Assam’s natural wealth has given it many rivers, tributaries, wetlands (beel), swamps and ponds. This makes fishing an integral part of Assamese culture. The people of the state have mostly non-vegetarian food habits, rice and fish curry being a favourite combination. Instead of buying fish from the marketplace, many in Assam like to fetch it from nearby ponds and rivers. They also practise a variety of fishing techniques using a wide range of nets and gear. Most of the gear is made with bamboo and cane, and sold at the haats (weekly markets) in villages and small towns. Villagers, especially, are adept at fishing and they sell a part of their catch at the markets.

The choice of fishing gear and technique depends on several factors: Season, shape of the waterbody and the type of fish, for instance. In Assam, community fishing is a tradition that sees villagers gather around a beel with nets and traps. On an ordinary day, people from over 20 villages come together for fishing. During festivals, the number of people can grow to thousands. This is when one gets to see the whole gamut of nets and traps in use (see illustrations) — polo, jakoi, juluki, koilengi jal, saloni and so on.

Community fishing is especially popular in the days following floods — a common occurrence in Assam during monsoon — and harvest. Men, women and children take part in it enthusiastically. On the eve of Magh or Bhogali Bihu, the harvest festival celebrated in January-February, villagers enjoy a feast dominated by dishes made with fish from the wetlands.

The varieties of fish, big and small, available in the region are innumerable, but among the more popular are borali (a kind of catfish), xol (snakehead murrel), puthi (a small freshwater fish) and bhangan (small fish of the carp family).

Fishing is not just an Assamese tradition. It is also a lifeline for the village craftsman whose only income comes from the sale of fishing gear.

Text, images and illustrations by Partha Pratim Sharma