From the moment he opened his eyes, Mostafa Mahrous sees fishing as a main part of his life. For him, fishing is as important, permanent, and stable as any other life aspect.
Mahrous grew up in Al-Badrashin city, Giza, on watching fishermen gathering at the bank of the Nile every morning and leaving by noon with nets filled with different kinds of fish.
Not so long after, the young fisherman knew that he will have a passion driven life. Fishing fills his soul with enthusiasm and makes him live peacefully. Unlike his peers, Mahrous did not spend his childhood in just playing. He invested the after-school vacation in learning fishing techniques all on his own.
“Being born and raised near the Nile, brings you closer to it. It also shapes your relationship with the creatures living in it,” Mahrous told Daily News Egypt.
Growing up, Mahrous felt the bond growing with the Nile.
“I used to follow fishermen to learn fishing techniques. I used to spend hours doing nothing but watching them,” he said. Keeping a close eye on them for years, he soon started applying what he always watched.
Mahrous uses a simple basic driven fishing tool, called Al-Gobia. It is a cylindrical shape net, made of steel, and sometimes plastic, with only one open side. It is usually used by solo fish catchers, in shallow waters, and known to be an efficient tool of catching fish with different sizes.
“It suits me the most, as it catches a lot of fish,” he explained, asserting that it is the most effective tool for people fishing in small groups, seeking reasonable amounts of fish.
The 19-years-old Mahrous uses his home-made Al-Gobia every day for fishing near his home, either before or after he goes to his technical school.
“Summer is my favorite time of the year; other than the fact that I spend my whole summer vacation in fishing with Al-Gobia, with my friend who is also interested in fishing techniques, the Nile usually has more types of fish in summer that I get to catch in large amounts,” he said.
Mahrous and his family consume some of the fish he catches and he sells the rest.
All photos captured by Fadel Dawood.