REPORT BY CLIENT
Angling Trip report by Paul Abraham:

I was on an angling trip with Tigerland Safaris & Tours, to the "Golden Mahseer" Fishing Camp, at Pancheswar, situated in the Himalayan foothills, at the confluence of the Saryu and Kali rivers, a salvation ground for Mahseer sport fishing and truly a wilderness haven. My trip was more than the mere pursuit of the old warrior, the mighty Mahseer, it was also to try and experience the incidents my father had told me regarding Mahseer fishing. Stories of hooks straightened out by their strong jaws and of races down river, in a vain attempt to prevent the stripping of all his line off the reel.

Immediately on my arrival, I swiftly changed into my fishing gear and taking my trusty spinning tackle, called forth with determination. After I had worked out the kinks from my casting arm, I was rewarded by a Mahseer, who seized my large spinner with a vengeance as soon as it struck the water. In no time the reel was singing, my arm was straining against the pull from the Mahseer, who was whizzing downstream looking for refuge in the rapid and rocks. This gave me time to overcome the initial shock of hooking a big one, and also a respite to my pounding heart. I now concentrated on landing this monster. The usual tricks of playing and tiring the fish were applied with great care and eventually I landed my 56 Lbs Mahaseer, after about an hour of sheer grit and pleasure.

I felt positively in high spirits, and sitting around a camp fire, in the gathering gloom of the oncoming night, a magical hour when the day sounds ebb and the night symphony begins. I rewarded myself and the boys with a liberal dose of spirits of another kind. I slept the sleep of the satiated and awoke with a song in my heart.