Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

2i8 HUNTING, TRAPPING, AND FISHING
ruat," which is a mud-worm of immense length (some
I have seen measured upwards of three feet) Hving
deep down in the mud of the mangrove swamps. A
good deal, perhaps most, of the angling is done by the
women, whom I have often seen fishing in this way,
and who become very clever in the use of the rod.'
A somewhat unusual method of rod-fishing in vogue
among some of the Besisi, as well as among some
of the local Malays (who are said to have learnt it from
them), is extremely curious. The fisherman goes out
in a dug-out canoe, at about half- tide, and paddles
gently in and out among the mangrove -roots in the
little salt-water creeks of the tidal rivers. On
reaching a suitable spot he starts angling, using an
extremely short rod (not above two feet long), and a
line not more than three feet long at the most. A
novice might suppose that the only chance of getting
a bite at all under such circumstances from anything
better than a gudgeon would be to remain as silent and
still as the grave. The Besisi, however, knowing his
fish better, splashes the tip of his rod vigorously in
the water. This has the effect of making his quarry
(big mud -fish such as the " sembilang " - and the
" b'lukang ") go for the bait with a greedy rush which
results in their immediate capture. The fisherman,
however, cannot be too careful, as the " sembilang "
is furnished with very poisonous spines (one at each
side and one on its back), and I have known these to
cause painful wounds, the effects of which continued
to be felt for several days afterwards.
1 Mr. G. C. Bellamy says : " Some throw the bait similarly to fly-fishing,
of the women are expert fishers, and whipping the fish out with great skill "
make use of a light rod and a line of (Bellamy, p. 229).
about the same length as the rod. - Plotosus canias, etc. The " b'lu-
They stand in the shallow water and kang " is unidentified.