Indian Himalayas · Kumaon, Uttarakhand
Fly Fishing the Himalayas
Cast to wild golden mahseer where the Saryu meets the Mahakali at Pancheshwar, with every detail on the ground handled from your Delhi arrival to your riverside camp. A ten-day guided expedition run by a team fishing this confluence since 2004.
◷ 10 days / 6 fishing days ⚲ Delhi → Pancheshwar ✦ Guided · max 6 anglers
- Strict catch & release
- Local experts fishing here since 2004
- All-inclusive on the ground
- We reply within 24 hours
Is this expedition right for me?
What's included
Expert local guides
All permits & licences
Domestic flights & transfers
Riverside jungle camp
All meals in camp
The fishing
Fishing style
Fly, spinning & bait, catch & release
Species
Golden mahseer & goonch
Venue style
Fast glacier-fed rivers, wade & bank
The experience
A wild river deep in the Kumaon Himalaya
Rudyard Kipling called the mahseer the angler’s rite of passage, beside whom the tarpon is a herring. Little has changed at Pancheshwar since. You fish glacier-fed water flanked by jungle-covered mountains, then return to bonfire evenings under a sky thick with stars, meals cooked fresh by camp chefs, and a way of life that has carried on unchanged for centuries.
- You want to catch one of the world’s great freshwater gamefish on the fly
- You like reading fast water and swinging flies for a hard-fighting fish
- You want a genuine wilderness river, not a managed fishery
- You enjoy the culture and wildlife as much as the fishing
- You’d rather everything on the ground was arranged: permits, transport, camp, meals and guiding
- You want a comfortable safari-style camp, but you’re happy being remote for the week
Why anglers choose the Himalayas: a wild, glacier-fed river system, a genuine shot at a mahseer over 10lb, and a camp team who have run this water since 2004. Max six rods per trip.
Availability
Dates, prices & what you get
- 10 days, hosted from Delhi
- 6 full guided fishing days
- All meals, camp and transfers on the ground
- Domestic flights and all permits included
From
$5,395
per angler · 10 days · all-inclusive on the ground (double occupancy)
15–24 Nov 2026
Only 2026 departure
2027 season
On request
A 20% deposit secures your dates
Prices in USD, GBP & EUR available
THE FISHING
Swing flies for hard-fighting golden mahseer
The golden mahseer is one of the most celebrated freshwater gamefish on earth: large golden scales that flash in the current, and raw, explosive power. You fish for them much as you would for salmon, working sculpin and minnow patterns on a double-handed rod, swinging through the runs and letting the fly hang in the seams.
The fishing is visual and physical. A mahseer will follow a fly out of the depths and crush it, or take a popper off the surface on a floating line and tear line from the reel. Fish into double figures come regularly, and larger ones are always possible. Spinning and bait are also on the table, and every fish goes back.
More than the home pools
Float the Saryu and Mahakali
Beyond the water you can reach on foot, a multi-day float trip opens up both the Saryu and the Mahakali. Drifting the rivers by raft, you fish remote stretches that bank-based anglers never touch, covering far more water and casting to fresh, unpressured mahseer.
It is the most adventurous way to fish Pancheshwar, moving with the river and waking each day somewhere new. Your guides read the flow and put you on the pools, seams and runs that hold the best fish along the way.
The water
The Saryu and Mahakali at Pancheshwar
Pancheshwar is a remote village in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, where the Saryu River meets the mighty Mahakali. This confluence has drawn anglers from around the world for decades, and it remains the most prized mahseer water in the Indian Himalaya.
The Saryu is where you’ll do most of your fly fishing: fast, clear, glacier-fed water running through a valley walled by jungle-covered mountains, holding mahseer into double figures. A mile and a half downriver, the confluence itself is the trophy water, reached on foot across a suspension bridge past an ancient temple.
Where you'll stay
Safari-style camp on the banks of the Saryu
On the river you’ll stay in a comfortable safari-style tented camp set right on the bank of the Saryu at around 600 metres, deep in the Kumaon hills. Proper beds, hot meals and the water only a few steps away, with camp staff and chefs looking after everything.
At each end of the trip you’ll spend a night at the Roseate House hotel in Delhi, five minutes from the airport, so you arrive and leave rested. An upgrade to The Imperial is available on request.
The table
Multi-cuisine camp meals under the stars
After a full day on the river you’ll come back to camp to warm up, relax and share the day’s fishing over a generous meal by the fire.
Camp chefs prepare an elaborate spread each day, a mix of Indian dishes and familiar Western favourites, with breakfast before you head out and lunch on the water. Bonfire evenings and BBQ dinners on the riverside are part of the rhythm here.
Full board is included throughout the fishing programme. Tell us about any allergies or dietary needs in advance and we’ll confirm what can be arranged.
The experience
The trip of a lifetime for serious mahseer anglers
Talk to a real person
Check availability for the Himalayas 2026
Tell us your preferred dates and group size and we’ll come back with current availability and a tailored quote. No obligation, and a real person will reply, not a booking desk.
Just six rods per trip
✉ flyrunfishingholidays@gmail.com
A day on the trip
How the trip runs
This is the planned 10-day itinerary, door to door, with 6 full guided fishing days. Every day is flexible: your head guide plans it around river conditions, weather and what you want most from the trip.
