also check out the view...!!!
beautiful greenery...green fields & blue skies...my kinda place...
awesome view..!!

the lake...in the distance...view from the hillock!!!
finally after climbing down the hillock and following an irrigational canal backwards.. we reached the lake.... !!
Took a few snaps for memories sake...we asked a local boy to click this one for us...from left to right.. thats me ( the author : Reuben) , Ranadeep ( my buddy experienced with all types of fishing ) & Vignesh...( My good friend from Dabilpur).
I was once again amazed by the size and beauty of this water body and the wealth of life it had... we walked around the entire lake looking for an ideal spot.... My friend Vignesh told me that because of the recent rains the water from the lake overflowed into nearby ditches and these ditches got cut off from the lake because of about 2 weeks of no rain... so fish and shrimp got trapped in these ditches with little water and would be an easy catch... we saw many such ditches...but i chose one which still had a connection to the lake... because it was deeper than the rest and the connection was a stream with lots of fish swimming in and out so they would be easier to trap....

our spot....
a heron...our fishing companion....
click on the pic...you will see in the enlarged version, many many fish!!! and clear waters!!!
the stream connecting the lake to the ditch full of water...its so clear and full of fish!!!
fish!! everywhere you look!! this is why i selected dabilpur!!!

a beautiful stork...fishing with us...a good sign...all the best fishers always choose the top spot..!!
really beautifull place..!!
Soon we got about business...wading in the shallow parts of the pool and catching shrimp & fish and collecting plants wherever visible!!!
Ranadeep was a great help...he did most of the fishing so i could concentrate on the plants and shrimp..!!
fish in the net..!!!
shrimp in the bottle...!!!!
A water scorpion...the place was full of life..!!!

We fished till 2.30 until my bucket was full of fish and plants and the bottle full of shrimp...we headed back to Vigneshs place...the same 1 km trek we came by...

on the hillock again!!! me and vignesh...
on the edge..!!!
Gladiator feeling...!! photography masti....

We went back to my friend Vigneshs house in the village where we had a hearty lunch rice, homemade mago pickle and very nice curd made out of buffalo milk...we were so hungry that we polished off the complete cooker full of rice..!!! Around 3.00pm we bid goodbye to our friend Vignesh & Dabilpur and hit the road on our way back home... Fortunately with no unforseen events i reached home at 3.45pm after drooping Ranadeep and took stock of the catch...!!!

a dark coloured shrimp....larger than the rest....one of my prize catches...!!
the shrimp bottle...!!
lots and lots of shrimp...my main target for this trip was shrimp..guess i was pretty succesfull..!!!

mostly ghost shrimp...but 1 big black 1...he is a beauty..!!!
plants in the bucket....
all the plants after rigourous cleaning and removing tons of algae from them....
looks like a curry leaves plant...but the only problem is this one is aquatic..!!
some kind of lake plant...got lots of it... looks like hydrilla family with leaves thinner and longer and more in number than usual...

bucket full of fish..!!! looks like a zebra without stripes..got lot of these buggers...!!!
pencil fish and native barbs...in no shortage..!!!
thin flat semi trasparent fish, body shaped like killi....got a few of these guys..!!!
some kinda loach i guess.... top view...

same fish..looks like a loach because of typical loach mouth structure..
loach side view....
loach in tank....
ghost shrimp..!!!
big black shrimp!!!
my prized catch....

Overall it was a great trip...the only things i expected and missed out on was tilapias & native catfish...anyways no complaints... it was a great ride, great fishing, great fun with great friends in a great place on a great day... i enjoyed myself and got a good variety for my collection...
Hope u guys enjoyed the webpage... if u are interested in such trips, have some ideas, suggestions or anything youd like to share get in touch with me...

take care,

Reagrds,

Reuben David..