Mahseer: Alaknanda River Rafting

Alaknanda is of special interest to the daring tourists who visit the famous pilgrimages in Uttaranchal. This river actually starts at the confluence of the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers in Uttarakhand. It also has the major contribution in the flow of the Ganges River, more than River Bhagirathi, which is regarded by the Hindus as the origin of the Ganges.

Alaknanda River lies within the two famous mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan with the Neelkanth peak. There is the famous pilgrimage Badrinath Temple and the natural spring Tapt Kund. This beauteous view is a breathtaking and an enchantment for tourists. It is also known as the `Garhwal queen`. Many adventurous activated including rafting and kayaking are enjoyable.

Alaknanda is famous for river rafting. An adventurous trip starts from the Ganges River near Rishikesh, and launches on Chamoli River to end at Rudraprayag. Camp Silver Sands, which is located on a large sandy beach on the banks of the Ganga river, briefing on camp, its activities and the trip to experience. Thereafter, drive down the valley to arrive at Camp Silver Sands for camping.

The journey of 128kms to Rishikesh, will take you through thick forests and deep gorges. Your each day ends at a different river beach to make camp for the night, enhancing the adventure of being on the river. Foaming rapids, sandy beaches and starry nights make your trip a truly outdoor journey, even for the first time rafter!

Lower expedition is an expedition for children, and family groups apart from people who want an expedition which gives them a beautiful outdoor experience and ample time to enjoy that experience.
River rafting expedition begins with a big Grade IV rapid, "The Holy Hole", at the confluence with the Mandakini. Rapids keep coming in quick succession Spend long day on the river, covering about 36 river kms till Maletha beach.

Raft down to Devprayag the confluence of the Alaknanda & Bhagirathi Rivers. Camp at Beas Ghat, a famous fishing spot for the Mahseer also called the Ganga Gold.

Make 30 kms to reach camp below Kaudiyala, after running a couple of Grade IV rapids, "Daniel's Dip" and "The Wall". Final day runs with big rapids, the "Roller Coaster" and "Golf Course" to make it an exciting end to a grand adventure!

Angling in Cauvery

Coorg since the British Raj days has succeeded in mesmerising many with its beauty. Whether it is the roads or home stays or waterfalls or meadows, Coorg never fails to entice its visitors. The landscape of Coorg is characterised by unending coffee plantations and roaring waterfalls. The Cauvery which is carpeted in green is covered with sprawling white mist and rosewood forests, bamboo and sandalwood which surround the river. Coorg known as Kodagu because of the brave breed of men and women represent a fantastic blend of culture.

Located on the Western Ghats, 252 km from Bangalore, Coorg is known as the Scotland of India. Coorg is a great eco-tourism destination with its lush green deep forests, misty hills, blinding fog. The most significant of all is Nagarhole National Park which is boasts of superb wildlife of Coorg. Many rivers including Cauvery start their course from here.

A number of adventure activities are carried out in Coorg. They are:

Durbare Elephant Training Camp

Durbure offers a very unusual adventure activity – Elephant training. It has a huge bathing spot for and a resting spot for elephants from the training camp.

If the local trainer gets impressed by you then you might get to enjoy a free elephant ride or pay a very nominal amount. The best time to visit Dubare would be post monsoon when the climate is pleasant.

River Rafting At Dubare

This place is run by the local resorts and jungle lodges and you should choose to start as early as 8:30 and spend full three hours gliding and swaying down the river. Make sure you don’t bring along kids below 12 years of age.

Angling in Cauvery

The Cauvery River in Coorg is a favorite of for anglers and fishing freaks.

There are a wide variety of fishes like mahseer, rohu, katli and trout. You might even come across mackerel, marlin and sea bass. Valnur Fishing Camp, on the banks of Kushalnagar, is also a good place for angling and fishing enthusiasts. You will find Ladyfish and Mahseer in abundance. No wonder it’s a fisherman’s paradise. The Forest Department, in collaboration with Coorg Wildlife Society, offers angling at departments Riverside Cottage at Valanoor.

River Rafting in Barapole River

The rafting base is near Ponya Coffee Estate on the Barapole riverbed.

This base is constructed for rafters and is has changing facilities, a good reception area, hot water showers and a fire place. Barapole has amazing rafting opportunities as well. It has an hours rafting session with three plus rapids. The best times for rafting here are between the months of June and October.

