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Full blown Mahseer angled near Galibore Fishing Camps, Ramanagar Karnataka Feb 2010.

GENERAL ARTICLE

“ Mahseer Angling, A Royal Game ! Tiger in the waters ; Fight to Wriggle Fish Off the Hook !

“Chronicle of Mahseer Fishing around Cauvery Wild Life Sanctuary”

A K Singh IFS

“Mahaseer-Angling” or “Water Sports Fishing”, whether it is a colonial hang over of game hunting or it is still

relevant in times of need for “conservation of bio diversity” and “ecosystem reinforcement” seems to be an

“enigma of predicament”. Reality may be otherwise. Dilemma affecting nature catapults figment of perplexity

into mystification which may not stand the time any longer. Sports fishing enthralls colossal rate of humanity

the world over almost every day. Diverse brands of wild life sports captivate fascination of society which

propels the general disposition of wild life visitors into multitude of wild life adventures. Squirming the fish

“off the hook” may land the tourists not only into an ambience of “adventure of exploration” which toss the

swings of the mood of public into one of the most tantalizing curiosity about nature and its diversity but also

inquisitiveness galore. Water sports offer an opportunity to dwell upon the realm of huge panorama of massive

wild life world giving fillip to the sportsmen‟s ever widening faculty of cognizance.

Prologue:

Mahseer is a very large growing hard fighting

river fish of the Cyprinid family distributed

throughout India from Jammu, Brahamputra valley

to Himalaya, Barak Rivers Assam, Bilaspur MP,

Naga Hills, fresh waters of east Punjab, UP, Bihar,

Darjeeling, Dehradun, Sone rivers, Narmada river

at Hoshangabad, Jabalpur, Tapti river, Chambal,

Mahi river, Gandhisagar reservoir MP and Rana

Pratap Sagar reservoir in Rajasthan, Pilibhit,

Garhwal and Gumti river of Tripura1. Sexually

dimorphic unisexual male and females are prevalent

all over2. Thick lips with elongated labial flap is

male otherwise it is female is normal test of the sex.

Rough longer pectoral fin reaching upto sixth scale

are males. Tubercles are present on the dorsal side

in the head region of the males whereas remains

absent in females. 1.5 M large body, powerful fins,

2

large mouth and big golden scales1. The decline of

Mahseer on the Indian sub continent is well

documented and the number of large mahaseer that

exists today is far less than a century ago. Mahseers

have been a legendary sport fish of India. Mahseer

is represented by six species distributed all over

India2. Despite their abundance at one time

mahseer were reported to be declining in size and

numbers and were feared to be in danger of

extinction in some parts of India. Unfortunately

their catches have dwindled considerably due to

illegal methods of fishing, habitat deterioration and

introduction of exotic species. Studies on their

feeding and spawning habits, eggs, larval

development and especially the methods of

artificial propagation have shown multitude of

results. Breeding of four major species of mahseer

out of Tor khudree, T. mussullah, T. tor, T.

putitora, Babus mosal and Barbus tor by collecting

the brooders from the breeding grounds and then

stripping them has been attempted successfully at

number of places in India7.

Distribution:

This giant fresh water carp is acclaimed as a

world famous outstanding game and one of the

most relishing cuisine and desired table delicacy1.

As a sport fish it provides dazzling recreation to

anglers from all over the world. It is known as tiger

in waters because of the fight it gathers to wriggle

off the hook1. In the past this big scale carp formed

a substantial natural fishery in the major 186

riverine ecosystems of India. In commercial

fisheries it occupies an important position for its

good quality2. For the fishermen mahseer is of

considerable importance because of its large size.

As a food fish it is highly esteemed and fetches the

highest market price in south and northeast of

India. Day (1878) believed that mahseer constituted

only one species. Hora (1940) confirmed the

validity of six different species of these cyprinids. A

recent critical study on the subject by Menon

(1992) confirmed 6 valid species. Presently six valid

species are recognized for these mahseer which ae

also called “large scale barbells” of India. Anglers

define them as Golden barbell, Silver mahseer etc.

