ANGLING REPORT APRIL 06

Angler's Mail reporter Gary Newman is just back from an adventure in India. Here he rus through the trekking…. the grub…. The runs… the fish

1. Follow my Leeda into the unknown…….

VICTORIAN angler's travelling to the indian himalayas told of huge fish that could smash even the strongest tackle.
What are they? The himalayan Golden Mahseer, which can gronw oin excess of 100 lb. Luckily for me, and you, they can still be found in the many remote rivers that run through thius region of India.
Having caught a few Mahseer on the Chauvery river, in Southern India, I decided I wanted to experience something different anb planned a 13 day trip which Leeda tackle's Chris Summers, who had recently return from a few days fishing near the Corbett national park.
Out trip was to be real expedition, camping out, on the banks of river miles from anywhere not knowing whether the fish were even in the stretch we were on. It was totally unlike anything either of us had experienced before, having both stayed in comfortable lodges on purpose built camps.
We had booked up through an Indian Company called The Wildlife Travels and were regular contact with the boss Gaurav Kataria. Conditions were lookin good, apart from temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius, and we could not wait to get out there.

2. London thifrow to Ramganga river via Delhi

I arrrived at London mental Heathrow Airport with a rucksack rod tube and camera bag containing all the tackle I would need for the trip - and plenty I would not but had with me just in case!
After a flight of around 8 and a half hours we quickly cleared coutoms at Delhi Airport and were met by one of Gaurav's staff, who drove us to the guest rooms were we were able to catch up on some sleep and get a meal before meeting Gaurav's wife Shefali leaving with her to catch an overnight train. If you think Heathrow is busy. Delhi railway station is hell….. One chaotic scrum.
Come 5 a.m we pulled into a place called Ramnagar were met by one of our helpers, Rakesh, short jeep drive later we stopped at one of the lodges on the edge of Corbett National Park for some breakfast.
We were met by Gaurav and shortly after our ghilli Ashram, and cook Sharma arrived. Once we had loaded everything into two jeeps we set off on a drive of a couple hours or so into the foot hills of the Himalayas. The road were interesting to say the least, very narrow with sheer drops, and during the monsoon season they were often closed by the landslide.
We climbed to hieght of around 2500 mtr and arrived at small village called Harda, and that was as for as we could go by road. No park at your peg' fishing, this!
We were met by some locals with horses and after they had been loaded with all our luggage and enough supply to keep us going for a few days, we made our way down an arrow winding path cover with loose stone definetly not the one take if you suffer from vertigo!
Far below I could see the Ramganga River that we would be fishing, and after walking across a suspension bridge that definitely looked like it had seen better days, and eventually came to a nice beachy area where we'd had a bit of rain and the river was a chocolate brown colour and not looking at all the good. The Ramganga isn,t a big river, being 20 yards or so across in most places, and any rain quickly brings up the level and changes the water colour.
We spent the next couple of days trying various lures, ragi paste and livebaits, but with no luck, although we did see the odd decent fish rolling.
There was plenty to keep us amused including the old priest from the local village and the villagers who came to visit. Plus the chickens that keep escaping before eventually becoming our dinner you can't beat fresh food!

3. Feeling hot, hot, hot!
AFTER a couple of days with no action we decided to move. By now the river was starting to look better the colour dropping out a bit, so hopes were raised. Getting to our next campsite involved trudging along by the river for a couple of hours over boulders, crossing the rivers several times and then walking up a mountain and down the other side for an hour or so. All this in temperatures way into the high 30s.
And to think Sven's ill-fated England team mourned about the heat in Germany. And the mail office boys mourned last week in London just because the temperature topped 30.
Our spot looked tasty-very tasty, with a set of rapids spilling into a long, deep pull, several smaller rapids and along deeper stretch of water below.
Nothing happened the first day, apart from it getting even hotter. Blazin! And as we had shed where our camp was and it was too hot to sit inside the small 'igloo' style tents, the only way to cool off was to sit in the river.
During the afternoon I was stood on a rock doing a bit of spinning when I spotted a small snake in the water, a couple of feet below me. It didn't look anything special, but when I described it to Gaurav he said it sounded like a saw-scaled viper. Notoriously aggressive, quick to strike and highly venomous, these blighters kill more people every year than the cobra. Nice!
Chris and I were trying to cool off when Asharam went off with a spinning rod, and minutes later we heard him shouting. He had only gone and hooked a 15-pounder. Not big, but it was a great sign. Nothing was willing to feed and by that time the river was almost clear. Things were looking up.
Later that afternoon we went to have a go down stream. A nice run through with a large rock mid-river looked a banker for a fish sitting behind it.
Sure enough, first cast with a weighted No.5 Mepps spinner and a fish took it before I could even start the retrive. Only 7 lb, but welcome. And just to prove it was not the only the only feeding I was into another minutes later 50 yards downstream.
These fish are beautiful looking creatures, totally different to the golden mahseer I had caught down south, being far more colorful and super streamlined.
Despite the action we agreed to make tracks to a different stretch the following morning, and sticking to the plan whatever the result.

