FISHING IN INDIAN WA TEIiS. 1 09 



small estuaries and creeks. I remember one day in February, 1893, getting 

 such a chance as I had never had before or am likely to get again. I had 

 landed on purpose at dead low water at the bar of one of these creeks, 

 close to Negapatam, and had no sooner got my gear together than the run 

 began. 



For about three-and-a-half mortal hours I did nothing but tussle with 

 fish, every throw was accepted and I verily believe that day that they 

 would have run at a bajj; of scupper nads. As each successive fish was 

 hooked, I hung on for dear life till the shoal had passed on ; I then played 

 and landed the fish as quickly as I could, and then hurried on as best I 

 could over the half sandy and half muddy foreshore till I came up with 

 the shoal again, and again and again took toll. And so the game went on. 



It was a frightful hot day with the burning sun. and my arms were like 

 to drop by my side ; but I could not resist the excitement, and the native 

 boatmen from the ship, who had landed with me, seemed to enjoy the fun. 



After going on like this for '6-g hours, I was stopped from following them 

 further by a lai"ge cross creek, which we could not cross as the tide by that 

 time was too high, and though very tired and very thirsty, I had to turn 

 back. Not another fish did I see on my way back ; but I was quite satis6ed. 

 We picked up the fish at the different places as we went back, and the tally 

 at the end was 19 fish. It was on this occasion that I got the 18|lb. 

 fish. He was the largest, and the smallest just turned 31bs., but there was 

 no other so small, and the average size was about lllbs. 



Only once since then have I managed to visit that creek, and though I went 

 as before, and fished as carefully, I only caught three. I do not suppose it will 

 ever be my luck to visit that place again, nor do I ever hope to have such 

 another take. Although, as I have here explained, it is best to catch the first 

 of the flood on these small creeks, it does not at all follow that the flood 

 is everywhere the best time. In the larger harbours, and notably in Bombay 

 and Karachi, the ebb is not only the best but practically the only time to get 

 them. The reason for this I have tried to explain elsewhere. In Bombay 

 the best months are the monsoon months of June, July, j^ ugust, and Septem- 

 ber, and the worse the weather the better the day. But a landsman will 

 hardly enjoy Bombay Harbour when the monsoon is on. Though I have 

 never had any such basket here as I have described, in the last three or four 

 years I have only had one or two blank trips, and my average is four to five 

 fish per tide. This year I have had 37 fish in eight trips (largest 121bs.) ; 

 bait, prawn ; time, f ebb ; bright day, with a moderately heavy sea running. 

 Choose, if you can, spring tides. I recommend any who intend trying to make 

 enquiries, and if they can only find a decent getatable place where these fish 

 are in the habit of congregating and running, by all means try for them. 

 They are the best and gamest fish we have out here, and almost the best for 

 the table. They have been a great source of amusement to me now for 