Different species of mahseer occupy different

ecosystems ranging from tropical waters where

summer temperatures reach 35°C, to sub-

Himalayan regions, where the temperatures fall to

6°C. Similarly they occur in streams hardly above

sea level and are also found at an altitude of 2000 m

above sea level1. Jhingran and Sehgal (1978)

remarked that the occurrence and distribution of

mahseer is controlled by the prevailing water

temperature of the streams and not by the altitude.

These cyprinids were considered as carnivorous

and slow growing and thus unsuitable for fish

culture2. However, a careful study of the feeding

habits of mahseer indicating that it is omnivorous

has dispelled the notion that mahseer are

carnivorous. Studies on the anatomical adaptations

of the alimentary canal system also confirm that

these scaly barbells are omnivorous1. Despite their

abundance at one time, the mahseer population has

been declining in number and size in natural waters

and is in serious danger of extinction. The National

Commission on Agriculture (1976) in its report on

fisheries had stated there was a general decline in

this breed of Tor fishes in India due to

indiscriminate fishing of brood and juvenile fish

and the adverse environmental impact of the river

Mahseer with thick lips and elongated labial flap is recognized as male.

3

Barbells can grow in excess of 120 pounds in weight and 6 feet in length in river and some lakes in India.

Bottom set gillnets are prevalent to catch the giant scale barbells from Rivers and Reservoirs in India.

valley projects and accordingly suggested extensive

survey and detailed biological investigation on this

alarming situation1.

Behavior:

These giant barbus feed on aquatic plants,

crabs, earthworms, insects, shrimps, mollusks,

algae, debris, sand and mud. These gigantic fishes

are largely herbi-omnivorous, chiefly feeding on

aquatic plants with bottom feeding habit8.

Mahaseer Cyprinids are local migrants performing

seasonal migrations within a short distance mainly

for feeding and breeding determined by water heat,

floods. It prefers rocky pools, cool head waters

moving up and downstream according to flood

levels of the river. Most species of these huge carps

observed to do spawning post monsoon during July

to September9. These Maha Shers of water or

aquatic Giant Lions show temptation to

congregation near temples where people feed them

with grains, grams, nuts, dried fruits and watch

them feeding. Sometimes jumping out of the water

to catch the feet thrown in the air. Male female

ratio is found to be 1 male to 3 females1.

Fishing Sports:

Golden Mahseer fish (barbus tor putitora) is

famous among globetrotting anglers who travel the

world in search of the hardest fighting fish in

extreme situations. Some anglers say that pound for

pound they are the hardest fighting fish on the

planet10. The Himalayan Golden Mahseer is a super

streamlined carp or barbell and can grow in excess

of 80 lb and 6 ft in length and can be found in

rivers and some lakes across the whole of the

Indian subcontinent11. The main day to day fishing

at the camp takes place in rapids and pools using a

selection of live, dead and paste baits, plugs and

spinners and flies a whole variety of tackle and

fishing methods to suit all angler‟s tastes.

Fishing in the Cauvery River and Himalayas is

accounted to be one of the most exciting forms of

fishing adventure in the world. Crystal clear water

and good vantage points along the river means

sportsman can actually see these huge fish

swimming freely before they venture into angling.

Tourists are grouped to a maximum of 4 anglers

for the Mahseer fishing and this again gives better

spacing on the river and leave whirlpools

undisturbed for the next day or evenings. Fishing

gives all anglers a good chance of a huge fish on the

trip. The largest recorded fish are 119 lb mahseer

from Cauvery caught by Major J S Rivett Carnac in

1919 and 120 lb fish caught 25 years later by J

Dewet Van Ingen. There was also a 118 lb fish

caught from Cauvery River in Karnataka at

Galibore in February 2002. Despite these recorded

giants, it is believed by some that the full growth

potential of this species may well be far in excess of

the 120 lb fish that still holds the record today1.

Depletion:

Human disturbance is the root cause for the

loss of biodiversity and the depletion of natural

resources is a common knowledge amongst us all.

