122 The Carnatic Carp. Chapt. x. 



places along the steep bank edge, where the water is at all deep, 

 you will notice quiet eddies, formed by the opposing forces of the 

 stream and the backwater.* Fish there, especially when they axe 

 under overhanging trees or near reeds, always presuming that the 

 water looks at least 2 feet deep. Kuti, the boatman, thoroughly 

 understands, without your telling him, that he must keep the boat 

 so far out from shore that at your longest throw at right angles to 

 the shore you can just drop your tail fly within about a foot of the 

 sin ne; commence throwing therefore, and he will soon see and 

 gauge the length of your throw, and will let the boat go drifting 

 quietly down the stream, but slightly staying its way, and keeping 

 you exactly facing the shore, so that you can throw with ease, and 

 draw your fly towards you, just as slowly as suffices to keep tin- 

 line taut while it floats down the stream. And so you keep on 

 trying fresh water every throw. If you fancy a place tell him, and 

 he will paddle against the stream just enough to keep you 

 stationary. If you rise a fish tell him at once, that he may keep 

 you within reach of the fish while you throw over it again imme- 

 diately. Do not wait and give the fish time for forgetfulness as 

 you might with a salmon or trout, but throw at once, because you 

 cannot depend on its remaining in the same place for any length of 

 time. It may remain, and probably will, but it may main, for it is 

 not its habit to be like a salmon or trout behind a stone at the 

 bottom, but to loam about more or less in a swim. Fast in one at 

 last. Hurrah! Back away, Kuti. Back into mid stream. Nevei 

 mind whether the fish takes out line or not, bark away hard all. 

 There, now, you have deep water and plenty of elbow room, fri I 

 snags below and boughs above, and, what is of more importance 

 still to your sport, you have drawn your fish away from his fellows, 

 and are killing him in a place by himself, for this fish commonly 

 swims in shoals like a dace, and it is better to disturb the rest of 

 the shoal as little as possible. It is quite possible that you may 

 not have disturbed the rest of the shoal at all, for it is quite 

 possible thai the fish you have, left the shoal, and followed your lly 

 some little way before he made up his mind to take it, and you 

 hooked him. At any rate we will hope for the best and do all we 

 know. " "l'is not in mortals to command success, but we'll do 

 more, Senipronius, we'll deserve it." 



* Tin- backwater i- explained in a foot nolo in Chapter Mil. 



