Aru Valley, Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir India

After the trip to Betaab valley and lunch at Nathu’s Rasoi, we walked around Pahalgam village, window-shopping and generally exploring. The friendly staff at JKTDC’s Tourist Reception Center told us that one popular activity in the area is fishing. Madhu was very keen on trying a hand at this. We were told that the local Fisheries Dept, which was just up the road from the TRC, would give him the necessary permit and also help arrange for a guide and the required equipment. Thrilled, we headed out in search of it. 

This is a small village located at a distance of around 15 km from Pahalgam offering you an easy reach by driving. The village is located among the grasslands which give a picturesque beauty to the village, making it a famous tourist destination. This valley is the starting point for trekking to Kolahoi glacier.


Unfortunately, the board announcing the Fisheries Dept’s building was a small one and we walked right past it, without noticing it. As we wandered on not knowing where to go, we decided to enquire with two young aru valley pahalgam men who were standing outside the entrance of an alley. One of them, Imran, turned out to be the owner of a local guesthouse; he also owned and managed a ‘trekking, horse-riding, fishing, etc.’ activities company. He offered to take us fishing for a much lower price than that charged by the govt. But just so that we check this out for ourselves, he pointed us to where the Fisheries Dept was located and asked us to find out their prices before coming back to him for his rates. We did as told. The resident staff at the dept told us that the govt would charge Rs.2000 for equipment rental, permit and a guide for a 2hr excursion. Armed with this knowledge, we walked back to Imran’s guesthouse where he was waiting for us patiently. He offered us tea and biscuits and also introduced us to his father who regaled us with stories and pictures of their trekking expeditions with travelers. It was a lovely conversation and we ended up staying for more than an hour with them. Imran eventually said that he would take us on a day-hike, some 6kms upstream to a nice fishing spot, provide us with a packed lunch and all the required permits & equipment, and help Madhu fish to his heart’s content, all for Rs.1200. It sounded like a wonderful and reasonably-priced deal. We immediately agreed to meet the next morning at 9:30am at the guesthouse.