66 Spinning for Mahseer. (Jhapt. v. 



its injuring the hook, and prefer fish preserved in spirits. I, 

 however, have an objection to bait preserved in spirits, and 1 base 

 it on the strong sense of smell known to exist in fishes ; a sense 

 considered to be very perfect, and second only in power to the 

 organ of sight in fishes. A bait preserved in spirits of wine has a 

 very strong smell even after it lias been on the hook, and used in 

 the water for half-an-hour ; and I cannot think that a fish will be 

 unmindful of it, and recklessly take such a strange smelling tiling 

 into its mouth; I have often thought, in using such a bait, that 

 I have lost many a run I should otherwise have got. I have seen 

 fish follow it and turn away. Of course I cannot say positively 

 that it was the smell that tamed them away from it, for they 

 will do just the same to any bait they mistrust; still I was fishing 

 very carefully, the bait was neat, and I thought it was the smell. 

 Salt-fish I have used with effect, and if you must use preserved 

 fish, I would prefer that method of preserving them. At best 

 they are very inferior in appearance and toughness to a fresh 

 fish taken alive out of the bait-can, and baited immediately on 

 being killed. 



But the kindly reader who has been good enough to travel thus 

 far with me must be right weary of this chapter, and anxiously 

 looking for an end at winch lie can put down the book and rest. 

 Further remarks on spinning will therefore be reserved for another 

 chapter. 



