INDIANANGLER

The fishing permits open on 1st Oct after the Monsoon and a friend (shiv) and I drove to Marchula and worked one beat for almost 2 days - Shiv, who's a great angler caught a 10+ Lb mahaseer on a plug and a smallish goonch also on a plug. Shiv knows the beat well and being an early riser hooked on early in the rapids below the bridge and landed the fish after an exciting run. The fish took the plug in a peculiar manner and the upper treble hooked onto the throat of the mahseer, but from below as in the outside and the damage was considerable - I learnt a couple of important lessons.

ONE - Marchula (just outside Corbett Park and just befor the Ramganga enters the park at Do Munda) which has 4 beats leased to Angling Associations is mostly fished using 'atta' or 'chilwa' - Shiv and I decided to angle with artificial bait 'cause we like the angling rather than sitting around waiting for the fish to take on atta - and I learnt that despite what the gillie said plugging does work at Marchula - the only issue is that the fish are getting used to the atta as the angling beat managers are feeding atta, to attract the fish to their beat..

TWO - the 4 dollar disgorger that I bought thru cabelas recently, works extremly well - the 10 Lb that shiv caught was badly damaged after the fight and we were debating whether to release the fish - we had strung the fish thru the lip, but the treble was not coming off w/o damaging the fish more - so we took permission NOT TO RELEASE and then tried the disgorger and it removed the treble w/o further damage and it seemed to us that the fish had a chance to survive - the gills/head/lips were not dmaged, so we released it

The disgorger link is http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... id=0002086

Have a look - it's a good accessory incase one doesn't have it..

Hi Viraj,
Rather rare to get one hooked that deep down. Could we see a picture of the lure ? My guess is that it was rather small.
The disgorger looks pretty good. Did you try with the regular straight disgorgers before resorting to the one you have provided the link for ?

HI Owen

That's a common mistake with my name.

The plug was a J13, jointed, perch - that's 5 inches and 5/8 oZ

The plug was hooked from the outside not on the underlip but like 2-3 inches below and outside on the soft white throat - I didnt take a pic of the lure on the throat but have a pic that gves some idea where the treble hooked

will try and post it - it's on my PC at home and am on my laptop right now

I think any disgorger, incl the surgeon type, almost any will work will - it's just that if the treble is deep inside then one will need a slim/sleek instrument rather than a simple plier.

Hi Viraj,

You have to excuse Owen when it comes to names, at least he called you Vijay , he calls me a lot worse

Regards,

Booby

Sorry Viraj,
I am pretty bad with names, Bobby should know. I have called him Booby in the past. Dude won't let that rest now.
Will be interesting to see the pictures.
Regards
Owen

Come on Owel don't worry we all make mistakes...

Pics of the mahaseer that hooked on peculiar - hv a look at the red gash on the throat. and another pic of a small gooch - both caught by shiv

hey how does one host a pic..i browsed then clicked host it..what next??

Hi Viraj,
better do it on photo bucket. Bops has the procedure down in one of his posts. Image shack does not work for me either.
Regards
Owen

Hi Owen and Bobby

Hv a look at the pics of the mahsser and goonch:




Have a look at the gash on the throat - it apparently happens sometimes when the fish goes for the lower treble and the middle treble snags on the outside of the throat

Hi Viraj,

Very nice images, nice Bardus Tor..oops!!



Is that you in with the beard?

Regards,

Bobby

Very nice images ... could do witha bit of mercy on the mahseer photo ,, personally dont approve of the hanging method for the mahseer ...

Yep!! Fred likes them in a frying pan ....

Hi Viraj,

Excellent pics, nice to see some Mahseer from the north. Looking forward to more from you

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

Arent u the one in the frying pan mate ??? what with these Singapore 2 piece trips once a month .. ???

That's my friend Shiv and his son Jansher. On the hanging aspect I went thru the furious posts between 'Hotshot' and others - I agree the hanging looks terrible - and will restrict to the gentler show casing..

Incase u didn't see the posts on the hanging photos - the gist was that we guys have been piercing the nylon thread thru the lip and not taking it thru the gills - so while the photos look tough the fish is safe - while I dont like the piercing business, I 'm told that its safer than passing the rope thru the mouth/gills esp for a largish one.

Here's another one I caught some time back.


That's me in the Pic

Hi Viraj,

I seem to think its safer stringing a fish through the gills/mouth. I've never seen people piercing the lip of the fish here, so don't think I'm in a position to really comment.

