What a catch is a tv show that takes me to some of the most remote places on the planet. So what do I look for when planning a fishing adventure? Likely the same things all hard core enthusiasts want. “To push the limits of the great outdoors, to capture the essence of a true adventure while in hot pursuit of a legendary hard hitting game fish called the Mahseer. To savor the thrill of the catch with a fishing partner who becomes a friend for life in short order, to see the world as a little smaller place through a new culture”.
Pretty tall order to fill……… But this and so much more is what I experienced fishing with Misty Dhillon, founder of the Himalayan Outback, and India keeps calling me back.

Kathryn Maroun
President of What A Catch Productions.
www.whatacatch.net
President Of Casting For Recovery Canada
www.castingforrecovery.com

Our fly fishing group travelled over 800 kilometers by train, jeep, and raft. We stayed in a diverse array of hotels and guest houses. Considering the multi-faceted nature of the trip, which included tourism in Agra and Delhi plus remote fishing in the Himalayan foothills, Misty’s organizational skills in putting together a flawless travel and fishing program is remarkable. If there were no fish involved the cultural and eco-tourism aspect alone would have been reward enough. But there were fish; we encountered the fabled Golden Mahseer every day and some could surely be deemed “trophies”. As icing on the cake, the Saryu River’s jade-green pools and white water rapids were a lovely backdrop to our angling. The thrill of hooking large native fish in the shadow of the worlds tallest mountains, combined with the rich tapestry of India and its people make a journey with the Himalayan Outback one of the globe’s best, and truly unique, angling adventures.

Adam Tavender,
Steelhead Fishing Guide
British Columbia, Canada

I had a really great time with The Himalayan Outback. I think that you are embarking on a pioneering venture to regularly catch one of the world’s great sport fish in a relatively untried new manner i.e. using fly-rods & flies. I have been lucky enough to fish all over the world & in some very exotic locations, and I can honestly say that our few days on the Saryu was one of the most enjoyable trips I have yet had the good fortune to experience.

I am intrigued by the Mahseer. Although I was initially a little skeptical about the possibilities of catching these very wily & cunning fish with flies, having now fished with you, I am convinced that there is huge potential to do so. I think that despite their similarity to carp & barbel, Mahseer feed regularly on small fish, and from my saltwater & trout fly-fishing experiences, I know that this food-form can readily be imitated using flies.

I am so far of the opinion that the best time to fish for Mahseer using flies is at times of low light levels – i.e. early morning, late evening & at night, but obviously my experience is very limited. I also think that waking flies and floating lines allow the angler to get the fly close to the fish without spooking them, whilst providing an attention-grabbing & potentially easily arrested presentation of a wounded baitfish imitation. I believe that the Mahseer move from out of their hiding places in the evenings to take up positions in the flat glides at the tails of the pools – at least on the Saryu – and it is here that a waking fly like the Crease fly can best be presented. I would love to know if the bigger fish on the Saryu and other rivers are inclined to do this, as I think that it offers the best chance of duping a really big Mahseer into taking a fly. Darkness also allows the use of leaders heavy enough to land a really large Mahseer in the heavy currents that tend to lie directly downstream of these tail-out glides.

I think that a short double handed rod like the Sage TCR 12ft 9wt I used on the Saryu is perfect for this style of fishing, using floating shooting heads which allow less splashy casts and the ability to retrieve the fly across the surface without the need to then pay out line prior to the next cast, as would be the case with full Spey lines. The Sage is very stiff in the butt section & can subdue large salmon quite quickly – I think that it would be an excellent tool for fighting small to medium size Mahseer, whilst the two short Loomis saltwater double handers designed for striped bass & giant Trevally respectively would suit fighting the larger Mahseer that will, I am sure, soon be caught by you and your clients. I think that longer double-handed rods ( 14-16ft ) will tend to absorb a lot of the pressure intended to be applied directly to the fish, prolonging the fight & causing possible distress to the quarry as a result.
I believe that the Practice of lowering the rod tip and playing the fish with the bottom, butt end of the rod is crucial in subduing all large fish. It is a technique that we use when fishing for large saltwater fish like Tarpon and Trevally, and also large Atlantic salmon in Russia, and I am sure that it would help to land larger Mahseer using fly tackle.

As far as your operation goes, I have nothing but praise for your good self and your excellent staff. They were enormously attentive and courteous but it was their warmth and friendly nature that I found most disarming. Once I had persuaded them that I wanted to eat Indian Food, the meals were as good as any I have ever had on a fishing trip. Thank you!
I should add that I thoroughly enjoyed the travelling to and from the fishery, which offered an opportunity to photograph the wonderful landscapes and people of the region, and while I understand that some people may not embrace the long journey, I enjoyed it enormously.

I wish you all the very best with your continuing quest to catch Mahseer on the fly – I think that you are at the start of a really exciting journey, and I hope and believe that one day the truly giant Mahseer that populate many of India’s rivers will be consistently caught on the fly. Whilst many anglers still believe that really huge fish cannot be caught on the fly, my saltwater angling experiences have shown that with modern, cutting edge tackle, fish that would formerly have been considered out of the reach of fly anglers are now being hooked – and LANDED – using specialist fly-fishing kit. Angling colleagues at Flycastaway in South Africa have landed enormous Dogtooth Tuna ( 260lbs+) as well as huge Giant Trevally, Yellowfin Tuna, Sailfish and even Marlin on fly – it CAN be done!

I think that it is crucial to get the Indian Government to recognize and value the Mahseer as a sportfishing resource that can bring money into the local economies of regions where these magnificent fish are allowed to thrive. I would be extremely happy to make representations to the relevant parties responsible or help in any way that i can to advance the case for the protection of these wonderful fish. The Saryu was the most beautiful place that I visited last year, and I hope that both it and its fabulous head of fish can be protected for the future.

Best wishes, Misty and keep up the good work!

Yours sincerely

Matt Harris
Matt Harris Photography

13, De Freville Avenue
Cambridge
CB4 1HW

phone: 01223 361 733
mobile: 07850 955 585