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As conservationists, we are greatly concerned about the numbers and condition of the fish we catch. All our practices in the field are geared towards superb handling and successful catch and release fishing. Once you catch a Himalayan fish in it's natural surroundings, you would want to release it anyway as a thank offering to the river gods for the opportunity of a lifetime. We welcome anglers who think like us and care for our fish. Here's what we think of our fish and fishing for them. ....................................................................................................................................................

An activity executed for pleasure and not for food is what we think of sportfishing. Since it would be a pity to kill a magnificent piece of Nature we seek pleasure in pursuing it and meeting it in many places, coincidentally, places of immense character, just like the fish itself. We understand that fishing for sport means releasing the fish we catch. This is borne not only due to respect for an endangered creature but also because our lives are tied up in it's existence.

Bags mentioned by several Victorian and Edwardian anglers seem incapable of belief let alone repetition. Today the story is very different. The mahseer is concentrated in very few waters and nowhere in the same numbers. Most mahseer live in temple or wildlife sanctuaries but are subject to predation the moment they move from these areas. Be that as it may, you can still expect fish in the upper doubles depending upon the water, timing and location.

As you read this, mahseer fishing, especially fishing for big golden mahseer, is very tough for a number of reasons. Large specimens exist in certain rivers and can be caught, depending upon the time available. Sometimes the cause can be lack of availability of the correct bait (listen to the gillies around the campfire for good and bad experiences).

Please don't expect triple figure mahseer as in South India, where it's an old, well-developed and maintained fishery. Our rivers have never been controlled and the locations still unspoilt. You can, however, expect several fish a day and a good double figure before the end of your tour.

We fish with the following sportfishing conditions:
* All fishing is on a catch and release basis
* We use landing mats and well trained gillies for good handling of fish
* We fish barbless trebles and microbarb single hooks. If you fish with us, you have to crimp down the barbs or use our barbless hooks.
* We won't use more than two trebles on plugs. If your lure has three, we'll insist you remove it to avoid external damage to fish.

Normally there's one gillie for each angler who's responsible for fresh bait as necessary, handling the fish and releasing snagged bait when possible and one guide per expedition responsible for overall running and securing permits, translation, etc. Packed lunches and beverages accompany each rod-gillie pair while breakfast and supper happens at camp with tea always in the pot. In the autumn season, the evening campfire is a great time for relaxing to tipple and tales.

Our fish can be very obliging to the practitioner of any angling discipline- spin, fly or bait. Of course, you need the right advice, from the right guides and go to the right places. A brief look at how you can fish:

Spinning:
One of the biggest reasons the mahseer is considered among the world's premier gamefish is that it takes artificials quite readily at certain times, in certain places. This makes the affair one more like stalking blindly rather a static game of 'bait and wait'.



Although the best part of a mahseer's diet is vegetation and insects, they seem to respond most reliably to spinning gear- spoons, plugs, fly-spoons. Combined with the water where it is found and the necessity of presenting it with bait in the right spot, spinning happens to be the best way of doing it.

There does seem to be some zen involved in spinning for mahseer- especially if the angler is of the contemplative type. There is much fulfilment in selecting a lure, a patch of water and plying the rod to lure a fish. Best thing about spining is that anything can happen- a 2lb fish can take a 6" lure with the same abandon as a 50lb one. And we've caught 60lb fish on 2" plugs, too so there's no telling what may attach itself to the end of your line. To date some of the best fish have been taken on spinning gear.
Best time for spinning: February till May and then September till end-October

Flyfishing:
Flyfishing for mahseer is a game of endless patience and trial with few rules as far as the fish are concerned. The one thing common is the tackle used and regardless of size, it is still tough to land a mahseer on light tackle. Let's not forget some of the finest waters and beats that'll have you unwinding every technique to get to
where the fish are.

For many mahseer (next best thing to big mahseer), one needs to look at a well stocked river. Days of biteless frustration may make you throw away the rod and probably sound the guide out for lack of fish but you need to take a look at the fish to be sure they're there and the bitelessnes is just another one of the mahseer's perversions. Small rivers are usually home to more obliging mahseer and if you're fishing on expedition basis, just graduate to a larger one to really feel what a good mahseer does to a single handed fly rod.
Best time for flyfishing: end January till May (slow in March, April) and September-October.

Baitfishing:
The most laid back, surefire way to big fish not counting bad luck and to have a true fishing holiday. The biggest fish don't grow big by being silly, especially after they've tasted a plug or two. Of course it's a waiting game and the fish doesn't respect the time you put in.

Part of our conservation efforts take us to places where we get to meet local fishermen- loop-liners, netsmen, night-liners, gill netters and hook-and-line 'anglers'. The big fish others fail to catch are because these are the people who catch them for sale and consumption purposes. Acting on the information collected from them we have managed to score some good fish consistently. Bait fishing is also subject to timing, location and certain specific seasonal needs so please inquire before reserving space.
Best time for baitfishing: generally throughout the year, depending upon the location. If you're serious about arriving at a well planned location, we can prebait a suitable location so there's no chance of blanking.

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