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| Byas Ghat Report October 2005: We arrived at Byas Ghat on the 2nd of October 2005. Just a few days prior to our arrival at Byas Ghat the river was a raging torrent, with both the Nayar River and the Ganges River flooded, due to the extensive rains all over the North Indian state of Uttaranchal. The conditions slowly improved over the next few days as the rains stopped finally and the weather forecast eliminated the possibilities of rainfall though the region. On our arrival the Nayar was a mouth watering, huge almost crystal clear river. Any angler witnessing it for the first time would probably head for a couple of casts first to the Nayar and then to the Ganges - though seldom is the Nayar more productive than the Ganges for, however fine it may look. As is well recorded the great historical "Black Rock" beat on the Ganges is a killer spot. No one had any action on the second and the third of October. 4th of October 2005: James and Phil left today, and soon after breakfast I was into a large fish some 300 yards below the confluence, and it had hit a jointed lure. I had finally switched to spinning tackle after fly-fishing for the past two days. As usual I had a four-foot piece of 20 lb breaking strain Trilene Big Game mono, which I was using as a leader in front of my Power Pro Braid. Bad news! After a fifteen second helpless brawl with the fish and during the very first rush the line snapped with a loud crack and I fell back on the gravel bank behind me. Very upset with myself as I felt that had exerted far too much pressure in the presence of heavy structural elements in the area the fish was hooked and misused my 4 lb test curve rod. I went back to the camp for a cigar and a coffee break and soon returned with Pralad, one of our fishing guides, to the water. I had two more touches before the sun tore into my back and I finally decided to call it a morning. The fish that broke my line was clearly large, as it tailed before taking off down river. I estimated this fish to be some thirty plus pounds. My friend Peter joined me later in the day. He reached Byas Ghat well in time for the evening fishing session. Surendra, another of our fishing guides, made his way back to camp, after dropping James and Phil at Satpulli. I had another good take, which seemed sizeable when it ran, though was only an 8 lber. I had nothing else that evening. Fishing in these torrential rivers of the Himalayas, often gives you sense of what you are fishing for, the very terrain makes the fishing far more challenging. The figures are not important as sometimes even the so-called small fish, fight with such verve, exploiting the slightest neglect on the tackle front, holding very well in the current for as long as they can. 6th of October 2005: Today I had a Byas Ghat fantasy come true! Like back in time, Brigadier Pinto's accounts and the others I have come across in the past few years. During the morning fishing session, which started at 0600 hrs, we went blank. At 0930 hrs Surendra and I returned to camp for breakfast while Peter and Pralad decided to run up the Nayar, fancying their chances, as Peter was told that Phil had his 20 lb fish from the Nayar a few days back. Surendra and I made our way down to Black Rock at 1015 hrs, and, from above black Rock some fifteen casts later, I had a 16 pounder on a Red Head plug, I started casting immediately after we tied her. Exactly on the fifth cast I had another fish. This fish came clean out of the water and somersaulted falling back in, headfirst, something I have seldom experienced in Mahseer fishing. Very exciting indeed! As soon as the fish landed back I was almost spooled. We had the fish out and beached in some twenty minutes. Both these fish were had from the same spot. I decided to give this spot a rest and go down to the historical spot below Black Rock from where Paul Boot had his 52 pounder as mentioned in John Bailey's book "Casting for Gold". Some ten casts later I had another fish, seemed big, though it did not show itself at all. The fish took off towards the rapid and after a tremendous fight, I managed to stop it just before it could reach the rapid. We knew it was large! Was I close to the Byas Ghat record? I would find out very soon. We had her out in some twenty-five minutes; she had taken the large Mullet plug entirely in her mouth. As Surendra brought her out of the water I was most excited. She was very beautiful, a fine thick-lipped specimen while clearly looked monstrous. I did not have a problem getting the hook out, which I was originally most concerned about. We tied her up and I did not bother to cast more, it was 1145hrs. All of this was done in one and a half hours. My estimate was of fifty pounds - Surendra said forty-five! We would soon find out once the weighing gear was brought from camp. We decided to weigh the fish after lunch, and then it was postponed to the evening, allowing the fish to recover from the shock. My adrenalin was high and I smoked two Cigars, one after another. "This is Mahseer fishing", I said to Surendra.