Day
1
Arrive in Delhi
Arrive at New Delhi International Airport and transfer to the Roseate House hotel, five minutes from the terminal. International flights are booked separately.
Day
2
Journey into the Himalayas
An early domestic flight to Pantnagar, or an AC executive-class train to Rudrapur, then a scenic drive of around five and a half hours up into the Kumaon hills to the riverside camp at Pancheshwar.
Day
3
First day on the water
Meet your dedicated fishing guide, sort tackle to suit the conditions, and fish a full day on the Saryu. Back to camp for a bonfire and dinner under the stars.
Days
4–8
Five days on the Saryu and the confluence
Full guided days fishing different stretches of the Saryu and the prized Mahakali confluence, with your guide choosing the best water each day. Optional bird walks, a village school visit, temple crossings and a farewell riverside BBQ along the way.
Day
9
Return to Delhi
Drive back to Pantnagar for the afternoon flight to Delhi, arriving around 4pm, and transfer to the Roseate House hotel.
Day
10
Departure
Check out and transfer to the airport for your international flight home.
Everything covered
What's included
In the price
- Domestic flights, Delhi to Pantnagar (or train)
- All ground transfers and Delhi airport pickups
- 2 nights hotel in Delhi (Roseate House)
- 6 nights riverside safari camp with all meals
- Full board during the fishing programme
- Expert local guides with 20+ years’ experience
- 6 full guided fishing days and all fishing permits
Not included
- International flights to Delhi
- Indian e-Visa
- Flies and lures
- Drinks, tips and personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Optional helicopter add-on
- Single occupancy supplement and companion excursions
Dates & availability
Himalayas 2026 · limited availability
One confirmed departure remains for 2026, taking a maximum of six rods. Further dates open across the 2027 season on request.
15–24 Nov 2026
Post-monsoon · prime fishing · from $5,395 pp
2027 season
Spring and autumn windows · dates on request
Custom dates
Private groups, max 6 rods · enquire for rates
Everything handled for you
The logistics, sorted
Book your international flights to Delhi and we handle the rest: domestic flights, transfers, permits, camp, guiding and meals. Just turn up and fish.
01
Fly to Delhi
You fly into New Delhi International Airport, where you’re met and transferred to your hotel. From there it’s a short domestic flight to Pantnagar and a scenic drive up to camp.
02
Permits & visa
Fishing permits are arranged and included, so there’s zero paperwork on the water. You’ll need a valid Indian visa, which most nationalities can get as an e-Visa online.
03
Tackle & gear
Stout tackle is essential, as the mahseer is incredibly powerful. An 8 to 10 weight single- or double-handed rod with a strong reel and heavy backing covers it. Bring your own flies and lures, as these are not included.
✈ Most UK, EU, US, Australia & New Zealand visitors can enter on an Indian e-Visa applied for online. We’ll confirm the current rules for your country. Travel insurance with medical cover is strongly recommended.
“The mahseer is unlike any fish I’ve ever hooked. The power, the setting, the sheer wildness of it all. Pancheshwar delivered beyond anything I expected.”
— David H. · London, United Kingdom
Plan with confidence
The questions anglers always ask
All levels are welcome. The guides tailor every session to your ability, whether you are an experienced fly angler or picking up a rod for the first time.
Moderate fitness is enough. You wade, fish from the bank and spend long days on the water, and reaching the confluence involves a walk of about a mile and a half and a suspension-bridge crossing. Guides match the day to the group.
These are wild fish, so nothing is guaranteed. Fish into double figures come regularly, and larger mahseer are always a possibility on this water.
Strict catch and release on every trip. Careful handling keeps this wild fishery healthy for the next angler.
The season runs 1 March to 15 June and 25 September to 5 December. March to April and October to November are generally the prime months, with clear, settled water.
New Delhi International Airport. We handle everything from there, including a domestic flight to Pantnagar and the scenic drive up to camp.
Fishing permits are arranged and included. You will need a valid Indian visa, which most nationalities can obtain as an e-Visa online.
Stout tackle is essential. An 8 to 10 weight rod with a strong reel and heavy backing suits the mahseer. Bring your own flies and lures, as these are not included.
Absolutely. Non-angler packages start from USD $3,995 per person (double occupancy) and include everything the fishing package does, minus the guided fishing, with trekking, birdwatching, photography and village walks on offer.
The camp is remote, so signal and wifi are limited. You will be properly back in contact once you return towards Delhi.
From USD $5,395 per angler (double occupancy) or $6,195 (single) for the 10-day expedition, with 6 full guided fishing days. A 20% deposit secures your place, with the balance due before departure. International flights are booked separately.
Talk to a real person
Check availability for the Himalayas 2026
Tell us your preferred dates and group size and we’ll come back with current availability and a tailored quote. No obligation, and a real person will reply, not a booking desk.
Just six rods on the 15–24 November 2026 departure, the only confirmed 2026 date, so it will fill fast. It is worth enquiring early.
✉ flyrunfishingholidays@gmail.com
From $5,395pp
Guided & all-inclusive. A real person replies within 24 hours.