That's a nice fish you're holding there, I can't really make out how its strung? I hope I'll find the time to travel north and get a crack at the Mahseer you guys have there.

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

Hi Viraj,
MM and the southern boys will vouch for it. A very soft stringer through the gills works best even for the largest mahseer.
Limit the time the fish are kept on a stringer to the very minimum, which means scales and camera should travel with the angler, and not be left behind at camp.
As soon as the fish has recoverd from the fight, the weighing and photo session should be completed, and the fish released.
We very rarely keep any of the smaller mahseer on a stringer, the ones below 10 or 15 pounds usually get put back straight from the hook, even without weighing or photographing, unless it's a first fish for a beginner.
I have never seen anyone use the lip stringer used on the Kaveri, strange the difference in methods adopted in the same country.
Regards
Owen

Sorry something went wrong here.
Posting again

Hi Viraj,
Very Nice Fish mate!

MM and the southern boys will vouch for it. A very soft stringer through the gills works best even for the largest mahseer, and is the only way a mahseer is kept in captivity here.

Limit the time the fish is kept on a stringer to the very minimum, which means scales and camera should travel with the angler, and not be left behind at camp.

As soon as the fish has recoverd from the fight, the weighing and photo session should be completed, and the fish released, and no damage will be done at all.

We very rarely keep any of the smaller mahseer on a stringer, the ones below 10 or 15 pounds usually get put back straight from the hook, even without weighing or photographing, unless it's a first fish for a beginner.

Strange the difference in methods adopted in the same country.
For other species of fish, i personally don't keep them on a stringer, but use a keep net if the fish are for the pot and to be kept fresh, or just release them straight away.

Most of them don't do too well on a stringer, and die quickly. Even the murral.
The size of the mouth & space between the gill membrane and the outer protective shell probably has something to do with this, and the fact that the mahseer has a rather large gap between the actual gill membrane and the outer protective shell.
This provides suffecient space for a very soft rope to be passed through, without coming into contact with the actual gill membrane. Just check this out next time you catch one.
Tight Lines.
Owen

I'm not complaining Fred, I will just exchange the Rod..
Besides there are always the evil towers that I am sure you must be fimilar with.
I got go to to Singapore for some training, but I thing I will be making a trip every month to Sing form now on, a lot of my clients there now. Besides it is a good place to stock up on fishing tackle.

This time I will be back in HK on the 27th I reckon and in Bombay on the 29th. I have to play cricket on the 28th.

And the stringing saga continues...I say LIP, just to keep things volatile...

can somebody figure how large fish are released in Europe or the US? I understand that in Europe fish over a certain size in some beats are released on a mandatory basis while smaller fish can be pulled out for the pot.

This is important as none of us want to damage the fish

Hi Viraj,
I have heard that in Germany, you are forced to take home any fish you catch over a certain size. If you are caught returning them to the water, you loose your license to fish. Besides this, you have to go through at least a dozen lectures and pass a test before an adult is allowed to fish.

Sounds like MM's nightmare!
Please refer his earlier posts to get the background on his nightmare.
Hey MM - those nightmares still worrying you mate ?
Regards
Owen

Yeah Owen,

The new one is I won't catch a Mahseer before Christmas

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

HI Guys, something to share:

Here in Malaysia, many mahseer anglers tether (string) their fish for the foto shots, though I suspect it's more because these fish are soo hard to catch, they'd want just that extra few minutes...

For small fish, some employ the lip method: piercing the soft part of the lip. But for larger specimens, the cord is passed thru the gill covers. Personally, I'm not for the lip thing; you damage the fish, opening the door to infection and stuff.

Actually, I know cases of mahseer being tethered by the gill opening and kept for days without undue harm. However, we usually recommend not more than say two hours. That's more than enough time for fotos and extended ogling.

We NEVER tether snakeheads like the murrel. They are labyrinth fish ie they need to come up to the surface to 'breathe'. The presence of the cord hinders this function. They die quickly. Included in this class of fishes are the giant gorami, giant snakehead (toman/pla shado).

JB
><<:>

Hi JB,
What about those tags mate?
Regards
Owen

What's the idea behind germany insisting that fish are not released over a certian size???

The idea i guess is to give the smaller fishes in the lakes a chance to grow. It is also an eat what you catch kind of policy.
Regards
Owen

Interesting, possibly because the small fishlings are stocked and are more likely to be gobbled up than the 'wild' fishlings that have managed to survive..

