Harsh Rana wrote to tell us a little about fly fishing in the Himalayas for trout. It looks mouthwatering and must rank as one of those trip of a lifetime destinations.
Himalayan streams and rivers in India offer opportunities to target wild brown trout. Besides angling, the valleys along the Himalayan mountain range offer opportunities for observing rustic culture, wildlife and nature hikes.
From personal experience, our brown trout are best targeted with a 4wt 8’6 fly rod. Due to the high gradient of our trout rivers, we’ve had the most success using wet flies and streamers.
Obviously, when the fish are rising or feeding just below the surface, we use dry flies and nymph setups (with indicators). We use 8lb test as tippet.
During extreme summers, the snow melt kicks in, leading to high water levels so using a sink tip on our fly lines helps us present the fly to the fish’s level, besides making it easier to contend with surface currents.
Presentation and casting at the appropriate spot, depth and mending the line is a challenge on Himalayan streams but if you consider all these aspects, Himalayan trout will definitely reward you with a strike.
