3 Review(s)

Set in the heart of Indian bush, Subhan and I is about angling for the hump-backed mahseer, the greatest fresh water fighting fish in the world, under the most harrowing circumstances, in a swim which many experts believe cannot hold big fish whilst others state that even if they were there landing them would be impossible. It is against this challenging backdrop, two men-Subhan and the author—from socially different backgrounds battle hard to outwit and land the elusive mahseer in the turbulent waters of River Cauvery. The book is not just a treasure trove of information on angling and life in the bush, it is also about the life and trials faced by the two men, lost in the madness of trying to save the mahseer against all odds. Of special interest to the readers will be the tips on angling. The many anecdotes related to the author’s family and life experiences lend the book its heart and soul. It also traces the position of the fish in history as it flirts with the Gods of our world. The book is a must-read for not only anglers but also wildlife enthusiasts. About the author Saad Bin Jung hails from the erstwhile royal families of Bhopal, Pataudi, and the aristocratic family of Paigah of Hyderabad so it was natural that he grew up with cricket and love for wildlife in his blood. But what was not normal was the streak of independence and a desire to remain far from the maddening crowd, hugging the solitude of nature. Born in Delhi in 1960, educated in Hyderabad, Saad flirted with cricket for a few years where he achieved international recognition, but a prolonged illness at the tender age of twenty saw him walk out of the game and take to conservation and wildlife with great passion. He has dedicated his life in finding solutions to the man–animal conflict. In his endeavour to conserve wildlife, he has created awareness against ills that plague rural Indian society and has provided vocational training to the locals of the areas he worked in (near Bandipur, Nagarhole, and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka), giving them hope and a way to make a legitimate living. He was a member of the Wildlife Advisory Board of Karnataka for a few years. He is an author having written Wild Tales from the Wild, a columnist writing on cricket and ecology for the Asian Age. Deccan Chronicle, a conservationist, an angler, and a photographer, He runs a very successful jungle resort Bush Betta near Bandipur, an angling camp in the heart of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, and a top-of-the- line boutique and exclusive wildlife camp on the banks of Kabini river near Nagarhole National Park (also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park) called The Bison, all of which he had founded. He lives with his wife and two children at The Bison in Karnataka.