Cauvery and Coorg form a terrific combination; together they offer a lot to experience…

Unique Forest Flowers at Coorg

For one, the river Cauvery herself originates here at Coorg – offering a glorious site for the religious. For the adventure lovers, it offers an opportunity for white water rafting in the river. And for those who love fishing, Coorg has just the place – Valnoor! The fishing camp at Valnoor draws people from all over the country. Did you know that Valnoor is among the most beautiful angling sites in Karnataka?

Reflections at the Valnoor Fishing Camp

Valnoor is located on the backwaters of the Cauvery. As I entered this area, I could feel the spellbinding calmness. Even a careless leap of a fish in the water, or the drop of a dried fruit from the trees could be heard. Pin drop silence is what this place fosters. Over the years, Valnoor has cast a sort of spell both on anglers and those who want to test their fishing skills. Ever thought of catching the famous Mahseer on your fishing hook?

I for one was apprehensive about it and did not try fishing. Instead, I fished out some information about other salient things I observed standing there. Intrigued by the name Mahseer (a.k.a. Golden Mahseer), I made a note and came back to read about it. The facts were rather interesting; the Mahseer is known to be among the largest freshwater game fish as well as one of the most stubborn and aggressive fish in the world. ‘Stubborn?’ – How do they discover that?

Valnoor is home to various species of fish. These include Mahseers, Marals and Mapps. However, Mahseers and Marals are considered to be prized catches, though found in abundance. Many organizations conduct Mahseer fishing and Eco tours to the river Cauvery, Valnoor being the starting point. These tours are designed for serious anglers who want to explore all the legendary fishing spots for the Mahseer along the Cauvery. The fishing begins at the picturesque Valnoor fishing camp, before moving downstream to Doddamakali, Bheemeshwari, and finally to Galibore. Did you know that the Mahseer is considered the ‘Tiger’ of Indian rivers?

The Valnoor fishing camp facilitates a regular fishing license from the Coorg Wildlife Society for those who are serious about fishing. It is better to have permission from the authorities and your own fishing equipment when you plan to visit Valnoor (the best season being from October to May). And did you know that mornings are the ideal time to sight some fish in action?

Hema Narayanan

Hema is an avid Photographer, a Travel Writer and a Technology Consultant in Bangalore. Her images and articles are published in leading Indian Dailies and Travel magazines. Widely traveled across the world, she has photographed many genres. Her photography and experiential workshops in the city are popular. One of her pictures recently bagged a position on the Canon Calendar, 2010-11. Visit her website at: http://www.hemanarayanan.com / http://www.flickr.com/photos/elzi

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 1:18 PM and is filed under Environment, Flora, Nature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.