The arc of fishing

The fishing line was made of nylon wire of about 1mm diameter. Fifty meters of this white translucent line was wound crisscross over a flat piece of wood six inches in length, an inch in width and quarter inch thick. To the free end were attached five steel nuts with the sole purpose to add weight. The nuts were ensconced in a piece of cloth to prevent friction with sand. About 18 inches from the nuts-end 4 to 5 fishing hooks of varying sizes were firmly tied in at intervals, prawns were used as bait and that end was neatly laid on the ground. The line was unwound to the required length of throw and neatly placed in continuing concentric pattern ensuring that there are no obstacles when the line gets pulled by the throw. Finally the piece of wood with remaining line still wound to it was placed under the weight of a rock to hold the throw without losing the line. Yes, the throw was the artistic and scientific part of fishing with a line at sea.

The ultimate nut at the other end (self or any other line fisher) then picks up the line and holds it about a meter from the nuts end. The hand holding the line is extended outward at an angle of 45 degrees and the nuts end is circled overhead until it picks up enough speed for the release and the line to fly out into the sea in a beautiful arc. 

Years later when I was picking up golf, I was told that it is the club-head speed that propelled the ball to desired distances. The arc the golf ball followed after a good swing, I noticed, followed a similar arc as that bag of nuts followed in the thick monsoon air over a raging Arabian sea on those wonderful Sunday mornings just a hundred or so yards from my dormitory in the school.