Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Rob Powell - The joys of piranha fishing

This is a story of 4 men in a boat, sorry canoe. They are armed with loads of fishing wire, a few hooks, a packet of biscuits, and a bag of chicken guts. It was a stormy Sunday afternoon when they got to their canoe, half submerged due to a recent downpour. After a quick bailing out, they set off in search of piranha to go with their chicken for dinner. They were in pursuit of another canoe, this one filled with females and a local guide, Hector. It was vital that they reach the fishing ground first and get the prime catch. With the fishing ground soon found, line in water, and feet-a-dangling, the boys settle down, determined to get the first catch. A wee chuckle reverberates through the vessel at the girls, who are still struggling through the reeds. It is not long before Hector and his minions approach…and then steam past. The buggers know of a better spot. It is not long before both canoes are parked up and quiet descends on the expectant fishers. Within minutes, Hector has the first catch, then gets numbers 2, 3 and 4, the fourth being a bit of a monster. The boys need to work harder; then, with a sudden shout for joy, Stevo gets the first catch. The fish is so small that it actually doubled in size when it ate the maggot! By this point one of the girls manages to get a piranha. A rather worried aura descends on the boys as the biscuits are put down and full concentration goes to the job at hand. The boys start their comeback. The girls by this point have managed a total of 9.