Factors for the reduction of mahseer stocks are :

degradation of ecology and natural environment of

aquatic river water systems, indiscriminate fishing

of broodstock and juveniles, impacts of river valley

projects, industrial and human pollution, the use of

explosives and dynamiting, poisons and electro-

fishing by poachers and gill netting, introduction of

4

View opposite to Jungle Lodges & Resorts Galibore World renowned Mahseer Fishing Camps.

Early morning and evening is the best time for Mahseer Fishing and Angling.

exotic species, population pressures on natural

resources and river water ecosystems. Higher input

of sands causing silting of the water, lower

plankton population, higher water alkalinity, high

carbon di oxide, low biochemical oxygen demand,

high turbidity, too cold waters, progressive

eutrophication coupled with adverse hydrobiology

of waters cause diminution of these giant cyprinids

over the long run. Hatching of Mahseer in semi

quiescent stage lasts for six days. During this period

the hatchlings do not swim freely but remain in

large numbers at the bottom of river in corners and

crevices, with their heads tucked away from light

due to being negatively phototrophic, their tails

vibrating and jutting out. In this condition the

hatchlings are subjected to predation by many

predators like predatory fishes Wallago attu,

Channa maralius, Notopterus chitala, Silonia

silonia, Mytis, piscivorous birds etc. Factors

responsible for the reckless damage to this priceless

national heritage are enormous. The declining trend

in the populations of Tor & Barbus need

immediate attention for its conservation and

rejuvenation in natural waters. The reasons for the

conservation of this gene pool need no further

emphasis. Improved aqua-cultural practices for the

breeding of mahseer under controlled conditions

will play a vital role for its sustenance in India‟s rich

natural water ecosystems all over.

Breeding Constraints:

Large scale propagation of these giant scale

barbells, the natural spawning behavior and the

inherent constraints in its early life cycle need to be

understood. The actual spawning area needs to be

comparatively calm, having well oxygenated water

and a bed of sand or gravel. The journey to these

grounds may be safe but are quite often fraught

with risks and dangers. The hatching period of

these Tors and Barbus differ from 60 to 96 hours

in water temperature of 20°C to 28°C, compared to

18 hours for catla and rohu. If water temperature

falls below 20°C, the hatching period extends

beyond 96 hours. The semi-quiescent stage is three

days for catla, rohu, etc. and six to ten days for Tor

and Barbus. In this stage, these mahseer‟s

hatchlings tend to remain at the bottom, huddled in

large numbers in corners and crevices. Their heads

remain tucked away from light and their tails keep

vibrating constantly. In this condition, they are

highly vulnerable to all kinds of predators. Such

seasonal movements and locality of breeding need

to be protected over the water courses. Confluence

of Shimsa river with Cauvery with location of

breeding more towards shimsa convergence are the

most ideal rendezvous for procreation of these

giant cyprinids where thousands of large scale

barbells are seen swarming over the Cauvery river

waters. Surprisingly the area falls outside the

protected area of Cauvery Wild Life Sanctuary54.

Conservation of Mahseer:

Action plan for conservation of mahseer

should include: Stricter enforcement of fishing

rules to prevent fishing with explosives, poisoning,

prevention of killing brood fish and juveniles,

replenishment of stock by artificial propagation.

Fish farm should be opened in close proximity of

dams, reservoirs and river confluences like Sangam,

Shimsa etc Few natural water ponds should be

reserved in each farm for these giant carps.

Mahseer should be bred by collecting ripe spawners

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Evening solar twilights paints orange upon the canvas of forests at Mahseer Fishing Camps.

