Gaurav Kataria (top) and his fishing buddies show off their catch

Picture this: you’re sitting on the banks of a stream, the gurgling waters are music to your ears and suddenly you feel a gentle tug at your angling rod. Finally, Lady Luck has smiled and a prized mahseer is your catch for the day. If this is your idea of a perfect weekend getaway then what better than an angling vacation for you?

If you are one of those who’ve never experienced the pleasures of a fishing holiday, here’s your chance. The fishing season ? primarly for mahseer and trout ? is on in different parts of the country and all you need to do is decide where to go. For beginners, the thumb rule is to head towards river banks with veteran anglers who’ll guide you to the right location for a perfect catch.

Angling ? a form of fishing with an angle or hook ? may have its roots in the Raj, but it is today’s hot new sport. Its popularity can be gauged by the fact that each year, competitions are held in Himachal Pradesh. Angling competitions for mahseer are organised between April to June while those for trout happen at the end of September or early October.

But do you have it in you to make a good angler? According to Gaurav Kataria, Director of India Angling, a company that organises several fishing tours in India, “The basic signs of a good angler are patience, the ability to sit still for hours and above all, the skill to fight it out with a mahseer, a very heavy fish.” A word of caution from Kataria: not only is the fish capable of putting up a stiff fight, it can also quite easily pull the angler into the water. So being strong is an added bonus.

So where can you go to experience the thrill of angling? Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Karnataka offer anglers good locations with their many fresh water streams and lakes.

Rivers including Kali Sarda, Beas, Ganga, Ramganga (near Corbett National Park) and the Cauvery in South India are famous for mahseer. Large mahseer and goonch are found in the Kosi and Ramganga rivers. Fishing for trout is possible in the north of the country on the Tirthan, Tons and Sainj rivers. Closer home ? in the east ? the Kameng, Teesta and Brahmaputra also provide excellent angling spots.

Palampur, known more for its tea estates, is also growing to be an anglers’ paradise. Navin Sarin who runs Country Cottage Resorts on his tea estate in Palampur offers weekend packages for anglers. At Country Cottage, a two-day fishing trip will cost Rs 8,000 inclusive of food, travelling to different fishing spots and accommodation. Equipment can also be arranged on request.

Another angling expert, Sandhya Tyagi of Adventure Hills takes anglers to numerous fishing destinations in Himachal. She explains that the trout fishing season is from March 31 to October 31 and that for mahseer is from January to April and September to December.

Adventure Hills provides camping facilities in the locations that it operates in and for Rs 1,800 per person (twin sharing), anglers can avail of tents set up near the angling area. A three-day package costs Rs 2,500.

Now is also the best time to go trout-fishing in the South ? the season opened last month and will continue till September. Accommodation for vacationers is available at forest bungalows while the more adventurous can try camping. For instance, Cauvery Fishing Camp, a Jungle Lodges Enterprise, is located on the Cauvery’s banks in Bheemeshwari (100km from Bangalore) and charges Rs 1,500 per person for tented accommodation per night. The tariff includes meals, coracle (circular boats used in some southern states) and elephant rides. In Kerala, the streams around Munnar are ideal for fishing.

But if you want to head elsewhere, India Angling organises several angling trips to Himachal, Uttaranchal and the North-East. A trip to river Ramganga around Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal will cost you Rs 3,000 per day, but hiring a fishing guide will cost you an extra Rs 1,800. The arrangements of your stay are made at River Lodge Resort. Kataria also conducts angling trips to river Beas in Himachal and Kali Pancheshwar at the India-Nepal border that is a veritable goldmine for mahseer fishing. Besides lodging at a resort, you can also go for tented accommodation near the river. The trips can also be customised according to the number of days you want to spend at the angling destinations.

Having decided where to head, it’s time for the paperwork. No angling trip can be undertaken minus the requisite fishing permit for the area. All state governments have their tourism and fisheries department offices in the capital cities from where fishing permits are issued for certain stretches of water. Usually fishing licences are not issued during the monsoon because it’s the breeding season.

Once you get the permit, the next step is to get yourself a rod, line and hook. Sarin explains, “The fun is to catch the heaviest fish with the lightest of lines.” There are different lines for different fish and the weight of the rods can vary.

Appropriate attire is another aspect that cannot be ignored. Carry light, waterproof clothes, sunscreen, a hat and dark glasses.

Angling is not just a sport that can be enjoyed solo and be adopted by any age group, but it is good from the conservation point of view. According to Indian laws, the fish can be caught but in specified numbers. Any excess of this number must be released within a certain time period. Anglers are restricted to a specified number of fish per day after which they need to stop. “The number of trout is restricted to six per day and in case of mahseer there is no specification. But as the fish is considered endangered, anglers can generally claim only a catch or two,” says Sarin.

At the end of the day, for an angler there’s no better way of summing up the fishing experience than in Scottish writer John Buchan’s words: “The charm of fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”

My favourite holiday

Jyoti Khaitan,
fashion designer

I have had the good fortune of travelling quite a bit all over the world, but there’s something about the beautiful island of Mauritius that will always have it at the very top of my list.

I went there about two years ago with my husband and our son, Devansh. Devansh had just completed 10, and so this was the first holiday that he was really old enough to enjoy and appreciate fully.

We were in Mauritius for a good 10 to 12 days and we stayed at a beautiful beach resort. Every night , the resort would host a cultural programme, complete with lively samba dancers and other performances. The festivities would continue till midnight.

During our stay in Mauritius, we even managed to explore the nearby islands. We indulged in watersports like jet-skiing and para-sailing. However, when it came to the underwater submarine trip, I was scared to try it. My husband and son did though.

Shopping in Mauritius was good too. Besides having a treasure trove of local mementos, the island has several big designer stores as well, like Ralph Lauren and Armani.

All in all, my holiday to Mauritius was one I’d definitely like to repeat.

Route map

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