Angling and fishing is a popular outdoor activity, especially for families with older children. India offers many exciting options for all types of fishing and angling holidays with its plethora of lakes, rivers and ponds -K.P. Malini Activities en famille provide opportunities to families to bond and build strong relationships. In particular nature-centred outdoor activities destress and rejuvenate adults and children alike. Angling aka fishing is a popular outdoor family activity, especially for families with older children. India with its plethora of lakes, rivers and ponds, offers many exciting options for all types of angling holidays. The country’s diverse range of water bodies from the Northern Himalayan snow-fed valley streams to the glorious backwaters of Kerala in the South provide great opportunities for exploring this outdoor sport. The best angling locales in India are in Ramganga (Corbett Park), Kosi and Pancheshwar rivers in Uttarakhand; Mandil, Dhamvari and Chirgaon rivers in Himachal Pradesh; Bhalukpong and Tipi in Arunachal Pradesh; and Jia Boroli river in Assam. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Kerala, and Lakshwadeep also offer excellent options. “Fishing is fast becoming a popular outdoor activity with a rising number of urban families heading out to lakes and rivers during weekends,” says Arun Joseph Kumar, proprietor of Fishing Tackles, Bangalore. “About five years back, we were the sole retailers selling fishing gear and tackles in the garden city, but now there are at least a dozen and several hundred online. To meet the demand we have also started organising fishing expeditions. An overnight fishing trip for a family of three is priced at Rs.8,000 including accommodation, fishing license, tent, food, water, and fishing lessons while day tours cost Rs.3,000,” says Kumar who is all set to inaugurate a unique fishing camp project on Lake Kalkera on the outskirts of Bangalore. “It’s a Survival Fishing Camp to be conducted on weekends where children will be taught fishing basics and skill-sets to survive in the wild,” he adds. Techniques, equipment, etc The leisure sport popularly known as fishing mandates the learning of different techniques such as hand gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling and trapping. The practice of catching or attempting to catch fish with a hook is angling. In angling, it is expected that fish are returned to the water (catch and release). Recreational fishermen usually log their catches or participate in fishing competitions. The most common form of recreational fishing requires expertise with the rod, reel, line, hooks and wide range of baits or lures such as artificial flies. Fishing tackle is a term that encompasses all equipment or gear used when fishing. The tackle attached to the end of a fishing line is the terminal tackle. This includes hooks, sinkers, floats, leaders, swivels, split rings and wire, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners and devices to attach spinner blades to fishing lures. People also tend to use dead or live fish as forms of bait. The four basic types of fishing rods and reels are the spinning, spin-casting, bait-casting and fly-casting rods. Spinning…
