The Indian water system hosts a wide variety of fish. Some of the favorite fishing pray are the Mahseer, the Giant Catfish, trout, and shark. The Mahseer's is claimed to be the hardest fighting freshwater fish in the world. India is the only place where the Mahseer ever bred, and is home to all four of its varieties: the Golden; the Silver; the Silver Gray and the Black Mahseers. It can grow to over 100lb in weight. Two varieties of trout exist in India: the rainbow trout and the brown trout. Sharks can be fished in the rivers and seacoasts of of India.
Kashmir is the undisputed paradise for the angler. Here the rivers are snow-fed and full of water throughout the year. The clear waters of these raging rivers and their tributaries offer excellent angling and fishing spots and the scenery among the magnificent mountains is supreme. There are also several fresh water lakes, which provide brilliant spots for fishing and angling. Dodital Lake surrounded by the Himalayan peaks is a fine place for a catch. In South India, the Cauvery Fishing Lodge near Mysore is noted for Mahseer. The hill stations of Munnar are perfect places for fishing in the gurgling streams of Kerala.
The waters around the Andeman Islands in the Bay of Bengal is a great place for big game sports fishing. Black Marlin can be caught close to the islands, further out in deeper water big Blue Marlins and Sailfish are caught. The 1000-2000 meter drop offs on the east and west coasts of the islands offer world class Marlin action, Wahoo, Narrow Barred Spanish Mackerel, Giant Trevally, Grouper, Dogtooth and Yellowfin tuna.
Fishing in India is possible through out the year. This is because of the different climatic conditions in diverse regions of the country. The best time for fishing in the Himalayas is from October to November and from April to June. The best season to go fishing in South India is from April to September. It is important to know about the breeding seasons of different varieties of fishes because fishing is not allowed during the breeding season. Also note that fishing and angling in India go hand in hand with conservation, and after having caught you fish, shot your photos and record its weight before you release it into the water again.
In India fishing permits are mandatory before you start your fishing adventure. It is advisable to contact the tourism and fisheries department of the state in which you intend to go fishing to learn about fishing permits. Sometimes licenses are issued for only a specific stretch of the river and restrictions are placed on the number of fishes that can be caught and released in the water.
