INDIANANGLER

michaelhas posted some good info about trout fishing being opened at avalanche river in the Niligiris.
Please post your trout experiences and bait / tackle.Am sure will be of good use to those of us who are interested in this rather unique sub set!
Best
Axx

In terms of tackle, I would advise to go as light as possible. A 5 to 7 foot spinning rod, a 1500-2000 size reel and 8lb powerpro braid or 4lb mono would be an ideal set up. Size 0 to 1 mepps spinners do well, especially the comet. Small Kastmaster spoons also do well.

Braided line with a fluorocarbon leader will give you a good combination of lower visibility and longer casts.

Cheers
Bops

Hi Eljefe,

Trout feed mostly on insects (nymphs, emergers, adults). Ofcourse, the big trout need bigger morsels.

My experience with trout fishing, is through fly fishing. Though my first trout was taken on powerbait, used with a spinning rod. Powerbait is a dough like material (is pink/rainbow colored, and can have some glitter).

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/prod.php ... p=PURSTBGC

Observe if the trout are feeding on the surface, or sub-surface.
If you cannot spot the trout feeding, they are most likely feeding on nymphs close to the bottom of the river/stream.

If you do not have access to fly fishing gear, you can use a spinning gear along with a plastics bubble float. Tie a nymph fly (size 14 Hare's ear is a good one) to the other end. Also tie two small lead shot (BB size) about eight inches from the fly. This will keep your fly close to the bottom.
Faster water will require more weight to keep the fly near the bottom. Best thing is to start with two split shots. You can add/remove a split shot depending on the water flow/current. You can also change the size of the split shot.

The line/leader length from the bubble float to the fly should be about 1.5 times the water depth. You should be able to adjust the bubble float, depending on the depth you are fishing. If you keep on hitting the bottom frequently, you need to move the float upwards.

Cast directly across, and allow the fly to move downstream. Keep a tight line to the bubble float, and watch for the slightest movement of the float.
A trout will take a fly, and spit it out in an instant. So at the slightest hesitation of the float, strike.

In running water, a trout will generally lie behind a rock/boulder facing the current. This provides it with protection from the current, and it can also observe food flowing down with the current. You need to identify such locations, by the disturbance on the water surface. Cast your fly/lure so that it moves along such submerged rocks/boulders, where it can be seen by trout behind a rock/boulder.

For the lake do not use the split shot. You need to use a plastic flaot which you can half fill with water. This will help you to cast.

In a lake, it would help to have a small boat/canoe. I use a float tube for lakes. Else you are restricted to fishing the shore. In a lake, you need to give action to the fly (retrieve, pause, , retrieve .......). Mostly the retrieve is only 4-6 inches. Vary the retrive to see what works. The retrive would imitate a nymph (e.g mayfly, caddisfly) moving in the water.

Catching trout in a lake is more challenging, than catching one in running water. This is because in a lake, the trout has all the time to observe the fly. In fast water, a trout has to make instant decisions. The faster the water, easier it is to fool a trout.

In 1996, I spent a month on a work assignment, at Hindustan Photo Films factory in Ooty. Did not have my fishing gear with me, but did go out to fish with a local to Pykara. I remember catching some small fish (no trout). Came to know later, that there was good trout fishing at Dodabetta.


tight lines

Makarand

My experience of Trout is from the U.K. so it might not be relevant to the Indian version. I fish for them a lot though, like 3 times a week throughout the season. So for what it's worth, some observations:

Bait, such as earthworms, or bread, or a small fish livebait are the most effective way to catch Trout, by a long way. A large bait will also pick up larger Trout.

Spoons/ spinners are also effective.

Fly fishing is probably the least effective method to catch Trout both in terms of quantity, and size. Saying that, it's the method I use almost all the time.

Why, you might ask? Well it's the most enjoyable method. There's something about being stood in the river with a rod weighing less than 3 ounces, using a fly you tied yourself. Casting a fly is enjoyable, wheras continually casting a spinner is not. When the line suddenly tightens is just pure magic, regardless of the size of the fish!

I recomend a 3 or 4 weight rod, fine diameter 5lb line and an assortment of nymphs. There's little doubt that the flash of a small gold bead at the front of the fly adds some attraction. It also adds some weight but it's important to keep the bead small, otherwise your casting will be ruined.

My number 1 fly would be a size 14 or 12 hare's ear nymph with a gold bead, and a small tag of red wool at the tail.

Try it, and enjoy!

Thanks Guys,
Gets better and better!
I was told by an old timer( not on this forum) that "...fly fisher men are like bridge players, while the rest of us are poker players!"

While we must broach the fly fishing tutorials later, its still great to hear from you all about 'trouting' in general.

Play it again Sam!
Best
Axx

Hi,

Here is a photo of a 26 inch cutthroat trout, caught at a mountain lake in the eastern Seirras, California.
The trout took a size 14 Hare's ear nymph fly, tied by me.




tight lines

Makarand

Nice one Mak.

