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Experience the BEST of Golden Mahseer fly fishing with Misty Dhillon and Matt Harris on a 12-day fly fishing adventure to northern India’s border with Nepal.
This adventure features:
Anglers must understand that Golden Mahseer fishing can be notoriously finicky and elusive, which makes casting ability essential in connecting to these legendary river fish. It can sometimes be challenging finding the sweet spot of the swing, so Misty will begin working with you before you depart. The Golden Mahseer fishery is not for the faint of heart. Misty will also provide detailed information on gear, flies, conditions, cultural practices, behaviors, and beliefs. Those embarking on this journey will be well prepared and in the best hands.
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Duration: 12 Days
Day 1: Arrival & Grounding: Arrive at New Delhi International Airport (DEL) and head off to immigrations and customs after getting your baggage. You will be met by our representative as you exit the airport before being chauffeured to the JB Marriott hotel which is also included in the price of the journey (B&B plan).
Arrive and settle in. Be sure to have your passports accessible as they will require them for check-in at the JB Marriott.
*India’s regulations prohibit you from carrying or using a satellite phone, personal radio communication devices (even low-frequency ones), night vision and drones.
Day 2: Welcome to the Himalayas! We will board our flight to Pantnagar (PGH), Kumaon (3hrs) at 1245 hrs. Your domestic flight check-in will begin an hour before.
Upon arrival, we will be met by our team on the ground and driven (3 hrs) to a lodge en-route to the river called, Te Aroha Dhanachuli (7,000ft roughly).
Enjoy a late but authentic Indian lunch/early dinner that includes garlic Naan, chicken tikka masala, chicken tikka fresh off the tandoori oven, palak paneer, freshly prepared authentic delicacies, served with a backdrop of the Himalayas (weather dependant).
Day 3 – Drive to the river: Journey to Pancheshwar after breakfast. Follow Kumaon’s hilly back-roads after breakfast and arrive at camp by late afternoon.
There is a chance is seeing Himalayan vistas all along this drive, weather dependant. Bird watching can also be especially good, early in the mornings, with a chance of spotting a leopard around every corner, even though it is rare during the daytime, as leopards of the region are highly nocturnal. Being around roadkill and stalking monkeys isn’t uncommon leopard behavior.
Day 4: Enjoy a day’s fishing in the Pancheshwar area before floating down into quieter, less pressured waters.
Pancheshwar is located on the borders of India and Nepal. It is also marked by the confluence of the Saryu and Mahakali rivers that is home to some of northern India’s best Golden Mahseer waters.
However, as Pancehshwar is one of the few road access points, these waters can get a bit pressured. Therefore, we keep our Golden Mahseer fishing program flexible, but also mobile to cover less pressured waters with the help of mobile camps that are carried by rafts and catarafts, rowed by a team of some of India’s most seasoned river rafting guides.
Day 5-9: Enjoy Golden Mahseer fishing with your expert guides.
Expect it to be hot in April and even May. Though temperatures drop, making it much cooler in the evenings and at night.
End each day with a refreshing hot bucket bath and a fire (weather permitting).
There are chances of seeing barking deer, langur, leopard, mountain goat, rhesus macaque, yellow-throated martens, reptiles, and diverse birdlife.
Day 10: Your day will start early paddling through the final stretches of the Mahakali as it leaves the Himalayan foothills.
Say goodbye to your river team and embark on a four(4) hour drive to the train station to board your train back to New Delhi.
This train will be arriving at New Delhi train station at 10 pm from where you will be chauffeured to the Oberoi, New Delhi.
Day 11: After a Covid test first thing this morning, visit south Delhi’s significant historic sights from the Mughal as well as Colonial era.
Starting about 9 am, we’ll head over to the Humayun’s Tomb that is closest to the Oberoi New Delhi and located in a relatively quieter part of south Delhi.
After an authentic Indian lunch, we also visit the India Gate and the presidential palace and end our day at Delhi Haat, or the other way around to purchase local artisans from the craftsmen themselves.
Day 12: The journey home. Check-out time at the Oberoi is 11 am.
The drive to the New Delhi airport can take as much as an hour, and sometimes even more depending on traffic conditions.
Misty Dhillon is a passionate angler who has spent over 20 years pursuing Golden Mahseer, training local youth with little or no education background to become fly fishing guides to be stewards of their own Golden Mahseer waters. In addition, Misty became India’s first certified FFI casting instructor back in 2011 and has spent many years fishing and guiding on the Saryu and Mahakali rivers in northern India.
Also, check-out some other options, especially Golden Mahseer fishing in Bhutan.
Golden Mahseer is the iconic carp/barbell that is native to the Himalayas. Furthermore, they are a bioindicator species, and just like the Bengal Tiger, they are also facing extinction due to habitat loss as a result of dams, river diversions, canals, and few fish ladders. Anglers around the globe are worried about the future of Golden Mahseer, but local participation and community initiatives, such as catch and release angling are bringing awareness among locals thanks to the internet and social media. We are hopeful that initiatives of organizations such as the Mahseer Trust, local forest departments, dedicated but overworked fisheries officers, local guides, and local, owner-run small business lodges, camps will continue to do the amazing work they were before the pandemic to ensure a further for these iconic fish.
Someone recently asked, what my top 3 Himalayan Mahseer fly fishing rivers are, and why?
A great question that inspired me to write and share some of my personal experiences while fly fishing for Mahseer.
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