Jim Corbett National Park - The Tiger Country

The first wildlife reserve of India, the Jim Corbett National Park - also called the Corbett Tiger Reserve - is located in Uttarakhand, India. The Park has a total area of 1318 sq km and a core area of 520 sq km. In its buffer area the Jim Corbett National Park has the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Earlier called the Hailey National Park and later the Ramganga National Park, the Jim Corbett National Park, or the Corbett Tiger Reserve, is named after the famous conservationist and naturalist Jim Corbett who had shot many man eaters and also authored the "Man Eaters of Kumaon".

Jim Corbett's winter home is located just outside the Corbett Tiger Reserve at Kaladhungi around which the Chotta Haldwani village is situated. Jim Corbett's house now has been converted into a wonderful museum which is one of the many attractions of the area.

The successful "Project Tiger", to protect tigers and increase their population, was started at the Ramganga National Park in 1973. Presently, the national park has the highest density of tigers in India with one tiger every 10 sq km. No wonder, the Jim Corbett National Park is called the "Tiger Country".

Flat valley, hilly ridges and mixed deciduous forests characterize the landscapes through which the Ramganga River flows. The scenic river has rich populations of the Mahaseer Fish and Ghariyal (crocodile).

The Corbett Tiger Reserve offers many thrilling adventure activities that include, among others, fishing and angling, elephant safari, and jeep safari to its visitors. Elephant safari and jeep safari enable the visitors to explore the park and enjoy great views of the dense jungles and its many inhabitants.

Flora and Fauna

With 575 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians, 110 species of trees, 51 species of shrubs, 27 species of climbers, and 33 species of bamboo and grass, it is rich in flora and fauna.

Apart from the tigers for which the Jim Corbett is renowned the world over, the national park also has chital, elephant, jackal, wild pig, barking deer, sambar, common langur, and rhesus macaque. The tiger reserve is also a haven for the bird watchers and boasts of several species of the winged creatures that include, among others, sandpiper, woodpecker, kingfisher, peacock, jungle fowl, duck and stork.

How and when to visit

The Jim Corbett National Park is well connected and located 250 km away from Delhi. For the visitors, it remains open from November to June. The first three months (Nov-January is perfect for bird watching).

Goonch - A Giant Pest Or Great Sport?

The first sportsmen fishing in India , rated Mahseer so highly that pretty much any other fish that dared take their bait was considered a pest. Goonch, a giant form of catfish found in many of the same rivers as Mahseer, soon gained this reputation particularly as the flesh spoils quickly and would have caused more than a few upset stomachs.

Goonch have recently acquired an even less savoury reputation. One recent documentary linked the scavenger diet of this species to the human remains found below Ghats - the traditional cremation sites preferred by Hindus in India.

Following on from the concept of man-eating tigers they then developed the idea that a local teenager had been taken (and presumably eaten) by one exceptionally large Goonch whilst swimming in the local river. This river, the Kali River, which divides India from the Western end of Nepal, takes its name from the Hindu goddess of death and destruction which added a little cultural spice to the mystery. Otherwise, the only evidence seemed to be one reference by a witness to the boy being taken by an 'elongated pig'.

The documentary ends with one very large fish being caught and held up as the culprit. At six feet long and weighing over one hundred and fifty pounds, it is the sort of catfish you (and I) would love to have at the end of our lines but still, perhaps, a little bit small to take a healthy human alive.

So, are these big catfish worthy of being called sport?

I'll concentrate on two factors:

Size:

Undoubtedly, we are talking about a size of fish that excites most anglers. Many of us have only seen photos of freshwater fish in excess of one hundred pounds. The real prospect of hooking into and landing a fish this big must be something to make a fishing holiday abroad appeal to even the most timid traveller. Just one point here: should you be lucky enough to catch one of these giants, please try to release it unharmed. This species has been abused enough and now deserves our voluntary conservation efforts.

Challenge:

Like most catfish, these fish feed mostly on the river bed. They are thought to feed mostly after dark, using their powerful sense of smell to locate food scraps. Locating and tempting one of the really big Goonch to bite is going to take patience and stamina.

