52 Spinning for Mahseer. Chapt. V. 



and leathery, presenting a perfect hookln Id all over, so that one 

 hook is enough, ami two is certainly ample. Moreover, the Mahseer 

 closes his leathery mouth very tight on his fish as I have shown, 

 and the chances are much against his escaping heing hooked. 



On all grounds, therefore, I am for as few hooks and as fine 

 tackle as possible with the Mahseer. With some other fish with 

 which we shall have to do hereafter the same necessity may not 

 exist. 



Presuming, then, that I have contrived to seduce my reader 

 into a preference for a dead fish on fine tackle, as being more 

 natural and consequently better calculated to stand closer fish- 

 eyed scrutiny in clear water than any artificial bait, the next ques- 

 tion that arises is whether any particular sort of small fish is 

 more killing than another. This 1 have endeavoured to ascertain 

 by identifying the fish found in the several Mahseer killed ; but 

 their digestion is so marvellously rapid, that it is very seldom 

 indeed that the small fish there found are recognizable. Not only 

 have their scales and fins almost always disappeared, but their 

 very shape has been lost. Though 1 have once or twice recognized 

 one of the dace-like fish called Barbus swrana, or, in Canarese, hijau, 

 it does not thence follow that there may not have heen several 

 other sorts amongst the ones I could not make out, such as 

 the young of the Barbus chrysopoma or of the Barbus filamen- 

 tosus, of which plates will be found further on, or of somewhat 

 similar fish. Though I have seen the Mahseer taking dace-like 

 fish freely in the natural state, it is no sequence that they do not 

 as freely take other fish, which I could not see them take, simply 

 because they are small fish that inhabit the bottoms of rivers, and 

 are consequently not within sight. I cannot say, therefore, if the 

 Mahseer have a preference for any particular sort of small fish, 

 and as they seem to take them all alike, little earing which is 

 Ciesar and which is Pompey, the question rather is which the 

 fisherman prefers. The dace-like fish shows furthest from its 

 white shining scales, but that is not much of a point where the 

 water is clear as crystal, and they are a tender bait, and soon tear 

 on a hook and look dishevelled. The young of the Chela argentea 

 are a favourite bait with some, because they are so very bright 

 and silvery. But they are most frail. Any of these sorts of 

 baits can be readily caught by a throw or two of the casting net 



