King of the Himalayas

To catch the legendary mahseer, you need a strong arm and a cool head in this land of elephants, tigers and rhinos. The sun smoldered over the foothills of Nepal, silhouetting a group of villagers watching us on the ridge above. Mark deftly double-hauled his line over the glittering waters of the Karnali River.

The Woolly Bugger dropped on the boiling seam where the smaller Bheri River merged. He let the fly sink deep before stripping it back a few feet. And all hell broke loose.

The 9-weight rod spasmed as if tied to a fishtailing Chevy, and the 10-pound leader easily snapped. His eyes gaping, Mark sputtered, “Wow, that fish hit like a freight train.” We watched its massive frame create a wide V as it sped off, disclosing its weight somewhere in the 40-pound class.

We grinned. We were in the game and chasing the biggest, strongest-fighting fish in the Himalayas.

My friend Mark Price and I journeyed to this remote corner of Nepal, lured by irresistible tales of the Himalayan mahseer. For decades, this near-mythical fish has attracted anglers with its brutal, brawling tactics, and we wanted to go a few rounds with one. We also intended to depart with our skin intact because this land also sported thick-skinned rhinos and man-eating tigers – plenty enough diversion to turn a simple fishing trip into a wild adventure.