Has  Saddam Hussein  gone fishing?
Tony Eberts
  At the moment, the war-torn and still violent little nation of Iraq isn't likely to be part of anyone's vacation plans. The Cradle of Civilization, as it traditionally is called, comes across on the TV news as a land of dust and turmoil where thoughts of enjoying the outdoors would be considered to be a bad joke, even by fishermen.
But one of the main reasons it was civilized thousands of years ago is the existence of the famous rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, which made the valleys almost a match for the Biblical Eden. And in those fabulous rivers are some fabulous fish, such as a cousin of India's mahseer (Barbus Torassullah) and known to frequently exceed 200 pounds.
Westerners first discovered fishing for Iraq's Barbus Seich during the First World War, when British troops were in the region opposing Turkish forces. One sportsman, Major H.L. Colan, using a 14-foot rod and bait, landed a 125-pounder on the Diala River, a tributary of the Tigris, in September of 1918. More sporting was the 140-pound fish landed on the Tigris in September, 1915, by Maj. F.B. Lane, who used a rod and a small spoon.
Ordinary soldiers--not, alas, as sporting as their officers--caught numbers of still larger mahseer using heavy handlines often made from telephone cable that had been abandoned by the Turks. All that was needed was a heavy hook, usually made by the unit's armourer or blacksmith. Put a piece of meat on the hook, toss it into the river and wait for a strike.
At least one of these catches, weighing 213 pounds, came from the Euphrates at Massiriyah and was photographed and vouched for by division officers. The fish put up mighty battles, it is reported, no matter what kind of tackle was used on them.
According to the reminiscences of Lt.-Col. R.B. Phayre MC, the encounters had a few drawbacks, especially in places where river currents were strong. “Once a big fish took the bait," he wrote, “the unfortunate angler was sometimes seen rapidly disappearing into the water and in some cases was drowned when, in his excitement, he held on too long." But quite often the angler had friends with him who would rush into the water and help him and the fish to shore, where the fish would be bashed on the head and carried off to a field kitchen.
“Still bigger fish lie in the rivers of Iraq...but it is difficult to get accurate weights, for heavy weigh scales are rarely carried when in camp," says Lt.-Col. Phayre. “Most anglers who have done much mahseer fishing will be able to record first-hand experiences of battles with these monsters which, incidentally, are usually hen fish.
“Unfortunately, the rivers are so large and the currents so strong that it is often impossible to follow up your fish owing to bad ground. The battle has probably lasted for hours until the angler is completely exhausted."
No doubt today's angler could add such things as bombs and snipers to the list of fishing problems. But I wonder if any of the British military who might have heard of Lt.-Col. Phayre's memoirs have given Iraq's monumental rivers a try. What about a 200-pound mahseer on a dry fly?
 As the search goes on for Saddam Hussein, should we wonder if the deposed dictator has simply gone fishing?