Golden Mahseer
Golden Mahseer (barbus tor putitora) are famous among globe trotting anglers who travel the world in search of the hardest fighting fish in extreme situations - some anglers say that pound for pound they are the hardset fighting fish on the planet
The Himalayan Golden Mahseer is a super streamlined carp/barbel family member and can grow in excess of 80lb and 6ft in length and can be found in rivers and some lakes across the whole of the Indian subcontinent. The main day to day fishing at the camp takes place in rapids and pools using a selection of live, dead and paste baits, plugs and spinners and flies, so a whole variety of tackle and fishing methods to suit all angler’s tastes.
Fishing in the Himalayas is one of the most exciting forms of fishing in the world, crystal clear water and good vantage points along the river mean you can actually see these huge fish swimming freely before you cast to them. This alone means you maximise your chance of a big fish every day by not wasting time on pools with only small fish present, and selecting the biggest fish we can see at the time in each pool or rapid. We also try to keep groups to a maximum of 4 anglers for our Mahseer fishing and this again gives better spacing on the river so we can leave pools undisturbed for the next day or evenings fishing giving all anglers a good chance of a huge fish on the trip.
Goonch Catfish
This little known about and pretty much untouched species offers the angler who wants something really big and toothy a great opportunity to tangle with a true beast of the river. Goonch Catfish are normally found in the fastest water in the river and at the top and bottom of the rapids where they meet the pool or in the whitest water you can find and they can grow to over 300lb in weight and a massive 3 meters in length!!
Once hooked hold on tight for these fish run like hell and will stay deep and try to break you at any given chance on rocks and snags in the river. They can stay deep in pools and swim freely up rapids as quickly as they can down them if they feel pressured, so be prepared for anything. Fish of over 250lb have been caught and landed at special locatons along this river and can be caught in multiple numbers if fished for at the right time of year and with appropriate tackle. Most of the fishing for Goonch is touch ledgering style with whole baits, casting to the top of the rapids and bouncing the baits through the swim and likely looking spots we find along the way. This method normally turns up a few monster Mahseer that also love big baits that wash past them in the heavy flow. Many of our guests like to have a few days Catfishing to break up the days of Mahseer fishing and to try and catch a different species while on the river. So if you would like a few days Catfishing as well as fishing for Mahseer then we can do this too, the best catfishing pools are situated around our main camp with another only a short jeep ride away. Most of the fishing is with one rod and during daylight hours aswe find night times to be very slow – this might be due to the poor eyesight of the Goonch, making it easier for it to feed during the day and in bright sunlight.
Worried you don’t have the correct tackle for fishing? Rest assured that we provide all the correct Mahseer and Catfishing tackle and baits to take the hassle out of your trip and to lighten your load while travelling.
All text © 2010 by India Angling