ALMORA: An international angling meet kicked off in Pancheswar in Champawat district on Monday.
About 20 anglers from India and abroad will be participating in the three-day event, reports The Times of India.
The event has been jointly organised by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam and Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board.
Although Pancheswar has remained quite popular and has been regularly visited by anglers from across the world, this is the second time that an angling event is being orgainsed by the state government. Pancheswar is located at the confluence of Kali and Saryu and borders both Nepal and Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
The first angling event in Pancheswar was organized in 2002.
“The international meet is organized to promote angling tourism in Pancheswar. This is also an attempt towards conservation of mahseer fish. We catch the fish, measure its length and weight and then let it free in the river”, said Prashant Bisht, a member of Uttarakhand Angling Association.
Col KG Sharma, a participant from Manipur, said, “Mahseer is available in many parts of India including in river Kaveri. But, golden mahseer is rare.”
Ajoy Eric Lal, an experienced angler from Delhi who has been visiting Pancheswar since 1969, said, “Since 1969, Pancheswar has kept its tranquility almost intact. It’s less wild now, but it still remains one of the best places to hunt the golden Mahseer, which is why hundreds of anglers keep coming back every year.”
