Angling

Sport fishing for legendary fish like Golden Mahseer and Goonch (a giant catfish) found in the Himalayan rivers is an experience which has for years drawn enthusiasts from around the world to Vanghat, and our pioneering profit-sharing Mahseer conservation programme has seen the waters by the lodge once again the domain to the numerous and sizeable fish stock that made the area revered in the time of the Raj. With expert and experienced guides, we can cater to seasoned anglers as well as beginners on what is held as one of the finest Mahseer beats anywhere, with numerous runs of promising fishing spots in stunning surroundings.

The Upper Ramganga, i.e. the area above Kalagarh Dam in Corbett Tiger Reserve, and the massive Ramganga reservoir into which it flows in the northeastern corner of Jim Corbett National Park, is a vital fish habitat. From here the Ramganga is a typical Himalayan river with deep pools that allow large fish to stay year-round.

  • Jim Corbett, the pioneer and later namesake of our neighbouring and India's oldest national park, was born nearby at the picturesque hill station of Naini Tal, spending most of his life in the wilderness of the area, much of it catching fish. In a chapter entitled 'The Fish of my Dreams' from his most famous work, Man-Eaters of Kumaon, he reflects on the joys of fishing for Golden Mahseer in the region and most aptly describes the stretch of Ramganga River upon which we are situated thusly, "I had no means of weighing the fish and at a rough guess both the men and I put and it at 50 lb. The weight of the fish is immaterial, for weights are soon forgotten. Not so forgotten are the surroundings in which the sport is indulged in. The steel blue of the fern-fringed pool where the water rests a little before cascading over rock and shingle to draw breath again in another pool more beautiful than the one just left - the flash of the gaily coloured kingfisher as he breaks the surface of the water, shedding a shower of diamonds from his wings as he rises with a chirp of delight, a silver minnow held firmly in his vermilion bill- the belling of the sambar and the clear tuneful call of the chital apprising the jungle folk that the tiger, whose pug marks show wet on the sand where a few minutes before he crossed the river, is out in search of his dinner. These are things that will not be forgotten and will live in my memory, the lodestone to draw me back to that beautiful valley, as yet unspoiled by the hand of man.”

We are also happy to help plan and book multi-day fishing excursions and expeditions farther afield in Uttarakhand and the Himalayas.

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