Skinny dippers beware: Clever Fish Population hides in the pond

24 Dec Skinny dippers beware: Clever Fish Population hides in the pond

Skinny dippers beware: Pond has curious Fish

In the summer of 1967, as a young geologist, I camped in Muthalamada, S.India, in a large house given to us on gratis, along with buddy Kannan Nair (who later joined Oil Company). We used to go for an extended and relaxing bath later in the evening in a pond right in the middle of a large patch of paddy field. Thanks to the tour of duty.

We chose the bath time as later hours of the day for multiple reasons, one we will be practically alone in the pond where I enjoyed skinny dip and two the local folks of men, women and children would have done with their turn of bath after a long day of work or rest. In other words it is an air of peace, calm and quietude. Sky light was aplenty. There is yet another more valid reason to do so because our dinner will not be ready before 8 pm.

Rightly or wrongly we never took a flash light and only light were the skylight. Especially the low relief terrain of Muthalamada had a wide and expansive horizon all around. My buddy Nair and I were totally unconcerned about how we bathed in the veil of low or dim light of the dusk. On the first day itself before the first skinny dip, Nair warned me of the fish attempting to peck on the manly icon. I guessed that this man apparently had such encounters earlier while bathing in river water.

I was, at that age, very curious and ready to experiment with anything in life, if there was no threat to my life. We swam across the small pond in the chill waters saw fish and even water snakes either blocking our way in the water or avoiding us. Nair wanted me to avoid the water snake as one has to take rest for 24hr, and skip meals if bitten by the water snake.

I stopped the swim came out of water to get copiously lather my body, both reachable and hard to reach spots, with a white cake of “Lux” soap. While I was bend down and doing the lathering, Nair jumped out of water nearly screaming, which put me in a fix. On enquiry he said he was pecked by fish on the top of his nearly frozen icon which threw him into jitters. And he also announced that he is finished with the bath and would wait for me on the shore.

I had a big laugh by the fish story because; I too had gone through it earlier on some occasions while bathing in the local pond in my hometown. Most of the time I took it sportively as it was quite harmless. Yet I agreed to finish the bath quickly and sort of flooded all over my body with water by doing squats in waist deep water – sort of jigging. The first dozens did not attract any rogue fish to my icon though. Soon they started attacking the head of icon which to tell you the truth I enjoyed. I am not sure whether I polluted the waters or served a desert for the fish.

On our way back to our camp-home I told Nair that enjoyed the pecks which led to a plateau. To my luck the pond did not have any large fish. It always kept me wondering how the women folk in spite of the bright anatomy escaped fish pecks in this pond or ponds elsewhere.

I am not sure if you ever had a fish attack.

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