TIRUCHY: At a time when playgrounds are giving way to PlayStations and outdoor games are being swapped for UNO cards and board games, a bunch of youngsters continue to carve out a different path — one rooted in connection with the outdoors. Every dawn, before the city rises, Raju heads to the Uyyakondan canal near Court Road, fishing rods slung over his shoulders and a bucket of worms in hand. With a dab of shampoo on their arms serving as a mosquito repellent, Raju and co. cast their lines into the still morning water—keeping alive not just a pastime, but an activity that nurtures both body and mind. This has been the everyday routine of Raju (35), a college attender from Woraiyur, and his four friends.
“This is the right time to catch the fish. Earlier, we used to fish with bamboo sticks. Now we buy rods, lures and rollers online. There are days when all of us catch nearly 30 kg,” Raju says. The group has been fishing for more than 10 years, and recently Raju admits that many youngsters from his locality have grown a similar interest. They are pestering him to teach fishing. The group either comes on weekends or up to thrice a week.
Their routine mirrors a wider trend: youngsters in Tiruchy rediscovering fishing as a calm, outdoor hobby and a break from screens, inspired by many vloggers and YouTubers. The activity appeals to many who want a slower pace, a reason to wake early, and a quiet space where phones matter less than the peace in the waterbodies. What was once a livelihood practice has now transformed into a weekend escape for Tiruchy’s youth-a calm routine shared with friends.
Raju is not the only one in this journey, as he is accompanied by three others from different parts of Tiruchy who are determined to keep this quiet hobby alive. Among them is 26-year-old V Azhagar from Theeran Nagar, who casts his line near Aarugan Falls behind the Kuzhumayi Amman Temple. He recalls moving from makeshift sticks to a Rs 2,000 rod which he bought online. “You learn how the water behaves, when viral or jilebi appear, and how flow changes after rain,” he says. His best haul was five kilos in two evening hours.
Azhagar says fishing helps him focus and settle his mind. Kabilesh (23) from Thennur represents the digital side of the trend. He was introduced to fishing in Tiruppur by YouTubers who taught him basic knots, baiting and how to read water. Several friends now join him on weekends. In Tiruchy’s Puthur, N Venkateshan (32) practises bottle fishing, tying baited hooks to bottles to catch kurava, keluthi, kendai and jilebi.
“It’s a meditation for me. Once you start reading water, you forget everything.” Some anglers also make small earnings from selling their catches. And the ripple has spread online as well. Tiruchy now has 10 active social media pages where fishers share reels and spot suggestions from Cauvery and Uyyakondan stretches. These pages help beginners understand gear, knots and techniques of the long-lived occupation.