This is another angle - wild verus stocked versu fed...

Is there any catch & eat/kill 'policy'?

Just returned from the Yamuna and spent an afternoon/morning..nothing, but I attribute that to poor angling because of my lack of knowledge of the beat and maybe the water was a bit high. No consolation though because the local patwari calls me and says that he caught a 12 Kg mahaseer 15 minutes after I left for Delhi

Maybe next week

Where do you fish the Yamuna ? The visions i have of the Yamuna at Delhi are horrble. Nothing but a cesspool. Can't imagine any fish surviving in its waters in the Delhi area.
Regards
Owen

I agree completely with Owen ... the color of the water is fit to be bottled and sold as " sumthing thats nothing but black and frothy .. maybe thats where the Rin factory is ... really atrocious that a river has to look like a frigging washing machine with the Taj in the background // unless Aurangzeb discovered Soap or Videocon washing machine

Guys, the yamuna is a longish river! You are absolutely correct that the Yamuna in Delhi is a cesspool, after all 19 drains dump their waste into the Yamuna and only one drain is treated..so imagine the amount of muck that flows in.possibly more muck than water..mybe the BJP should take up cleansing our holy rivers!

Actually the Yamuna upstream is a very healthy river..lot of good clean water and home till recently (30 yrs) back to very good Mahaseer. What happenend is the barrages and the turbines..that's why I harp on about the effect of hydro power on marine life. The Barrages divert water to arid haryana and leave just enough for the Ymuna to remain wet in Delhi and Agra, where most of us city dwellers get to see the river..I guess that most of the wter that is released for Delhi area gets consumed for Delhi citizens.

Upstream of Delhi, about 200+ kms, the Yamuna enters the Doon from the Himalayas and then the barrages start..Dak Pather, Poanta Sahib (Turbine and diversion), Hathni Kund (either some of Akbar's Elephant Armour perished or bathed there), Dadupur and then into the canal system into Haryana.

The Mahaseer fortunatley seems to be a short migration fish and has managed to adapt to the change in the water body and are probably spawning in water bodies in and around the barrages..the barrages and their tremedous flow does aerate the water considerably..

The fishing is not very good however and one hears of large catches less frequently. There's a lot of local fishermen who catch on 'atta' for selling locally and there's a contract issued for a few lakhs every year too..the rest is for the anglers!

I have suggested to a friend to speak to the Director Fisheries in Haryana to get active in either breeding the golden or getting fishlings from Lonavla...

The yamuna holds good memories for many anglers and was also special because of the short distance from Delhi, Chandigarh, Doon

Luckily, I think the space for Barrages and turbines is exhausted and the fish are still there and there's enough clean water and clean environment upstream for fishing to get excellent in the years ahead.

Hi Viraj,

Thanks for your last post on the Yamuna. I found it very interesting and I hope the Director Fisheries in Haryana does take the initiative and reintroduce Mahseer in the Yamuna.

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

OB,

Shoot, I forgot about those tags, sorry! Okay, need to take digi pic of said tag and email you. I'll even bring a sample and probably pass it to Rusty. Since it's a nice Paris Hilton pink hue, he can play with it while waiting for you to collect...

Rusty,

My Cauvery trip's confirmed! Will be in Bang-a-lure 16th Dec (Saturday) morning, at Le Meridien (donno where that is) till about 10am when we drive off to Bhimeshwari. You owe me a pot of masala tea, mate! And I'll bring some fancy murrel lures to tempt you. Okay, okay, the pink ones too.

Failing that, it's the airport on 22Dec, about 7pm. Aw heck, why dont you meet us at Cauvery? We'll probably be at Haira every afternoon.

><<:>

Hi JB,
That will be a little late. I am starting out 1st to 5th Dec Wasi lakes and 5th to 11th Dec Hiara.
Regards
Owen

All of you could write a line or urging the Deptt of Fisheries on reviving Mahseer populations and Mahseer sport fishing in the Poanta - Kalesar - Hatnikund - Tajewala belt on the Yamuna. The e mail is of the Fisheries Deptt is <hryfish@haryanafisheries.com> and the mail address is -


Fisheries Department, Haryana
SCO 817,
Manimajra,
Chandigarh
Phone & Fax- 0172- 2734979

DO WRITE, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

HI Ashok

Thanks for the address.

