Freshwater

Deccan mahseer (Khudree mahseer)

Mahseer del Decán (mahseer khudree)

Tor khudree

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

2–10 lb.

Depth

3–20 ft in pools and runs.

Best time

Early morning and late afternoon.

Found in

1 area

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A thick-bodied mahseer with large silver-bronze to dark gray-blue scales, thick lips, two pairs of barbels and grayish fins. Less golden than the golden mahseer. Easily confused with the rare hump-backed mahseer, which has an orange tail and a hump behind the head.
Typical size: 2–10 lb.
Maximum size: About 33 in (83 cm) fork length in modern records; historic reports of fish over 3 ft and close to 100 lb are old and partly mixed up with other mahseer species.
Diet: Algae, plants, fruit, insects, crabs, snails and small fish.
Behavior: Lives in fast rocky rivers and reservoirs, moving to small streams to spawn in the monsoon. Hatchery-raised fish have been stocked widely in India.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan. Rivers of peninsular India: the Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery systems and other Western Ghats rivers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, plus reservoirs; stocked in other states.
Habitat: Rivers of peninsular India: the Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery systems and other Western Ghats rivers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, plus reservoirs; stocked in other states.
Depth: 3–20 ft in pools and runs.
Fishing depth: Pool heads, rocky runs and below rapids.
Best season: After the monsoon and in the dry season, about October to April.
Best time: Early morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: No tide — clear, falling water after the monsoon is best.
Best weather / conditions: Settled dry-season weather.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Ragi (millet) paste balls and atta dough are the traditional baits where bait is allowed.
Best artificial lures: Spoons, spinners, small crankbaits and nymph or streamer flies.
Tackle setup: Medium-heavy 8–9 ft spinning rod or a 7–8 weight fly rod.
Hook size: Barbless single hooks.
Line: 20–30 lb braid.
Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Rivers of peninsular India: the Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery systems and other Western Ghats rivers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, plus reservoirs; stocked in other states.
Rig up: Medium-heavy 8–9 ft spinning rod or a 7–8 weight fly rod. 20–30 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Ragi (millet) paste balls and atta dough are the traditional baits where bait is allowed. Lures: Spoons, spinners, small crankbaits and nymph or streamer flies.
Fish it: Cast spoons into pool heads and rocky runs, or fish a ball of ragi paste on the bottom where it's allowed; keep the fish out of the rocks.
Time it: Early morning and late afternoon. No tide — clear, falling water after the monsoon is best.

Fishing techniques: Cast spoons into pool heads and rocky runs, or fish a ball of ragi paste on the bottom where it's allowed; keep the fish out of the rocks.
BigJoe's tip: If your fish has an orange tail and a hump on the back, it may be the critically endangered hump-backed mahseer — photograph it fast and release it.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Slippery rocks and fast water; elephants and crocodiles (mugger) live along some rivers — follow your guide's rules.
Regulations: Fishing is by state permit, and many stretches are inside wildlife sanctuaries or temple fish sanctuaries where fishing is banned. Angling camps run catch-and-release with barbless hooks. In India, river fishing rules are set by each state, and many mahseer rivers are run by forest departments, angling associations or camps that sell permits and require catch-and-release; Nepal, Pakistan and Bhutan have their own permit systems.
Conservation: Wild mahseer runs are in trouble from dams, sand mining and illegal fishing. Release them.

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Sources & photo credits