Oh Fish!!! Trout Fishing In Tirthan Valley
Being a Bengali, my love for fishes comes naturally to me. But never had I tried fishing before. Frankly, I thought, such patience wasn’t my cup of tea. However the agile Tirthan river and the picturesque locales of Gushiani simply lured me to pick up the fishing rod for the first time and boy, didn’t I just love it!
There are a couple of things to do here by the way and GNHP trek ranks at the top. We had already done that on the second day, so now it was time to try the second most popular thing – Trout fishing.
The Retreat For Rainbow Trouts
Tirthan river in Gushiani is one of the few places in India where rainbow trouts are found in abundance. No wonder it has become the favorite pastime of the travelers here too. Since there wasn’t much to do around, so I thought I might as well give it a try.
Ensure You’ve got Permit
Before you touch that fishing rod, ensure you get the fishing permit from the office of the HP department of fisheries for a fee of INR 100. Fortunately, our guide himself arranged one for us. Getting it yourself, too is no hassle, by the way.
The Ideal Weather
A sunny afternoon is ideal for a fishing expedition. But as luck would have it, it was a bit cloudy that day. But we decided to go ahead as our itinerary for the next day was jam-packed. Our guide was extremely helpful and even had a trick or two up his sleeves which he generously shared. Being beginners it was initially difficult, but gradually we got a hang of it.
The Game of Fishing
What started as a fun, actually became quite competitive between Abhishek and me. After waiting for nearly 10 minutes I could feel something heavy on the rod. I jumped with excitement at my victory. But as I started pulling it, I with much disappointment figured that it was something else. Meanwhile, Abhishek had scored his first and was proudly displaying it. I took 45 minutes more to get even with my opponent. But I was glad, I finally scored one. 
Releasing Our Prisoners
Please note that we released the caught fishes immediately after catching them. We just couldn’t see it quivering and were relieved to let it go while they were still alive. Anyway, it was good to see the competitive spirit that we both displayed.
I would rate my fishing experience 7 out of 10. However I suggest, you go for this only if you abundant time and patience. I lack the latter so it turned out to be quite a task for me. But I am glad I at least tried it.
