9-1 Fly-Fishing for Mahseer. Chapt. vii. 



friends well, I am ready to stand security for it that it is an honest 



Having thus settled the colour to our mutual satisfaction, the 

 next question is the size of the fly. Here, again, it is quot homim t 

 lot scateatice ; and here, again, I have my own ideas, and will submit 

 them to your judgment for what they may he worth. Salmon 

 flies are generally supposed to differ in size with the size of the 

 water, the finer flies being used in the finer water, the larger in the 

 heavier water and larger rivers. The same ideas are carried into 

 Mahseer fishing by salmon fishers. Accordingly I have seen 

 Mahseer flies of all sizes from No. 3 Limerick to No. 10/0 

 Limerick, the latter being nearly as big as a swallow. Indeed, I 

 have heard of an angler who, having tried his fly in vain, had given 

 it up, and, taking up Ids gun by way of diversion, shot a swallow, 

 which fell into the water. To his astonishment there was a big 

 swirl and the swallow disappeared. Of course he shot another 

 swallow, baited and fished with it immediately. It, too, was taken 

 down, and he landed a Mahseer. What the weight was I do not 

 know. On the other hand, I know an excellent fisherman who 

 uses always a No. 3 Limeritk hunk. My own fancy is to have 

 three sizes, No. 1/0, 2 and 3, of which I more generally use No. 2. 



I am quoting sizes from my own scale annexed, and I would 

 beg the reader's special attention thereto in order to save him from 

 disappointment. In my former edition I quoted in im the scale given 

 in Francis Francis' "Book on Angling," overlooking the caution 

 which he gives, and which I may as well quote: "Hooks are 

 " varied so much in size, not only by different makers, but even bj 

 " the same makers, and the numbering and lettering becomes so 

 " troublesome and complicated, that I have given a scale of Limerick 

 " hooks of sizes numbered for reference, as the easiest and simplest 

 " modi! of expression." The value of this caution I learnt to my 

 cost in this wise. Having planned a fishing trip with certain 

 friends, I wrote to England for Hies for us all, quoting Francis 

 Francis' numbers, but not saying that I quoted from him. In 

 consequence out came the Hies beautifully tied, just as ordered, 

 but all on hooks of sizes that were useless. Francis Francis' 

 Xos. 11 and 12, which I was ordering for Oarnatic Carp, would 

 have been Noa. 5 and 6 on my scale, whereas Xos. 11 and 12 on my 

 seale were perfectly useless, and that was the scale that came. 



