Sadly the Indian government has been reluctant to protect this beautiful fish, which you could perhaps describe as a predatory carp, as it takers lures and baits. The halcyon days when big fish over 50lb drew anglers from all over the world to the River Cauvery are gone. But there are still areas which have not been over-fished, and specialist operators that will find the fish for you. Locally the word mahseer means ‘The Big Mouth’. It’s a species that is closely related to the European carp and barbel and is renowned as one of the toughest fighting of all freshwater fish, aided by the fast flowing water it likes to live in.

Fishing for them needs to be done pre-monsoon (Spring) and post monsoon (Autumn). They can be targeted with lures, bait and flies high in the breath-taking north Indian mountains bordering Nepal on rivers like the Saryu and Ramganga in the Uttarakhand region, where there is a chance of catching a glimpse of the majestic Bengal Tiger.

FIND OUT MORE
www.sportquestholidays.com/species/freshwater/fishing-mahseer/
www.india-angling.com/about-golden-mahseer.html
www.himalayanoutback.com/mahseer-fishing-trips-india/