Mechuka Trout Quest draws 56 anglers to Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh's Department of Tourism held the second edition of the Mechuka Trout Quest, an angling championship on the Yargyap Chu river, on 25 and 26 July, drawing 56 competitors from India and abroad, including Bhutan and Thailand. The Hindu reported that Bhutanese angler Sonam Tshering won the fly fishing category, and that Gauhati-based musician Nasreen Sultana Naaz was the tournament's only female participant. A pre-event press release said the event was designed to position Arunachal Pradesh as a leader in high-value, low-impact eco-tourism, built around the cold-water brown and rainbow trout the British introduced to India in the 19th and 20th centuries. State fisheries minister Gabriel Denwang said Arunachal Pradesh plans to invest in trout farming to support tourism. Tournament director Derek Dsouza, the India representative of the International Game Fishing Association, said India has large potential for the sport given its long coastline and big rivers, the field included Bobby Satpal, described as one of India's top fly anglers, and Thai professional angler Tup Meesupwatana.