Wildlife enthusiast Joel took time out from wandering around India to work with Mahseer Conservancy for 1 month in March 2010. He conducted a pioneering research study looking at the decline of the Golden Mahseer on the Ramganga River in Almora. Braving the sand mining mafia, boys with explosives and illness he collected alarming data showing that the Golden Mahseer populations are being decimated. Indiscriminate fishing methods such as dynamiting, poisoning and electrocution are in widespread use and are having a devastating effect on the river ecosystem. Other human impacts such as sand mining, water extraction and pollution are all contributing to the destruction and shrinkage of the Golden Mahseer’s habitat and spawning grounds. Joel’s study highlighted that the threat to the local wildlife was extreme and action needed to be taken immediately. His report will be the foundation of several Golden Mahseer conservation initiatives in the area which will look to enforce the ban on dynamite, create numerous ‘mahseer sanctuaries’ and start angling based eco-tourism.

Joel’s time at Mahseer Conservancy was an invaluable and hugely enjoyable experience. It will also provide a practical perspective for when he goes home to the UK to do a Masters in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter. Some highlights of his month stay were being left breathless when seeing a tiger for the first time, developing a passion for the magnificent Golden Mahseer and working with such enthusiastic and dedicated conservationists at Mahseer Conservancy. Joel hopes to return to India as soon as possible to follow up his initial report on the Golden Mahseer.

Joel’s aims for the future are to start growing his own vegetables, learn to play the flute and become a full time eco-warrior with a specialized lycra superhero costume.

It usually keeps to the surface of the water. When freshly caught in running water, its coloring is most beautiful. The brilliant silver of its scales contrasts with the pale greenish sheen of its back, giving a fleeting radiance. Chilwa has a habit of continually throwing itself into the air on calm still evenings.

Chilwa make excellent bait for mahseer. It is perhaps the most appreciated bait by mahseer. If Chilwa is seen moving in the river, it can be safely assumed that the larger fish are on the prowl and good sport is imminent.

Chilwa love fly-takers, occasionally jumping right out of the water in pursuit of flies! Quick striking and small flees are two of the sine qua nons for catching them. Some anglers spend hours with a tiny fly, amusing themselves snagging this fish.

It is silvery in color and has two or more rows of bluish blotches along the sides. Its caudal fin is orange stained with grey and black, while all other fins are orange. It is a highly predatory fish and frequents the runs in search of food. A voracious feeder, it will take live and dead bait, worm, spoon and a fly, and possibly other things which you might not be able to think of. When hooked, it gets infuriated and often leaps out of water in an attempt to get free.

Domunda the confluence of Ramganga and Mandal is perhaps the best spot to hook the Indian trout in this area and on several occasions we have caught half a dozen in a morning session with fly spoon or fly. Indian Trout is also found in the adjoining Kosi river.

The Indian trout is a tasty morsel and so are the other barils. The best on the plate is the one which has blue spots in place of red and lacks the adipose dorsal fin. It has large irregular brown or black markings and cross bands and yellow flesh that makes a good meal. The Indian Trout is good Bait for mahseer—the small ones are particularly loved by the mahseer, so they make an excellent live or dead bait.

A true bottom feeder the Kalabanse, its mouth protrudes downwards when open and has a distinct fringe on the upper lip. It has a partiality for mossy, slippery rocks and sunken trees in the river and can be seen playing about in such places, sucking and rubbing its sides against the rock or trees, as the case may be.

Kalabanse is a game fish and takes bait—paste or worms as well as usual tank angling baits. When hooked it fights most gamely, coming up to the surface and going down as fast, though it may not have the mad rushes of the Mahseer, yet it will not give in.

Goonch is a predaceous fish and lies in wait for its food in the swiftest water of the rapids, where it maintains position by adhering to rocks by means of its smooth chest and fins.

Goonch lie at the extremes of white water and are partial to the depths of the largest pools if there is a current slicing through them. Though very strong, they are sullen to a degree and sluggish in their movements especially on being hooked.

They sometimes take spoons and plug but are best on live bait (eel) spun very slowly. Once hooked, they go straight for the bottom. It is then the pull…devil…pull baker act which ensues, sometimes ending in favor of the fish.

To wear him out once snagged, tie your line to a fair-sized bamboo. Cut the line and allow the bamboo to float in the water. The bamboo bobbing in the current will keep a continuous strain on the goonch and hopefully by the end of the day it will be played out. If not, look for the bamboo next day.

Mostly, the goonch runs to about 250 lbs, though the largest that has been caught on a rod line was 164 lbs near Marchula and we believe the American angler who snagged it in January 2001, had to use both hands to land the big guy.

At the Corbett Tiger Reserve, the Jhirna Jhali pool, also referred to as the crocodile pool, is the best place to observe (only!) goonch. The pool is virtually packed with this fish! This rare giant has also been caught in the Marchula area, Jainal and Govind Rou of Vanghat beat. Undoubtedly, goonch is one of the most threatened big fish of the Ramganga.

Now, conservationists are breeding the Mahseer and hope to release them in rivers in Indian Kashmir. The programme is the result of a peace process between India and Pakistan that has led to a drop in violence in the region.

“We have bred this fish nicely and reared it out,” Showkat Ali, joint director of Kashmir’s fisheries department, told Reuters.

Ali said hundreds of Mahseer used to migrate to Indian Kashmir each year until Pakistan completed the Mangla dam in 1967 across the Jhelum river, the traditional migratory route for the fish.

The omnivorous red-finned Mahseer, scientifically known as Tor tor, is prized by anglers because of its huge size — reaching up to 2.75 metres (9 feet) and weighing up to 54 kg (119 lb) — and for its fighting spirit.

The fish lives in clear rivers and lakes throughout India and Southeast Asia and needs fast-flowing rivers and streams in the mountains to breed.

Finding enough of the thick-scaled carp in the area to breed at a farm in southern Kashmir proved difficult. Over time, enough were collected and fisheries officials plan to introduce young Mahseer into Indian Kashmir’s rivers and lakes in coming months.

Two more breeding farms are planned in the region, including one in the Uri area, near the Line of Control — a 740 km (460 miles) line which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

A DREAM

Local anglers hoped the programme will bring back an exciting sport.

“I am sure, Inshallah (god willing), the return of the fish will attract more anglers to Kashmir,” Mohammad Amin, 65, said. “For me, fishing for Mahseer is only a dream now, the last catch was 15 years ago.”

To fulfil the dream, militancy in Indian Kashmir needs to remain under control.

Plans to conserve the Mahseer were disrupted in 1989 when Islamic militants launched a revolt against Indian rule in part of Kashmir.

Spiralling violence led to budget cuts and made the programme to unsafe for staff. But India and Pakistan’s 2004 peace process led to the project being revived.

While conservationists welcomed the move to restock Kashmir’s rivers with the Mahseer, they said it was crucial the government took a broader approach if they wanted the fish to remain in area for good.

“We need to look at this in more detail than just restocking,” said Sumantha Ghosh, naturalist and president of the Mahseer Conservation Society.

“We must study the habitat and see what other factors are causing populations to drop and also introduce protected areas as they have done in other Indian states like Uttaranchal and Karnataka.”

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