4. A dabble with the goonch show

Back in England when I want to go home or move to a different venue it is simply a case of packing everything away and throwing it in the car. In India, it is not so easy.
Once all the horses were loaded up, we had a one-and-three-quarter hour walk up a mountain in the heat, before we reached the road. This is when you find out just how fit you are. I nearly made it to the top before having to stop for a rest and a welcome drink from the cold spring coming out of the side of the mountain.
After a drive of around four hours we stopped for breakfast at a 'shack' at the side of the road. I was advised to stick to freshly cooked dal(mushy lentils) and rotis(flat bread) as it was usually safe to eat. Eat meat and you are asking for trouble. As long as you are sensible in India you should not have any major problems with the food or drink.
A short drive later we came around a corner and looked down upon a Bikyasen temple, on the banks of the Ramganga and where we were due to spend the next few days.
The only problem was that there was a festival going on so we had to spend a night in a hotel in the local town and wait for all the people to leave.
I awoke at 5 am the following morning but well-exhausted so decided not to fish until later in the day. Chris did go and ended up with several small fish upto 3 lb-an encouraging sign.

Like everywhere else we had been so far ,we werere made to feel very welcome at the temple and were provided with a room in return for a donation.
It was a lovely-looking stretch of river with a number of deep pools and shallow rapids , and plenty of spots to try .
Once it had cooled down a bit later in the afternoon we spent a few hours unsuccessfully to catch something on spinners,although I did some fish up to around 20 lb.
As iot started getting dark we put a couple of rods out for the goonch catfish. This is a prehistoric-looking species that can grow to over 200 lb and has lots of very sharp teeth. We heard stories about them drraging cattles into the water possibly children too. Unfortunately (or maybe not!) we never did manage to catch one and see it in the flesh.

5. Impressive 42-pounder… but Chris felt sick!

PENULTIMATE day, and we were out on ythe river by 5.30 am. I had only had a couple of casts with a spinner when I herard a shout from Chris and saw him fighting his way through the rapids falling over several times and nearly the rod in the process as a big powered of downstream .
I quickly ran down to him and made way out to strip of land mid-river where Chris and Asharam were stood. Soon after the fight was over and soon it was safely on a stringer .It went 42 lb on the scales-a very impressive sight .
Chts had not been feeling well and decided not fsh anymore, and I was also left feeling sick a couple of hours later when I lost a very good fish .
I had wondered of downsteam and missed takes from a couples of small fish, when I decided to have a few casts were Chris had caught in one before going in for breakfast .Istood in the water halfway across the rapids to enable me to work the spinner down the crease where the water met a bit that was hardly moving .
After about a dozen casts the rod was almost ripped out of my hands as big fish headed downsteam and across a strong current towards a rock, and when it got there it cut my 25 lb line like cotton .Iwas gutted to say the least, but that's mahseer fishing - you have to accept it .
That was the end of the action that day, although I did see a very big fish of at least 50 lb set with to smaller ones leter that after known but could not get a take from it.

6. Last Chance Saloon.
I woke during the night on camp, hereing heavy reaning beting down outsite. Just my luck - this would bring the river lavel up and put color into it. I only had one day left to catch I decent golden mahseer before returning home.
Undeterrad, I was out on the river in powring rain by 5 a.m. and Asharam suggested we try the pool where I had lost the big one the day before.
Within 15 minutes I hooked another fish, although decent it did not feel anything like the other one. After a strong fight I landed 18 lb mahseer, my best fish of the trip and one with which I was well peased.
By now the river was starting to color up and was rising quickly enough that it was to dangerous to cross, but I could steel get the pool where I had seen the big fish the day before. I must have had 40 casts or more without a tuch, and said I had have theree more casts then call it a day. On the second chuck the tip slammed round and the reel screaned anfourtunately it was 8 or 9 lb… and not the big one.
By late afternoon everything was packed away and we were on our way back to Delhi via the corbett national park.
I really enjoy the trip and all the people I mat along the way could not have been more friendly and helpful, dispite many of them leaving on the poverty line. I just cant wait to go back again next year.

GAZ`S INDIAN TACKLE TAKE AWAY
The tackle needed for this type of fishing is totally different to the uptide gear used on the chauvery river.
Fishing in the himalayas is manely a done with spinners and lours, so you will need a rod that can cast then yet still handle a big mahseer. We used 9 ft 2.75 lb test corve wychwood jungle rods, which were perfact for these and bit of bat fishing as well.
Reels were fox stratos FS10000s, which could hold planty of the 25 lb maximum line I was using. You will also need a small rucksack to use for fishing; a large one (I took a Nash Speedload) to carry all year stuf around in; a small tackle box to keep all your bits in; a box of different lures/spinners; a set of scales and vigh sling; a stanger for landing/retaining fish; some like line and small hooks for catching livebaits.
Expect it to be very hot so take some sunblock, a decent pair of sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat, some light-weight long-sleeved shirts, shorts, and a decent pair of sandals that you can walk long distances in.

HOW TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS….
You can go out there and do evertything yourself, but this is not advisable-you will probably end up having a disaster. These rivers are in remote locations(no licence required-no bailiffs) and you need local knowledge to find the best stretches. To do this you need to be able to speak the language.
You are far better off booking with a holiday company, and the one we went with his the advantage of being based in Delhi and employing locals who know the river like the back of their hand.
The Wildlife Travels is owned by Gaurav Kataria. We both got on very well with him and he did everything that was asked of him. For more information, log on to their website: www.india-angling.com or email him at mails@thewildlifetravels.com or mails@indiaangling.com.

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