BOLENG, Aug 28: Aan (Uchi) Tangu of Pasighat (East Siang) was declared the winner of the Siang-Simang Angling Festival held here in Siang district recently.
Tangu caught four fish with a cumulative weight of 27.2 kgs, including a trophy catch of 8.9 kgs. He won a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 60,000, which he donated back to the organisers, the Dosing Social Welfare Society (DSWS), for the next edition of the festival.
Takom Darang from Kebang village (Siang) was declared the runner-up. He caught nine fish including an 8.7 kgs fish. He won Rs 20,000 along with a certificate.
However, Dodum Yangfo from Itanagar was declared the winner of ‘highest number of catch’ title for catching 10 fish with a total weight of 28.65 kgs. He won Pelagic Tribe- and Mustad-sponsored angling gears.
Teli Bulen from Itanagar, who caught a 3.5 kg chocolate mahseer within two minutes of the competition, was declared the winner of the ‘fastest catch’ title.
Altogether, 81 anglers from various parts of the country, including Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Bangalore, and New Delhi participated in the festival.
Changlang (North) MLA Tesam Pongte, BJP leader Nalong Mize, and Siang District Tourism Officer Tanyup Kopak attended the valedictory function, and spoke on conservation of flora and fauna, and harnessing the tourism potential of the area.
Among others, Boleng ADC Tayek Pado also attended the function.
The three-day event, which began on 23 August, was organised by the DSWS in collaboration with Donyi Hango and Arunachal Anglers’ Forum.
In total, the anglers caught 278 kgs of fish, including off-the-record catches by Derek D’Souza of Pelagic Tribe and Bhuto Marak of Meghalaya. While D’Souza caught a 20.3 kg goonch catfish, Marak caught an 18.5 kg golden mahseer.