Any angler determined enough to get a strike still has a battle on their hands. Pound for pound Goonch may not rate as powerful as Mahseer, but with a big fish on the line in the strong currents that they prefer, at night, the result can easily go with the fish. There are too many tales of screaming bite alarms, screaming reels ... and screaming anglers winding back their slack line to think that there is no sport in the issue.

Fishing in India is only just beginning to take off as a serious recreational activity for the masses. Most will favour the highly prized Mahseer or the fine art of fly-fishing for trout up in the Himalayan foothills. Catfish are never a glamourous fish but perhaps Goonch fishing will become appreciated with time as good sport, especially for those who rate quality above quantity.

Best Fishing Rivers in India

The north of India has the largest rivers, the ones that flow out from the mighty Himalaya, and these usually get most of the attention from anglers. I will therefore buck the trend and start down south.

Down South: The Kauveri River

At quick glance at an Atlas is unlikely to give you much indication of the great fishing prospects to be had in southern India. It seems like there are a few artificial lakes, a few rolling hills and lots of cities. Not the usual territory for big and exciting fish. The Deccan Plateau however, holds a world-class surprise in the Kauveri River (Previously more familiar as the Cauvery River).

Stretching across the State of Karnataka and finally exiting to the sea on the Coromandal Coast the Kauveri River is home to the Humpback Mahseer (Tor Mussulah). These can reach 150 centimeters in length and an amazing 90 kilograms. They are renowned for the fighting power and even smaller specimens can bust tackle designed for deep-sea anglers. Another species, the Deccan Mahseer (Tor Khudree), is much smaller but a full-grown adult of 50 centimeters and perhaps 3 kilograms can still put up a good fight.

Several sections of the river are noted for their beats but the section South-west of Bangaluru (previously Bangalore) and East of Mysuru (previously Mysore) would be as good as any to try for a first visit. Fishing is best in the mornings and evenings, either from the shore or from a local coracle. There are established fishing camps and fishing guides to make a fishing holiday that more convenient.

Up North: The Ramganga and Kosi Rivers

Corbett National Park is situated to the North and East of New Delhi. This wilderness is more famous for its wildlife, especially its tigers, but deserves to be noted for one of Jim Corbett's other passions, fishing.

The Ramganga River is the largest permanent water source in the Jim Corbett National Park and hosts a wide range of wildlife. Anglers will be most interested in the Mahseer and Goonch (a type of catfish ... more about them later.)

The Kosi River forms a section of the Eastern border of the park. It holds its fair share of decent size Mahseer and is well worth checking out if in the vicinity.

The park can be reached quite easily by private car and has lots of comfortable accommodation. Fishing trips are best arranged through an agency as it is necessary to have the correct permits.

To the North-east: The Brahmaputra River

The mighty Brahmaputra should need little introduction. As one of the world's largest rivers, its name and general location should be familiar to most.

The Brahmaputra can be fished along much of its length in India. Mahseer are available in the upper reaches and fast-flowing tributaries. Giant catfish are known to exist but these are only likely to be taken by those with an abundance of patience and skill.

Choosing a section to fish along such a long river is difficult. The section between Gauhati (alternatively Guwahati) and Jorhat is relatively convenient and produces reliable catches. Further north, the section beyond Pasighat is more remote and would suit the truly adventurous angler looking for excitement and a challenge.

To the North-west: The Beas River

The Kullu Valley is a major tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh. The Beas River and its tributaries (particularly the Tirthan River and the Baspa River in the Sangla Valley) contain a variety of trout (more properly, snow trout) that give the game angler an opportunity to practice their sport in gorgeous mountain terrain.

Kullu has an airport which saves a long and sometimes frightening road experience. Travel around is best arranged in private vehicles for convenience. There are good guesthouse options in the area, some specifically catering for anglers. You may need to book well in advance for the more popular ones.

One more, for the Catfish fanatics: The Kali River

The Kali River has become infamous as the home of giant species of catfish that has allegedly taken to eating human flesh. These Goonch grow large enough to believe that they may occasionally take a piece of corpse cast into this holy river after a traditional cremation - but I am still not convinced that they are big enough or even inclined to take live human bait as the one story has it. Whatever the truth of that matter, the Kali River is an exciting venue for the catfish angler after an exotic fishing holiday abroad.