Sport fishing in India serves as a major recreational activity for millions, contributing to tourism and local economies. Key game fish species include mahaseers, trouts, and various catfishes, found in fresh and estuarine waters, with distinct characteristics used for classification. Prime fishing locations include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Kashmir, with the mahseer being noted as one of the largest and most challenging freshwater species to catch.

1. Sonali Ghosal
Sport Fishes in India

2. Sport Fisheries
 Sport fishing is a source of recreation to millions of people from India and
abroad and it deserves the status of family recreation.
 The recreation is an important element of enjoyment and satisfaction derived
from the sport fishing.
 Most of the well known food fishes are also some of the best known game
fishes.
 The true definition of a game fish or a sport fish is that any fish caught or
angled on rod and line putting up some fight and not thrown back in disgust by
the angler or sports man.
 Apart from this, the classifications of fish deal with small and big game fisher
generally weighing over 50 Kgs.
 Trout’s, snow trout’s and Mahaseers, goonch etc. placed under big game fish
category. In addition, there are different kinds of methods within the sport
fishing or angling.

3. Principal Game fishes
 The sporting fish includes Mahaseers, trouts and large catfishes etc.
 The game fish inhabits both fresh and soft waters include small and
large species.
 The brief description of each of the principal game fishes of India
exhibits its natural habitat in detailed.
 Various characters used to distinguish each species from one another
include body shape, nature and characteristics of fins, morph metric
measurements and natural coloration.
 Based on their occurrence and ecosystem, the game fishes classified
into two groups, such as
(a) Fresh water game fishes
(b) Estuarine and sea game fishes.

4. • The fresh water game fishes listed as follows, Notopterus chitala,
Chela argentea, Raimas bola, Tor Chillinoides, Tor putitora, Tor tor,
T. khudree, Acrossocheilus hexagonolepis, Schizothoraichthys
esocinus, Schizothorax planifrons, Catta catla, Labeo calbasu,
Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala, Wallago attu, Clupisoma garua,
Silonia silondia, Pangasius pangasius, Eutropiichthys vcha, Mystus
seenghala, Bagarius bagarius, Channa striatus, Channa marulius,
Anguilla bengalensis and Mastacembelus armatus etc.
• Eustuarine and Sea game fishes have the following species,
Megalops cyprinoides Lates calcarifer, Eleutheronema
tetradactylus, Lutjanus argentimaculata, Scomberomorus
commersoni, S. guttatus, Sparus berda and Sparus datnia etc.

5. Sport Fishing and Tourism
• India, one of the many countries of the world, earns considerable foreign
exchange through tourism including fishing.
• Among the carps of the India, several of which give (Mahaseer, trout etc.)
good sport. It is a source of recreation of millions of tourists.
• Angling has already become a source of family recreation of people of all
ages, and social economic strata of the society in different countries.
• Besides the other elements of importance in sport fishing is natural
environment, water quality, natural beauty, privacy etc. increasing numbers
of people to go fishing.
• Apart from this holding of community activity like seminars, fishing
competition and educational camps, encouraging people involved in
conservation methods by granting awards for successful performance, and
promoting national and international tourism through sport fishing.

6. Some good places where you can go for sport fishing--
• Himachal Pradesh -. Kulu, Manali
• Uttar Pradesh - Dodital Lake nestled among the snow-clad peaks in the
Uttarkashi Himalayas is a fresh water lake and a tempting trout pool, where
you can get a good catch, during all seasons.
• South India - The best season to go trout-fishing in the south of India is
from April to September. Accommodation is available at the forests
bungalows.
• Kashmir- with its network of rivers, streams and high altitude lakes. The
best time for fishing here are early mornings and late evenings.
Mahseer (Barbus Tor) fishing:-
 The Barbus Tor, popularly called the Mahseer or the Tiger of the Indian
Rivers, is one of the largest freshwater fish and one of the greatest fighting
fish in the world.
 It is natural to Indian lakes and streams and can attain sizes upto 5.5 ft and
weigh over 50 kgs.
 Mahseer is generally found in the rivers of the Terai regions of the
Himalayas, the Shivalik Hills in the north, and the river Kaveri in the south,
where it has been fished for successfully with rod and line.

7. The Mahseer is found where the river speeds through narrow gorges and
spills out over a rocky river bed. The larger fish are found above large rapids
and in the pools below the falls.
Trout fishing:-
 Unlike the Mahseer, the Trout is not indigenous to Indian waters. The Snow
Trout is however fond in all high altitude streams and lakes.
 It was introduced into various predetermined lakes and river in various
parts of the country. Trout hatcheries are in operatron in the Kashmir valley,
Kulu valley.
 Agoda near Uttrakashi and Avalanche in the Nilgiris. The Snow Trout is
however, touch in all high altitude streams and lakes.
Sea fishing:-
 Sea fishing as a sport has not bet been well developed in India.
 But there is a good variety of game fish off the coasts of India like
Baracuda, Mullet, Perch, Tuna, Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sail Fish and Sear.
 So the enterprising angler can put together a rewarding and memorable trip
in some very exotic regions of India.

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