The entire village of Bagi gathered as we started to weigh our catch. The first to be weighed was my big fish - a cradle and a scale were produced and the cradle mounted on an oar shaft from one of our rafts. As Surendra and Pralad lifted the shaft from either side it made a perfect balance. The final figures were as follows: my big fish which was rather over estimated by me, weighed in 42 lbs, was the first to be released back. The others followed, my 22 and 16 pounders were the next to go in and then finally Peter's at 23 lbs. As we walked back to camp after releasing all the fish back, Peter decided to chuck in a few more casts. Surendra, Pralad, the villagers and myself started walking back to camp when suddenly we heard a loud splash on the water. On turning back we saw Peter's rod bent double, which slackened moments later. On retrieving the plug he found one of the 4x treble hooks to be straightened. It was most certainly a good double figure fish Peter had on. He gave it a few more casts and retired. 7th of October 2005: Peter left rather early today, and presented me a beautiful "House of Hardy's" rod, which he had inaugurated with the 23 lber the previous day. This was a beautiful Salmon 10 foot-casting rod, so I decided to give it a go by mounting a 7000c multiplier on it with some 300 yards of 20 lb Berkley Trilene big game on it. It was a traditional Salmon fishing combination, with which I enjoyed casting very much as it was quite well balanced. I started fishing at 0930 hrs and hooked a fish from the same spot I took the 22 and the 16 the previous day. This took me some forty five minutes land this fish and I had to follow it downriver as it had pealed off all 300 plus yards of 20 lb mono on the 7000c. I finally brought it in at the same historical spot below Black Rock. She was weighed, in the presence of another huge audience from the village Bagi, at 34 lbs. The fish was released soon after. I had had enough, the raft was rigged and I was due to carry on down river to Kaudial to go on to Delhi to pick up some guests. I had my fill and my fair share of double figure fish this season and now it was the turn of our guests to try their luck!
As he stared hauling this fish in by grabbing the spool from either thumb to stop it giving line, I went in to help land the fish and realized that the fish was hooked under the mouth. Over the course of the battle the line had received a fair bit of beating, and it finally gave way when the fish was just about to be beached. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Bob, so close yet so far. My estimations of this fish were of well over thirty pounds. The next couple of days were great, with a couple more double figure fish that were landed by Rick and Stu - and mysterious monsters that got away! Misty Dhillon |
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James
Moorehouse, along with Phil, had been fishing there since the 20th of
September. The first two days for them were good, but the heavy rainfall
had spoilt almost every thing after that, as the river rose to a level
it seldom reaches. With the exception of a 16 and a 20 pounder the talented,
and much experienced, duo could not do much because of the odds being
completely against them. 
5th
of October 2005: A blank day, cast after cast, back breaking
stuff, my 4 lb test curve 12 foot Mahseer rod gave me a back ache.
Peter
returned from the Nayar for lunch and was overwhelmed to learn of the
morning's events. This evening I placed Peter opposite black rock, while
I fly fished. Soon enough Peter was into a good fish, which took him
some thirty minutes to bring in - this was a lovely 23 lb fish. 
13th
October 2005: We, along with our guests, reached Byas Ghat,
by raft, at 1300hrs. The Ganges was fairly high and it took us an hour
or so we reach Byas Ghat by raft from Devprayag. As we arrived at Byas
Ghat everyone was eager to start casting. Bob Roberts, one of our guests
from UK, was soon into a large fish. As the fish did not surface or
show itself everyone was guessing as to how large it was. The battle
went on for an hour and forty-five minutes! Bob's experience of fishing
throughout the world but he'd never fought any fish that hard and for
that long! In the course of the battle, the 7000c multiplier he was
using started giving problems, now Bob was left fighting the tackle
as well as the fish!