126 The Carnatic Cwrp. Chapt. x. 



the pool. Kuti promptly gave three or four vigorous paddles, and 

 was out of the main current, the little boat riding quietly on the still 

 water close under the rocks at the edge of the run. No one who 

 had not been at it from a boy could possibly have done it, Kuti's 

 own elder brother, who, like himself, has been on the river from 

 childhood, who also has the name of dvuti, and is also a good 

 boatman, even he had thought better of this one rapid, had taken 

 his boat out at the top, carried it round by shore, and pat it in 

 below the run. 1 think he was the wiser man of the two ; still 

 Kuti minor is a broth of a boy. It is a pity he only talks Tamil. 

 It suits me well enough, and we hold long conversations as we 

 work away together, the one at the rod, the other at the paddle, 

 and when a good fish rises and is missed, he takes it quite to heart, 

 and cannot repress an involuntary sound of regret; still it is a pity 

 he cannot talk English Eor the sake of other anglers. 



Now we will get ashore and let you put up your own rod. 

 Mine, you see, is a 16 ft. light made pliable salmon-rod, with 120 

 yards of Manchester Cotton Twine Spinning Co.'s waterproofed 

 line on a 3^-inch diameter check-winch, with a 9 or 10 feet cast of 

 single salmon gut, carrying three Hies, as for trout, the. two end 

 ones being on No. 5 or G Limerick hooks, according to my scale, 

 dressed very full, and all the way down the shank, and the firs) 

 drop on No. 4 Kendal-Kirby, or round bend, which is just the 

 same size as No. 6 Limerick, hut being short and fine, it is a 

 much smaller fly. The flies are all Dearly the same colour, being as 

 black i >r dark as I can put them together with a glistening shiny 

 appearance. Nothing kills better than a fly all peacock harl, body, 

 wings, and all, and full. Hut peacock harl is frail, and wears out 

 soon, and objection may be taken to it on that score. Still it kills 

 fish while it wears, and I have an idea that is about what we want, 

 is - nt it?* 



My rod is a lii ii. light-made, pliable salmon rod by Farlow, 

 and I am thoroughly contented with it. Still it is a matter of 

 opinion, for a friend who was fishing with me came home one 

 evening Tery cock-a-whoop at having killed a 5 lb. Carnatic I'aip on 



* Tin' reason why this fly was thus tied is explained iii the chapter on flyfishing 

 for Mnhseer. The Blnrkiunoor, ns there described, bu( tied on N" ."> and (• Limerick, 



mostly tied veil full, hut some tew .m No. 6, tieil line, may he aeee]>te'l instead, for 



the reasons there given. 