Shimano Rods & reels are used for Mahaseer Fishing

from the streams joining the reservoir and stripping

them for artificial fertilization of eggs or using

pituitary hormones. Hatchlings should be grown to

the fingerling size and then released into reservoirs

and downstream rivers on massive scale on regular

basis. Further trials of methods of transporting big

barbells eggs in moist cotton (Kulkarni and Ogale,

1979) are needed to easily transport the eggs to any

part of the country. Such trials should be

undertaken for both Tors and Barbus in major

large reservoirs and confluence of river water

ecosystems in India. In rivers the fishing nets are

operated both in deep and shallow waters. Gill nets

are normally operated at the depth of 3 to 4 meter

and set more deeper. Fishing season for Mahser is

from February to April for large rivers and October

and November for small rivers. Season for Mahseer

fishing with spinning baits and fly is generally after

monsoon floods in Karnataka. However peak catch

time is considered from November to April . Strict

monitoring is required with wide and extensive

vigilance over such duration.

Habitat Improvement of Spawning Fields:

Use of explosives and killing of brood fish in

the spawning season is the main cause of Mahseer

decline. Hazardous effluents kill fish fry and

fingerlings. Save Mahseer Campaign, proposed

protection of juvenile mahseer and collection of

seed and stocking of reservoirs and rivers.

Subsistence of aquatic vegetation, with some plant

material in their habitat, presence of intermediate

host of mollusc Pangasius pangasius is known to

control trematode infection of parasites among

fishes. Quick and fast transportation of eggs or

hatchlings within 60 hours over long distances in

moist cotton may succeed multiplication of

mahaseer in multiple rivers.4 .Fertilized eggs allowed

to harden for 24 hours then placed on moist cotton

in two or three layers in perforated boxes and then

packing in the tins were considered best modus

operandi for stocking depleted but favorable

habitat areas of natural water ecosystems. Many

years ago, from the 1850‟s onwards, as a result of

the British colonial rule, a hunting trends evolved

in India, which continued until the late 1940‟s. As a

consequence, mahseer fishing became a pastime for

British & Scottish residents in many parts of the

Indian sub-continent. The River Cauvery had many

large mahseer living within it. During November to

March every year the catches of fish from the

Cauvery and Kabini rivers are quite prevalent over

the years. The two books authored by A. St. J

Mcdonald, (Circumventing The Mahseer

1948) and Henry Sullivan Thomas (A Rod In

India -1873) have given us an insight into the

fishing in India, over a century ago. These anglers

„pioneered‟ mahseer fishing during the British

colonial rule and their conquests have been etched

in history as a result of their writings. So, we have

learned from old books of the time, just how good

the fishing was in India during the British Raj4.

Wild Life Adventure:

However the fate of the Humpback Mahseer

was eventually to take a dramatic turn for the

worse. After the British left India in 1947,

dynamiting, and poaching, were to cause a drastic

decline of mahseer in India, and as a consequence,

for over thirty years mahseer fishing throughout

the sub-continent was almost doomed to oblivion

for the time being. However, in the 1970s the

6

Cauvery River gives beautiful spectrum of color

reflection through waters the whole day.

Dynamites are commonly used for fishing the Tors and Barbells and other cyprinids throughout the

river stretch outside protected areas.