Most of the regulars use a Daiwa Spinmatic-X 500T Ultra Light reel with a 3lb to 4 lb monofiliment line and use a light trout rod. In the river the spinners used are 0, or 1 and in the lake we even use a 2 to cast along line as the lake gets deep quickly. none of us use any type of bait.

Hi Eljefe
Here are few tips which might be of some use. I have experienced that spending some time in reading the water always pays. So select your spot carefully and try to spot the fish. Do your preparations away from the fishing spot and approach the site with stealth. Trout is a very cunning fish and in heavily fished sites, can be spooked easily. Do not shout or talk loudly with your friends. Than i have experienced that a particular spinner gets compromised after you have used it for few hrs. One day i caught lot of fish using Mepps anglia #1(golden with black spots). At the same place next day, i could see trout chasing the spinner but did not take it. I changed to Blue Fox Vibrax #2 (Black, gold with yellow dots) and again caught a few. Another important thing, be sure about the depth at which you want to retrieve the spinner. Secondly, avoid uniform retrieves. It should be a mix of fast, slow, twitches, jerks etc. Make it look like a real fish in distress. When you miss a bite, change the place. Its not likely that trout will take anything there for a while. Avoid using the spinners that are commonly used. I have had more success with relatively new spinners that were not aval in the local market. Trout tends to develop recognition of spinners in a heavily fished area. Good luck.
Sualeh

Hi
Few more tips for lure fishing for trout. Casting accuracy is not very important in lakes, but in fast flowing streams, you need to be damn accurate otherwise you will loose a spinner on every second cast. Not a bad idea to practice the art in own time.
Mountain streams in sub-continent are very fast flowing so avoid entering the stream. While casting, i normally stand (or hide behind a rock) facing the other corner of the stream and cast at 45 degrees upstream. Trout always face upstream. Fast flow takes the spinner down stream in a few seconds and than i retrieve it in an eratic manner. in streams, you can afford to stop retrieval for a while as the spinner blade still keeps revolving. I have also tried a combination of spinner and wet fly at one time. Simply tie both with a swivel; line length 3 ft for wet fly and 5 ft for the spinner. Trout is attracted by the spinner and finally, likes to take the fly.
Also, you can use local water insects on the hooks of a spinner. Just turn a few stones in shallow water and you will find a lot of them. Worms work better. Good luck.

Take to Rapala countdown CD3 in colour RT and FT .They will get u all the trout.Mepps 0-2 in silver . blue fox XD type spinners sz 2 in yellow with red dots , Blue fox vibrax black with yellow dots(Black fury)..There are many more in spinners and mepps XD does rather well .You will find them below the boulders and in the running water part of the pool . Cast across the running water to the other bank of the stream and bring in the spinner /rapala into the running water and to your feet.You should get a hit as soon as the lure touches the running water - for as u approach ur side of the pool the trout see u and move across. My last trip was 20 trout in gen area Banjaar.My max count so far has been 130 trout on 2 rods in 2 days.
I have fished lakes for trout- there they are wise and dont give much to lures and there I could only get to them in the rocky shallows or where the stream came in. They also grow big in lakes as because of being cautious -their life span is longer. I caught 2 brown trout in Changu Lake in Sikkim Ht 17000ft and they were about 7 lbs each
Hope this will help...Good luck...Ham

sorry I forgot to mention about the Indian Trout .Just go in for Luhr Jensen spoon red with a white stripe in the centre .Trout hit me 3 times in one cast.This was very recent . One would hit get hooked -come off, then the second would do the same and so would the 3rd. I landed 11 that mid morning .This lure is an absolute must but I have not tried this lure on the rainbow or the brown trout. Cheers...Ham

Thanks guys-So there is hope for us non fly types to try spinning for trout? Keep it coming
Best
Axx

I'd love to get into fly-fishing and try it on a lot of different species... as far as trout goes, they do become spoon/spinner shy relatively quickly... but in places where they have not seen a Mepps. No. 0 or a No. 1, its criminal to spin cause you'll be landing fish after fish like there is no tomorrow... if you want to have some real fun with browns and rainbows in virgin waters, then you need to take 4 days off and tag along with me!!!

To add to Sualeh's point about trout rivers in our part of the world being to fast flowing and full of rapids, yes thats true 90% of the time.

Their is a series of meandering streams on the Ghizer side of the Shandur Pass which are wonderfully suited to wading and flyfishing.

On spinners you can get about thirty or so in a day but on the fly it depends on how they're feeling some days you can get hundreds other days almost nothing.

Most of the fsh are quite small though so its a great place for practising your flycasting. All except for maybe a couple of bigger ones for a fry up MUST be released.

Hi Hamdhingra
Trout in a 17000 ft high lake . Thats amazing. As per my knowledge, lakes at such an altitude remain frozen for about 8-9 months. Moreover, there are very few insects in the water at such high altitude. Are you sure about the height?
Regards
Sualeh

Hi Suleh,

I have seen a lot of fishes in the Changu lake. But the height is 12500 ft and not 17000 ft. The lake is frozen from Nov to Mar. The locals told me that fishing is not allowed there.

