Chapt. ix. i of Fishing. 1 17 



I have never tried the above style of fishing myself, and cer- 

 tainly should nut, unless driven to it by an untimely flood, for, like 

 Colonel Parsons, I very much prefer spinning or fly fiahing But I 

 think the size of the fish taken, much more than the number, is a 



very satisfactory proof of the effectiveness of the method of lishing, 

 and it is a very great matter to have go! over out hitherto insuper- 

 able difficulty, the coloured water, and we can lieneet'orth lish at 

 such times as well as in clear water. 



1 am glad, however, to see that Colonel Parsons, while giving 

 us this new method of fishing for Mahseer in coloured water, 

 thoroughly endorses all I have uiged with reference to all other 

 styles of fishing for Mahseer in such water. 



With reference to other fishing, I have recommended the 

 Opkiocephalus gaehua or dole of Hindustani as a bait; but it would 

 not do for this style of fishing, because, like the inurrel, it requires 

 to come frequently to the surface to breathe the air, and would be 

 drowned by beiug picketed to the bottom by a bullet. 



A friend who was an ardent pike fisherman used to set several 

 rods with live bait in Slapton Lea, well apart, and he picketed a 

 daughter over each with a book and a whistle. If a bait was taken, 

 the alarm was sounded, and my friend ran to the rescue, and played 

 the fish. If you practise this fishing with water at all clear, 

 of course you will warn your watchman not to indulge bis curiosity 

 in watching the Hue or the tup of the rod, but to sit well away 

 from the bank and listen fur the whirr (if the check winch. 