plight of the mighty mahseer in Southern India was

to change for the better. Wildlife Association of

Southern India occupied some stretches of the

River Cauvery in early eighties who for quite some

time controlled the area from dynamiting and

poaching by a group of dedicated enthusiasts like

Col Naidu. Till the stretch of Cauvery River was

handed over to Jungle Lodges and

Resorts, WASI has been reported to have fought to

keep the water free from dynamiting and netting

and at the same time provide the local communities

with alternative food sources, such as agriculture

and fish farming in the villages like Bamsandra,

Kokkedoddi, Dodarhalli etc54. Today the

population of mahseer on the the River Cauvery

have resumed on considerable scale and due to the

strict vigilance, protection and conservation by

Cauvery Wild Life Sanctuary the river water

ecosystems of riparian forests patch showing

restoration of ecology and environment and world

renowned stretch of river at Galibore continues to

hold sufficient diversity of populations of big

mahseer today. The River Cauvery in Southern

India is a far-fetched and extraordinary destination

for the traveling anglers the world over joining the

multiple wild life adventure in a truly wild river

valley. The wildlife and the scenery within the

stretch of Cauvery at Galibore Camp is

breathtaking. There must be few places in this

world where you can be living in close proximity to

wild elephants, large crocodiles, leopards, monkeys,

snakes, wild boar, eagles, kites and vultures and of

course king of freshwater fishes, the mahseer48. The

adrenaline rush when hooking and playing a large

mahseer is reported to be an unforgettable and

cherish able lifetime pleasure. Hours of waiting for

a bite is considered an absolute gratification as the

Cauvery valley is rich in amazing forests, wildlife

and bountiful diversity of environment. The River

Cauvery at Galibore is an exclusive stretch which

flows through majestic sub tropical jungle which

also comes under Mysore Elephant Reserve.The

mahseer is often regarded as the ultimate challenge

in freshwater fishing and many English anglers

annually travel 6000 miles from Europe, England,

Scotland to the River Cauvery in pursuit of this

large powerful fish even today54. Fishing is

preferred at the junctions of rivers specially those

with a difference in water temperature. Fishing is

opted at rapids where backwaters and rapid waters

meet forming swirls and whirpools with eddies

along the edges. Fish angling is done mostly at the

water above rapids and at the tail of a pool having a

depth of about one meter and a smooth flow over

large boulders gaining in velocity as it approaches

the rapid. The mahseer lives within a vast range of

habitat across the Asian continent20. For this

reason, many sub species

have evolved to deal with

the climatic differences

of their distribution. The

common species up in

the north of India is the

Himalayan Mahseer or

“Barbus Tor Pututora”, which has attracted a lot of

interest from anglers worldwide. However the

Himalayan Mahseer has suffered dramatically over

the last 50 years from over population, pollution,

dynamiting, and poaching24. As a result the fishing

in the north has declined dramatically.In the south

of India lives the Humpback Mahseer or “Barbus

Tor Mussullah”. Unlike the Himalayan Mahseer,

this species is non migratory and grows larger than

its northern cousin. The Humpback Mahseer is

common within the Cauvery River and in places it

is now protected from dynamiting and poaching

and for this reason the mahseer populations within

these protected stretches reported to have been

showing restoration2. The River Cauvery flows

from west to east across Southern India, beginning

life in the mountainous Western Ghats and then

flowing through gorges and mountainous bedrock

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Tors and Barbells prefer under water rocks,

boulders, swirls and whirlpools along Cauvery River

Tors and Barbells are angled and mostly fished from under water rocks, boulders, swirls and whirlpools

along Cauvery River

through Karnataka before reaching the plains of

Tamil Nadu. The river consists of frightful gorges,

high speed express rapids, terribly thrilling gravel

runs, amazingly soft and pools, and is the perfect

environment for huge mahseer1. The River Cauvery

is considered sacred by Hindu‟s, and is one of the

seven holy rivers in India. The most interesting

stretch of the river, from an anglers point of view is

located east of Mysore, close to the Tamil Nadu

border. Here, the region is sub-tropical and much

of the river passes through jungle lined hills, which

is rich in wildlife and is reserved land.The first

anglers to pioneer fishing on the Cauvery in

modern times was the Abu team, and Paul Boote in

the late seventies and followed a few years later by

Dave Plummer who has since set up a guided

escorted angling service for English angler desired

to fish on the Cauvery River56. Notable captures in

recent years have been a 104lb Mahseer caught by

Steve Harper and more recently a huge 118lb

mahseer including many fish between seventy and

ninety pounds in weight.

Tools for angling:

A heavy duty 6-10oz uptide rod, such as a

Shimano Beastmaster uptide is used. Powerful rod

like this for casting large balls of ragi paste and the

„backbone‟ in the rod for turning big powerful fish

in strong currents. A heavy duty 12ft 3lb test curve

carp rod is also useful for spinning.A multiplier reel

that holds at least 150 yards of line is used. Extra

line is required because a big mahseer is capable of

stripping 100 yards of line from reel on its first run.

A reel with a good clutch is also required. Usual

preference is for the Shimano Calcutta 700B an

excellent reel with a good clutch. A line which is

tough enough to withstand the abrasion on the

many rocks that abound on the river is also used.

