Chaff, x. The Seat forth I 129 



smaller. Trout will play you the same trick sometimes, even 

 though you think you have every fly entomologically worked out, 

 and exactly prepared for their acceptance, so that sometimes it 

 really does seem that like the little hoy: — 



" Who can thoroughly enjoy 

 The pepper when lie pleases, 

 They only do it to annoy 

 Because they know it i 



Still our flies did their work very well ordinarily, for we got fish 

 running from { lh. to 7^ lbs.; very seldom, indeed, did we take one 

 under 1 lb., and not often over 5 lbs. or 6 lbs. They generally 

 averaged between 2 lbs. and 4 lbs., and we used to take from three 

 to fifteen fish or thereabouts (I write partly from memory, partly 

 from notes) every morning, and not much less in the evening. 

 Still, I had some thoroughly blank days near Yalamhoondy, as 

 experimenters must expect when trying new waters ; as even old 

 hands have even amongst their old friends the trout at times. 



Supposing that each angler has a boat and boatman to himself, 

 and that not more than two are fishing from the same camp, it is 

 not well to separate ; it is a pleasanter way to take the pools 

 alternately. A. commences on the first pool, be it large or small, 

 the luck will right itscdf before the morning is over, and fishes it 

 down from head to tail. B. meanwhile glides down stream in his 

 boat to the next pool, without even wetting his line in A's pool, 

 though he sees a fish rise. When A. has done his pool, he glides 

 down till he overtakes 1!., and you ask each other of the sport, as 

 A. passes on to pool No. 3, and so you keep passing and repassing 

 each other, comparing notes, and encouraging each other, while 

 each has the satisfaction of knowing that he is fishing fresh water 

 all the time. 



The Indian coracle or basket-boat has no seat in it. It strains 

 i he knee joint to sit like a native on the "hunkers," i.e., on your 

 own heels ; it is but poor relief to sit cross-legged, and it hurts the 

 knee to kneel ; standing is out of the question, so that the Indian 

 coracle is, for any length of time, a very uncomfortable vehicle, so 

 uncomfortable that it does away with halt the pleasure of your 

 sport, and prevents your fishing as well as if you were comfortable. 

 Sou cannot take in a chair, because the legs would find their way 

 through the leather bottom of the boat, which would end in your 



THE ROD IN INDIA. K 



<c 



