Kashmir is the best place for Trout fishing. The brown or Rainbow trout of the Kashmir water is a good fighter like the Salmon. It makes flashing runs, interspersed with repeated leaps from water. Fishing is big business in Kashmir through spring and summer. The British introduced the brown and rainbow trout to the streams of Kashmir, where they have thrived. At the same time they introduced the system of anglers reserving ' beats' on their favorite river. Reservations for beats should be made before one arrives in Kashmir, through an Indian Government Tourist Office or directly to the Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar .
The Fishing Season
The season runs from April to October. Only artificial flies are allowed and each licence entitles the angler to keep six fish a day, none being shorter than 7.5 cm. Beats may be reserved for a day or a week at a time in one of the three basic types of streams. Larger rivers like Sindh or Liddar are full with snow, melting from May to July, with an occasional pool under boulders. Spinning is allowed here, but the wet fly and weighted cast tests the skill of the angler and will produce good results. In April, August and September these rivers are quieter, and the bigger fish are said to lie in the stiller waters. Tributaries and water channels near these mainstream beats provide another type of fishing throughout the season. These are the smaller streams where only flies are allowed, with wet fly fishing good all season. The third type are the small spring fed streams and high altitude lakes suitable for both dry and wet fly tackle.
If you are more adventurous, you can fish in one of many high altitude lakes(14,000 ft.a bove sea level) which are reached by a trek. One trek in particular starts from Sonamrg and goes on to Vishansar,Kishansar, Satsar, Gadsar and Gangabal all alpine lakes. The trek alone takes eight days-you will need a tent, waterproof coat, ground sheet, trekking boots and provisions for as many days as you intend to trek as no food is available on the way. But you will be rewarded by the spectacularly lovely lakes, each with their own character cradled by snow clad mountains. When their surface is frozen over during the winter, the fish (mainly brown trout) keep close to the bottom of the lake, rising nearer the surface as the ice melts. In these lakes, the use of spoons and spinners is allowed. The trekking season is from July to October while the fishing season extends from March to October. At the Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar is the fishing counter. Information on equipment, location of beats, transport and nearby accommodation can be had here.
Jammu and Kashmir are often referred to with the acronym, J&K. Its location is in the Himalayan Mountains, and the state shares its borders with states such as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir share an international border with China in the north-eastern frontier, and the Line Of Control separates it from Pakistan. Some of the best things to do in Jammu & Kashmir would definitely be to boat on the Dal Lake, take a biking tour to engage some marvellous treks across J&K. Above the elevation of the tree line, is found, meadows and northwestern alpine shrub of the Himalayas. The northeastern part of the state has a covering of the West Karakoram Plateau of Tibet's Alpine Steppe. Simply rock and ice, but no vegetation is found in the highest of the elevations. Amongst the best things to do in Jammu & Kashmir, we would definitely say the top one would be to nature-gaze at the valleys of Kashmir, for the amount of beauty it offers to the eye!