Most anglers opt for 40lb BS Big Game line which

is very abrasion resistant and tough enough to

withstand the retribution55.

Terminal tackle is also used which is to be kept

simple. Hook links, swivels, and ledger bombs are

now avoided. Threading 40 lb line through some

stiff rig tube of about 3" to 4" long with a rubber

bead either side of the stiff rig tube is done. Rap

some lead strip around the rig tube, and then tie

power gum either side of the two rubber beads21.

This rig is it is snag free and the tubing and rubber

beads help to protect the line against abrasion when

a fish is hooked.Most mahseer fisherman is the

owner SSW hooks, which are strong and very

sharp. For fishing with ragi paste opt for an 8/0

hook, and for live bait "chilwa" fishing. Mostly 6/0

SSW hooks are used47.

Bait: Ragi is one of the best baits for mahseer

fishing on the Cauvery. It is a millet based paste

flavoured with spices, and boiled to form a very

firm rubbery paste which is molded around the

hook as a duck egg sized ball55. The mahseer are

very tuned in to picking this bait up as a food

source and the small fish especially become crazy

on the stuff. This bait would always is the first

choice of most anglers. Freshwater crabs were also

reported to be used very commonly in the Cauvery

valley and were a very effective bait for the

mahseer. This bait is usually tied on to the hook

with cotton or thin mono. It can be difficult to cast

out on heavy gear but can out score any other bait

8

Tors and Barbells are angled and mostly fished from under water rocks, boulders, swirls and whirlpools along Cauvery River

Tors and Barbells which are called large carps are angled and mostly fished from under water rocks, boulders, swirls and whirlpools from almost 186 Water Reservoirs and River Water Ecosystems in

India ( B Hemilton 1820 )

on its day. Mahseer are predatory fish and a large

part of their diet involves eating small fish of

various species. So therefore a live bait is an

important part of the mahseer fisherman‟s armory.

The local fishing guides call any live bait “chilwa”.

So any small fish such as a karnatic carp or

whatever is a chilwa used for angling mostly56. The

mahseer has many similar characteristics to a large

Chub. It can be described as an opportunist. A fish

with a veracious appetite but a fish that is wary of

anglers lines and baits. They can be caught on all

the baits but mahseer are also clever fish and not

fall so easy to catch. A roving approach is probably

the best method. Never underestimate the power

of the Mahseer and the challenge, the thrill that it

lives in.

Fishing & Angling Adventure: The

climate in Southern India should never be taken

lightly and typically the temperature each day

reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.

Fishing sessions are therefore limited to early

morning and late evening sessions to avoid the

intensity of the midday sun1. Much of the mahseer

fishing involves wading into fast flowing rivers full

of large rocks and boulders and the extra grip

gained when wearing felt soled boots is essential

when a big fish is hooked2. Many anglers have an

ultimate fishing ambition – to travel to exotic

places to catch a dream fish. Dave Plummer says,

“I join with many fellow Barbel anglers, my goal

was to travel to India to pursue the mighty

Mahseer. Due to mundane everyday events like

full-time work, parenthood, moving to abroad etc,

this remained a dream until the mortgage was paid

off, the kids flew the nest, and semi-retirement

loomed. I tentatively submitted my plan to “she

who must be obeyed” giving wife Val the option

of: accompanying me to camp on the banks of a

crocodile infested river, living on nothing but

curry”. One dawn morning in January 2009 saw

the small group of anglers, largely consisting

coincidentally of past and present members of the

Barbell Catchers Club, meet up at Bangalore airport

and set out on a bumpy three-hour trip to the river.

