“The angler’s first encounter with the Mahseer is one that he never forgets.  A great wrench on the rod heralds its take, then the ratchet screams on a fast emptying reel – the sensation is electrifying.  Few freshwater fish will set of with such speed, fight for so long and strike both despondency and joy to the heart of the adversary.” ~ Robert Howitt, in Sports Illustrated.

Mahseer is a local word meaning “The Big Mouth”.  They are closely related to the European Carp and the largest member of the carp family.  They are known to be the toughest among the fresh water sport fish … golden armor-plated scales line powerful flanks and bucket-shaped fins provide it with immense power both to hold its position in the fastest of currents and equally to strip line from a reel with unstoppable, finger-burning speed.  Its voracious appetite and sheer strength has given it an almost mythical status, allowing it to obtain weights in excess of 100 pounds.  Even in the colder, faster-flowing rivers of Northern India it will obtain sizes in excess of 50 pounds.  The Mahseer seeks out high oxygenated flowing water with rocky beds.  This fish has a well develop sense of smell, therefore it can detect food from quite a distance.  Its diet mainly includes fish and aquatic arthropods.