I36 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



is used to capture seer, pomfrets, sharks, hilsa and other shoals of 

 large fish. Kanna valai is another large meshed drift net. 



Peru valai is the shore seine used on the Madras coast. For 

 shooting the net in the sea, the masula, a narrow keeled sewn 

 boat, is used. Men working at the two ends of the shore seine who 

 are separated from each other at first by over a quarter of a mile, 

 approach one another dragging the net gradually and evenly 

 from both sides. When the coir portion " Mottal " and the small 

 meshed portion the "Mayila valai" are dragged ashore the 

 fishes enclosed are frightened and rush into the finely meshed bunt. 

 The shore seine is used from about February to June when the 

 surf is not fierce. The fish caught are the silver-bellies, ribbon 

 fishes, anchovies, etc. 



The special catamaran used in Kola (flying fish) fishery has 

 been described in detail in Report No. 4 of the present bulletin. 

 The hand net, Kacha valai, is used in tanks and the Cooum. In 

 estuaries, tanks and also on the beach is used a small meshed 

 casting net leaded heavily along the periphery, called Mani 

 valai or Visiri valai, the user wading into knee-deep water. 

 Konda valai, a kind of Vangu valai, with twenty-one sticks is used 

 in tanks. In estuaries, Siru valai with two side ropes carrying 

 coconut leaves is worked by over ten men who keep the mouth of 

 the net open by holding over their heads sticks attached to the top 

 of the net, when the terrorized fish dart into the bag. Once the 

 fish are in, the mouth is closed. 



Lining is carried on extensively from catamarans called " Mela 

 Maram " which go long distances to about 20—30 fathoms. The 

 bait used is Hippa the sand bug, cuttle fish, squid or octopus, crab, 

 prawn, fish, e.g , anchovy (whitebait), ribbon fish, sardine, in fact 

 any fish. The line fishermen on their way to the fishing grounds 

 purchase their bait from the Thuri valai fishermen. Live bait is 

 also used. Last season, a fisherman tells me, induced by the 

 success of one in lining for seer with live puffers (Tetrodon spp.) 

 most line fishermen used them with deadly effect. The usual bait 

 for seer is the Ribbon fish or any species of Lutianus (Nethiprion 

 and Vekkattai). 



Lining is also done from the shore both on the beach and in the 

 backwaters. Polynemus, the Indian salmon, is usually got though 

 the whiting is also hooked in the backwaters. The bait used 

 usually is Hippa, prawn or an Eunicid worm. 