In charge of the two week trip was “Big Dave”55 -

head fishing guide for Angling Direct Holidays and

après evening curry raconteur and a veteran of

many Indian trips. The destination turned out to be

a secluded, steep sided valley with the Cauvery

showing the full diversity of its character along the

five-mile length. Stretches of relatively narrow deep

glides were interspersed with rapids that would

whet the appetite of even the most ardent white

water rafter. The entire length was very rocky and

looking through the clear water from the coracles

revealed huge jagged rock formations rising almost

to the surface. Any carp anglers going there

expecting spacious swims big enough to get bed

chairs in would be bitterly disappointed56. For the

most part we were perched on rocks which were at

best merely uncomfortable after an hour or so, but

at worst, were slippery and surrounded by deep,

fast flowing water whirlpools just waiting for you to

lose your concentration. One memorable day was

9

Cauvery Wild Life Sanctaury is part of the Elephant Reserve and is abode of seven species of Mahseer crocodiles, Grizzly Giant Squirrel and River Otters.

Mahaseer Fishing and angling are major water sports

at Cauvery River of Karnataka in India.

when I took Jon and I wading neck deep out into

mid-river to lean against a submerged rock and fish

into the current on the other side. Once at the rock

it was quite comfortable, but the journey out there

was hair-raising55 .Dave Plummer further divulges,

“fortunately the crocodiles don't frequent the mid-

river currents. The tackle used was not normal river

gear – uptide rods capable of casting 6 to 8oz were

coupled with a multipliers loaded with 200 yards of

40lb mono. The business end was relatively

unsophisticated, comprising of a bit of rig tubing

with lead strip wound around it, fixed on the line

by beads and stop knots top and bottom. About

two feet below this was an Owner SS 8/O. The

theory being that on casting out the rig would drift

around in the current until the lead snagged, and

would come free when a fish took the bait, and not

surprisingly tackle loss proved quite heavy. Bait

consisted of either balls of ragi paste the size of an

orange or live chilwa, a small fish. After a few days

fishing in a variety of swims along the length it was

obvious to Jon and I that there were a lot of fish

present, as the soft paste bait was being stripped

off the hook by a stream of small Mahseer and

other species, leaving us with little chance of

hooking any of the bigger fish”. We could still feel

the plucks of the smaller fish as they attempted to

whittle down the bait, but they were still largely

intact after being in the water for a couple of hours.

Jon opened our account with the first sizeable fish

of 24lb hooked from the bank on the fourth

afternoon. It snagged him up mid-river and he had

to go out in a coracle in order to free it. On the

fifth day of the trip, having lost a couple of bigger

fish (the hook pulled out of the first and the line

shredded on the second) on previous days, I landed

a 26.00 silver Mahseer. I had set myself a target of a

20 pounder from the trip, so I was very pleased

with this fish and I felt the pressure was off. 64

pounds of Mahseer magic.Plummer further says,

“In fact it was the start of a golden few days for me

as later on, after the evening curry, I felt an urge to

have another couple of hours, so I went down to

the bank near the camp and cast in a boilie that was

still on from the previous session. Three minutes

later I had a long steady pull and hooked into a very

powerful fish. I managed to attract the attention of

the others whilst keeping it out of the snags and

eventually landed a 64 pounder. During the next

few days I had further fish of 51lb and 40lb both

coming after dark. The bigger of the two was a

particularly memorable capture, as it was the only

sizeable fish I caught when a guide was present,

which was a good thing as we were fishing from a

coracle and the fish pulled us all over the river in

the pitch black. If it been just Jon and I there, we

would have finished up in the ocean! Jon also took

fish to several 47lb 8oz and so we delighted with

our success .Stuff of dreams a 51lb Mahseer”.Dave

maintains, “finally, in addition to the fishing, the

scenery and indigenous wildlife were spectacular

deer, mongoose, wild boar, otters, giant Indian

squirrels, and crocodiles were in abundance49. The

latter species keeping its distance during the day,

but were noticeably more inquisitive at night. The

10

Chubs, number of bait fishes, crabs, frogs, minnows, earthworm, insects, flies of more than 13 centimeters are reported to be used as lure or spinner in silver, gold, blue and green colors for Tor & Barbell fishing and angling along Cauvery River.