Sualeh,
yes there appears to be a mess up in the height. I still feel its more but stand corrected . It freezes 4 months in a year and it is after the freeze up that the fish are extra active. locals then also way back in 78 and 87 said You can not fish but being in uniform we could do that.we could take permission from Fisheries HQ in Gangtok.
Cheers...Ham

Hi Apoo,
there is the manmaichu and the sabraichu lake also there.Sabraichu is at a higher altitude -higher than Nathula -have u been there.There is trout there aswell. Did they let you fish Manmaichu ?
Ham

Hi Hamdhingra
Trout in lakes that freeze for 4 months is ok, rather it thrives well and grows bigger than lower lakes because there is less fishing in lakes at very high altitudes. We also have a lot many of them, all ranging between 12000-15000 ft. However, lakes at 17000 are actually glaciated lakes and only defreeze for 3-5 months and i havent heard of trout at such altitude. And i tell you its a life time pleasure to climb upto one of the high altitude trout lakes, do photography and site seeing and offcourse, trout fishing. Simply breath taking.
Regards
Sualeh

Sualeh U are right .Actually I have to recollect everything.and thus mix up at times. Now I distinctly recall a lake in that area at 17000 and there were no fish there.I did not believe it so we made a floating platform and went to a small island in the centre of it .This v small island had a gentle slope and I was sure if fish (Trout or any other ) were there we would see them. there was nothing ! and the journey on the floating platform was so dicey - I wonder how we ever made it back.there at that alt the area becomes mountain stone desert
this side -ie Ur side is more beautiful
WW...Ham

At altitudes above 10,000 ft. everything is desert up in our neck of the woods too. Especially in the Hindukush and Karakorams.

Other than Swat, Kaghan and the Neelam Valley I dont think their are many places where you can fish for trout in pine forested regions here, and even in the above mentioned places you can go fishing but you wont catch much because of the state those rivers are in.

So if you want to catch decent trout, head for the high altitude deserts!

Hamdhingra Sahib,

I am one of the few people in Pakistan who fish for mahseer using plugs in the larger reservoirs, so your insights into the scene at Bhakra are very useful and I'll try them out at Tarbella when I returm to Pakistan.

HI Ali,
lots of our guys swear by plugs for Mahseer, though my limited experience has been with Ragi, but keep us posted on 'plugging for Mahseer'
Best
Axx

El,
all my Mahseer is on plugs and this colour did go on to the Delhi people 2/3 yrs back when we fished the Bhakra together . I only use plugs and did use kastmaster,lil cleo,Kuusamo,toby and otherspoons to be able to appreciate others point of view and take on their colour. And I use these in still water and running water v v effectively , and recently I read here on the forum to do a spinner/plug just behind something more interesting . By God this is going to work!
Warm Wishes
Hamdhingra

Hi Ali,
I feel like doing an article on "Plugs and Mahseer"
But I refrain for it will be a massacre of Mahseer .
The boatman/Jaal wala who saw me catch about 76 mahseer in 2.5 days - threw away his net and bought a rod. He did not succeed. There’s more to fishing then just the equipment .In person I would more than promise a fine thread of her weaknesses – and yet many of my days too are blank
This is what fishing is all about !
Cheers and Tight Lines
As Always Hamdhingra

I started angling and the first fish i caught was a brown trout.
in the begining i use to to bait with small live earth worms on a size 8 hook. slowly understanding the feeding patern used crickets , grasshoppers, dragon flies (ALL LIVE). Catching anywhere between 1 lbs to 4 lbs rainbowz \ browneez.

For tackle i use and used size 00 & 1 DAM efzett Spinners in silver and golden paterns and also dressed Black furry. for the rod and reel i used a karman and a 7ft 2pcs ugly stick. Karman is no longer usable but has caught me some trout even around 6 lbs at barot.
Trout fishing i have done @ Barot, tirthan, Chamba, Lider, Paro, Tezu. I feel best time to hook up big trouts is late feb till mid april as they shell of milt and are hungry and While the spring sets inn they prey over the widely available insects.
And also one of my friend had caught some trout on 5 grms acme cast master spoons.

I am plannign a 15days trout and mahseer angling trip up north. anyone interested start planning and lets do it together.

Cheers !!!

M

I have always and only used plugs. Came in contact with them much before spinners and spoons. I think the mahseer at Bhakra are now very spinner/spoon shy. You might get the occasional one but that would be luck or a pretty irritated fish.

The trick is finding the right plug. Ham has one that always works and he ain't telling. Which is good coz as he pointed out there would be a massacre by the meat collectors at the Dam. But keep trying different plugs and you'll hit one that works for a while. Most of the time you will see that the plugs that works is the tourist, the one that you always take along but are afraid to use. So keep experimenting. Work the plugs from top to bottom. Start with the floaters and then move into the sinkers and deep divers. Vary your retrieve. And keep trying something different.

Ham!

What is your take on soft plastic baits. I have just started using them and they are pretty friendly with the sol.

Hi mayur...

when you planning the trip for... I'm game... PM me and let me know, I'm game!!!

All the best Mayursud, enjoy the scenery and catch many trout. Trout fishing has always been most fascinating for me.
Cheers
Sualeh