Trout Fishing in Kashmir:
Kashmir is a land traversed by wild mountain streams and high altitude lakes where Rainbow and Salmon thrive in abundance. It is rightly called Anglers’ Paradise. The best season of the year is from May – October. A permit, issued by the Department of Fisheries, J & K Government against a fixed tariff is a pre-requisite.
Fishing is big
business in Kashmir through spring and summer. The British introduced the
brown and rainbow trout to the streams of Kashmir, where they have thrived. At
the same time they introduced the system of anglers reserving ' beats' on
their favorite river. Reservations for beats should be made before one arrives
in Kashmir, through an Indian Government Tourist Office or directly to the
Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar .
The Fishing Season:
The season runs from April to October. Only artificial flies are allowed and each license entitles the angler to keep six fish a day, none being shorter than 7.5 cm. Beats may be reserved for a day or a week at a time in one of the three basic types of streams.
Larger rivers like Sindh or Liddar are full with snow, melting from May to
July, with an occasional pool under boulders. Spinning is allowed here, but
the wet fly and weighted cast tests the skill of the angler and will produce
good results. In April, August and September these rivers are quieter, and the
bigger fish are said to lie in the stiller waters.
Tributaries and water channels near these mainstream beats provide another
type of fishing throughout the season. These are the smaller streams where
only flies are allowed, with wet fly fishing good all season. The third type
are the small spring fed streams and high altitude lakes suitable for both dry
and wet fly tackle.
Fishing Equipments:
A light
two to three metre Rod (fishing rods cannot be carried as hand luggage on
aircraft for security reasons) with an eight cm reel will suffice. Common
flies in use in Kashmir include Peacock, March Brown, Butcher, Jinger Quill,
Coachman, Woodcock & Green and Watson's Fancy.
There are 61 beats open for reservation throughout the season, ranging from
the turbulence of the Sindh and Wangat Rivers to the tranquility of the high
altitude lakes Krishanshar, Vishanshar, Gangabal and Nunkhol.
The British introduced Brown Trout somewhere around the turn of the 20th
century, first in the streams of Kashmir in Northern India. Kashmir is a land
of some immensely beautiful valleys, it must not have taken much for them
select Kashmir, as the place to first introduce Trout in India, as some the
rivers seem to be straight out of the fairy tale
The conditions in Kashmir made a perfect breeding ground for Trout and, from
then on, this fish thrived in India. Kashmir set an example to the rest of the
nation, thanks to the introduction of this wonderful fishery in its water.
Soon enough it attracted the attention of several enthusiasts from other
Indian states and shortly enough other hill states followed with the
introduction of Trout in their waters.
The Trout is found in most of the tributaries of the rivers that flow through
the Kashmir. However, some of the more isolated beats are located further into
the valleys and are provide some excellent fishing. Due to the torrent of the
river and heavy cover these rivers are fished best on spinning.
Fishing Tour Packages:
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Trout Fishing in Kashmir: [Ask for Detailed Itinerary ]