one animal that we did not see was elephants, but

we heard them several times and often spotted

fresh droppings and tree damage during the

morning walks to the swims. It was truly

unforgettable trip and I hope to return sometime in

the not too distant future”.Live bait fishing can be

the best way to cath the Golden Mahseer and the

bigger baits that preferably and normally stop any

smaller Mahseer stealing the bait before the bigger

fish get to it50. Tackle is put together from pieces

that is considered good from all fishing areas in the

Himalayas and perfect set up for the Northern

Mahseer is -9ft, 2.75lb rods, medium size 65 size

reels, 20lb ice blue line, hooks from size 1-3/0 in

the strongest patterns. This setup allows to get into

position on rocks and good casting spots along the

river and then put the bait right in front of the

fish55. One cab try to get a good look in the pools

from a high vantage point before making a cast,

and with the crystal clear water one can then direct

where in the pool to cast.

Spinners, Spoons and Lure Fishing:

Spinning and lure fishing for Mahseer is the

second form of fishing for the north India Mahseer

and they can be deadly at certain times of the year

when the fish are up in the water feeding well in the

pools and rapids. The spinner or lure can be

worked from different parts of the river to mimic

wounded and fleeing baitfish. So it was considered

important to work the spinner or lure in different

angles, depths and speeds to try and find what the

fish like. Colors of lures for Mahseer are reported

to be very simple silver, gold, blue/white,

white/green, fire tiger, brown and black. These are

the colors that the fish encounter each day when

hunting bait fish, crabs, frogs, flies, fruit and pretty

much anything that looks good for a meal56. Size is

very important with spinners and lures and nothing

bigger that 13 Cm should be used as it‟s very

important to match the lure to the size of the

baitfish.

Jointed and single piece lures should always be

in the tackle box next to a couple of spinners and a

few spoons (1-2oz 5-10cm ) making up a large part

of the Mahseer anglers tackle box51. Hooks need to

be swapped to better quality ones on any shop

bought lures as they are just not up to the job when

Mahseer are around. Stainless steel split rings and

hooks are thought to be essential for this style of

angling as Mahseer have huge throat teeth so

powerful they can crush solid spoons with ease and

crush hooks without even a signal on the rod tip56.

Conclusion:

Among Indian Mahaseers, Tor mussallah, Tor

khudree is the most important food and game fish

of Karnataka in India. It constitutes an outstanding

fishery in Cauvery River of South India. However

building of dams, tourist infrastructure, human

disturbance, vulnerability to poaching and hunting

during hatchlings stage, gill netting and dynamiting

during November to April every year along the

entire stretch of Cavuery river are threats of

enormous pressure on natural spawning breeding

grounds of the fish causing incessant morality of

brood and juvenile fish indiscriminately.

Mahseer fish in India is declining due to low

recruitment of the fish. Stocking rivers and

reservoirs with mahseer hatchlings may be essential

in the long run to restore fishery. Stringent

protection and conservation of wild life in the

protected area of Cauvery River Waters along 100

Km stretch within Karnataka and Tamilnadu

borders may fetch improvement of habitat.

Climate change adaptations, mitigation of

adverse impact on environment should be

pioneered by Jungle Lodges and Resorts in

assistance and co operation with Cauvery Wild Life

Sanctuary where number of Eco Development

Committees along Cauvery River may be involved

in Community Development, creation of income

and generation of employment activities in order to

reduce pressure on the fish.

11

Acknowledgements:

Article is the outcome of long awaited response to

the queries of number of friends and colleagues working

around Cauvery Wild Life Sanctuary specifically those

multitude of stakeholders who were inquisitive about

“assortment of interventions” in terms of conservation

of biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems of Cauvery River

in order to spruce up replenishment of this heavily

burdened creature struggling for its survival and long

term sustenance in and around such protected areas.

Write up is work of compilation of various studies,

research notes and excerpts in the following references

specifically from S N Ogale and V N Desai and the

inspiration from Sh B K Singh Chief Wild Life Govt of

Karnataka without which such job would not have been

a reality.

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A K Singh IFS serves presently in Forest

Department of Govt of Karnataka. Cauvery Wild Life Sanctuary Kollegal, Karnataka. India 08224-253027, aksinghifs@gmail.com dcfcauverywl@gmail.com 15.05.2011