Eco Park angling contest reels in nationwide anglers with catch and release focus
Telegraph | 21 November 2025
Bengal Angler’s Forum (BAF) recently held its 11th catch-and-release event at Eco Park but some participants have been casting their lines in the lake there decades before the park even existed.
“I used to come here as a child with my father, before Eco Park had even come up,” said Suraj Biswas of Patharghata in Rajarhat. “Back then, it was just open land – not as clean or scenic as it is today – and there were very few fish. Now, the authorities regularly release fingerlings, which makes fishing much more enjoyable. The only change is, we have to release our catch. Earlier, we could take the fish home and eat it.”
Still, Biswas had no complaints. “That’s the mindset we’re trying to cultivate,” said BAF founder Arindam Ghosh. “Anglers should come for the joy of the sport while respecting sustainability. Catching the fish and releasing it into the water within seconds ensures they grow to maturity and helps prevent over-fishing. This year, our two-day event had 29 contestants each. There’s huge demand as this is India’s finest venue for angling, but that’s as many participants as we could accommodate.”
Far and wide
The contestants used plenty of sophisticated fishing gear — some powerful enough to reel in a catch within minutes, others needing half an hour of manoeuvring along the bank from the Japanese Garden end to the Eiffel Tower side.
One dramatic catch — a large silver carp — was eventually disqualified as the fishing line had hooked on to the fish’s body. “An angler only earns credit if the fish bites the bait,” explained Ghosh. “This one might have been accidentally hooked while swimming by.”
Indrajit Saha caught a 5kg katla on Day One. “It all depends on the bait, that we anglers customise. It’s like street food for fish — they swim by, look around, and decide what to taste,” said the passionate angler. “Wherever I travel, I look for resorts that offer fishing. On a recent trip to Phuket, my daughter and I caught (and released) a big and beautiful red-tailed catfish. To get children interested in such hobbies, parents must lead by example.”
Veterans and voyagers
At 78, S.K. Saha was the oldest participant. “I came to Calcutta from East Pakistan in 1968 and fondly recall fishing there too,” he said. “Now I go salt-water fishing in Dubai, where we are taken 40km out in the sea by speedboat to fish. It’s a thrilling and different experience. I wish India had opportunities like that.” Though he returned empty-handed from Eco Park, Saha said he had no regrets.
“Fishing has to be challenging. If it’s easy, it’s boring,” smiled Michael Liang, who had come from Assam to visit his parents and joined the event when he got wind of it. “Anglers like me carry our gear around so I could take part. Back in Guwahati, I usually enjoy angling for catfish on the Brahmaputra, that has to be done in the evenings,” he said. “Angling is a great unifier. Wherever anglers meet, there’s no caste, creed, or language barrier, we just hit it off,” said the hobbyist who ended the day with a stout katla.
The award for the heaviest catch went to Sanjay Roy, who reeled in an 11.02kg pangas, while the multiple-catch trophy was bagged by Toushif Ahmed for landing 11 fish weighing a total of 10.405kg.
“This year’s competition was one of our best in recent memory,” said Sutanu Chatterjee, an executive committee member. “The weather was great, and that always helps in getting good catch. We organisers have been at the venue from 7am till dusk, but we love the sport so much that we ended up angling ourselves afterwards to unwind.”