BEST BET: Hill streams teem with mahseer belonging to the carp family

Pound for pound, I believe the mahseer is far superior in fighting prowess and sporting qualities to the ‘lordly salmon’ of my native land.” That’s Henry Sullivan Thomas, one of the greatest names in Indian angling literature, in his The Rod in India.

That was 1877, but things still hold true. The thrill of the big mahseer, hooked in heavy water and to the turn of a fast emptying reel, has an electrifying effect on any angler worth his salt. “It’s the ultimate freshwater fish,” exclaims Aniruddha Dutta, president, South Sinthee Angler’s Club, “the gamiest fish around”. An avid angler and nature-lover, Dutta often trots off to Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh to try out his luck on mahseer. Somnath Mukherjee, another city angler, is more used to trout, but readily admits that anglers across the world “covet” the mahseer (“not merely for its size, but also for its indomitable fighting spirit”). The consensus is, if you are one of those who thrill in ‘power fishing’, then mahseer is the biggest “challenge” for you. “Mahseer never comes easy to an angler’s hook,” feels Swapan Maitra, member of Lalbari Angling Association of Bagnan. “The first rush of mahseer is usually even wilder than that of the salmon. An angler has to make the fish play to the bait for hours.”

History

The mahseer was officially identified in the country during the early days of the British Raj. Probably by the East India Company official, Dr Francis Buchanan Hamilton, when he undertook his mammoth survey of the country in the early 19th century (The History, Antiquities, Topography and Statistics of Eastern India, London: W.H. Allen and Co., 1838). It got its first mention in the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833. The fond epithet, ‘mighty mahseer’, however, caught on much later (1903) in the title of a book on angling in India, written by an Englishman who used the nom-de-plume, Skene Dhu. But long before this book was published, the mahseer had already captured the hearts of generations of British sportsmen. Having learnt their fishing in the trout and salmon waters of England and Scotland, these anglers learned to prize and covet the fish not only for its large size but also for its indomitable fighting spirit.

Best pools here

For those who love mahseer fishing, Uttar Pradesh offers unique opportunities. All the hill streams, down to about 80 miles in the plains, teem with mahseer belonging to the carp family. Normally a bottom feeder, they rise easily to the spoon or plug bait. Mahseer fishing is second to none at the great headwaters and rapids of the Ganga, Jamuna and Sarda rivers as well as the rapids of Kosi and Ramganga. Fish of more up to 30kg have been caught in the Nainital district in the tributaries of the Ganga. The rippling waters of the Ramganga in the sub-Himalayan region is another excellent mahseer pool (the waters teem with gharials, though, so beware).

Kosi is rich in the golden mahseer, the area ranging from Khairna on the Ranikhet-Ramnagar road down to Garjia. In the eastern Almora district, magnificent mahseer pools are found in Kapkote down to Tanakpur in the Sarju-Sarda rivers. The best spots are Rameshwar and Baramdeo. The best seasons for mahseer fishing are between September and November and mid-February to mid-May.

Species doing the rounds

The most common in India, except in the south, is the red-finned, short-gilled or deep-bodied species. The yellow-finned golden (common Himalayan mahseer) is found along the sub-Himalayan streams in north India. The copper mahseer and jungha are found in the north-eastern states of Assam. The Deccan mahseer, popularly known as the Malabar carp, exists in the streams of the southern coast. The rivers there also have an abundance of high-backed and hump-backed mahseer.

How to catch one

Angling methods for mahseer vary — on locations and on the choice of baits. The mahseer of the Himalayan region show a preference for artificial baits (say, a four-inch traditional silver spoon fashioned with a hogs-back and reinforced steel treble hooks). Central Indian mahseer are taken on a local form of popcorn, while, those of south Indian waters are caught on pellets made of ragi paste. An exceptionally omnivorous creature, mahseer take in even frogs, live or dead fish, crabs and fruit. Smaller fish rise to the fly as well as other natural insect baits (grasshoppers and worms).