Does anyone know the concerned person at Tata Power, Lonavla??

Thanks Ashok and Viraj,
Thats a nice fish you have Viraj.
Yes Ashok, will write to the man. Was wondering, would it be better if we have a common petition here on the IA site and all of us download and sign and send it on? either a common one or individual? I've seen many issues being handled like this in the west and with our increasing awareness of citizens rights, I'm sure the effect will be multiplied many times over.
Viraj, Dev-another member, and I went down to the Hindon Barrage near Ghaziabad today and cast around for the fun of it-we got a couple of catfish-incidently my FIRST catch in 30 years...
The stink was awful in the adjacent barrage and the water was black and foam flecked.We need a little more than arm chair conservation, thats why the request for this petition-who knows , a small step for mankind...?
Best
Axx

this petiton is a very good thought....

Show me the dotted line

Who are we going to petition?

What is the objective of the petition?

How are we going to follow up the petition?

Should we start with the Delhi Drains or the rivers that take in the muck?

The Hindon takes in the muck that is generated from West UP - the Hapur, Philkhua, Meerut, Ghzbd belt..the muck is from industry...

The Yamuna flow is less. because the water is diverted to Haryana...

I dont see the 'executive' being concerened

Possibly the environment/pollution committee established by the Supreme Court is the right Authority to address. Incidentally, I know the chairperson of the Committee and can certainly forward our petition..and follow up.

I did write to the concerned Director of Fisheries, Haryana but the e mail bounced! I will send the same by Regd. Post and also request him to become a member of IA. Let us see what he has to say.

An intresting observation by Mr.Korla, the man in charge of Fisheries, Kullu valley, HP - "Where are the license numbers, in Kullu valley" ??? He was pointing that even local anglers are not buying license but poaching! I hope anglers do take heed, buy many more licenses and the sport fishing in the valley improves in quality.

Hi Viraj and Ashok,
You two seem to be the pro's in the know about the current situation in various rivers here in N India and also, going by your post , Viraj, have an in depth idea about the sources of pollution of the Yamuna etc.
Sure, do involve the PCB , we may get some good out of it.
When I was chief of Emergency at Apollo Delhi, we used to have this annual request to provide medical support for a 3 day 'clean the yamuna ' campaign.We dutifully sent a team to deal with eventualities, but what struck me as funny was; what cleaning were they trying to achieve in 3 days,annually? There's masses of humanity living along the bank plus, as I came to know later, hordes of effluent discharging industries.
The petition is aimed for the director fisheries, haryana.
Can one of us frame it (Ashok?), we can post it here and ask members to download and snail mail? going by your experience of email bouncing...
Best
Axx

I will post a draft petition by Sunday. Let us start moving things and hope for the best.

Why are we petioning Haryana FIsheries? The probem is 200 kms below when the Yamuna reaches Delhi.

ALso we might be reinventing the wheel - as there must be several bodies working on cleaning the river - I think we should aim our effort with them.

Incidentally, I spoke to my bro in law who has initiated a 'yamuna clean up' and I need to figure more before I can suggest what should be done - in terms of who to petition - in the meanwhile let's work the petition draft and take it from there

Dear Viraj,

You start at Delhi, I will start at Poanta. No harm in that. The more we speak out the better. At the worst the deptt will not act. In Vikasnagar-Poanta-Hatnikund area our area of concern would be reintroduction of fingerling mahseer, poaching and probably not industrial pollution.

Begin the good work.

Regards,

Viraj,
Going by the WASI model in karnataka, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.There really is a change -from NO mahseer due to uncontrolled poaching/dynamiting to great fishing,as many forumers here would attest.... all with a positive approach and 3-4 river guards-probably ex poachers-but they would make the best guards has shown us that a very loose PPP may work
I am a relative newcomer to N India and a total newbie at angling...and am so firmly hooked, I curse myself for not starting earlier! I plan to stick around here for a while and dont want Mahseer fishing or fishing in general to go the way of our wildlife-we are still lucky that such magnificent opportunities are still available, as is very evident from your pics...
Hopefully in this day of enlightened Public and a responible reaction from the bureaucracy, I sort of feel optimistic about the whole thing.As Ashok suggests, we may need a multi pronged concentrated effort.Director Fisheries Haryana, Lonavala, Pollution control new delhi-lets hit them all.With you and Ashok spearheading this, it may just work!

Best
Axx