Karwar, (DHNS): Traditional fishermen were in for a Dussera bonus as they not only caught hundreds of fish in their nets, but also those that swept ashore at the Rabindranath Tagore beach here on Friday. Even as people of the region flocked to see this rare sight, fishermen rejoiced at the windfall that had come their way during this festival.

Several varieties of fish including Leppe, Banagu, Nogli, Soundale, Beneke, crab, Banase, Pedi, Sanna Kokkare, Dodda Kokkare, lobster, pomfret and other types of fish were caught in abundance. Later the catch was piled up on the beach, checked for quality and taken to the market for sale. Those fish that aren't eaten, were transported to the fish mill.

A large crowd gathered at the beach to witness this rare event. They were seen picking the good fish from the pile and filling their bags with it. The fishermen had a tough time trying to control people who were after the fish. However fishermen called their relatives and friends to come over and generously shared their catch with them while others bought them for money. Loading fish into trucks for transportation went on well into the night.

Such a large haul is a rarity and the last time it had occurred some 15 years ago said some fishermen. A verteran fisherman Panduranga Harikanthra the fish had swum ashore in large numbers because of the low tide which caused them to move ashore for air. About Rs. 5-6 lakh worth of fish had been caught in that single day, he added.