CHAPTER XI 



SMALLER FLY TAKERS. 



' Be mindful aye your fly to throw 

 Light as falls the flaky snow." — 



IZAAK WALTOX. 



Thus far the weapon of warfare has been the salmon rod. But 

 there is business to be done with the trout rod also, and as it has 

 its devotees, a few pages must be given to smaller fish that 

 rise to a trout Hy. Some of them are very small, certainly, but you 

 are not bound to fish for them because they are just mentioned, 

 and why should not ladies and boys have fishing. There are some 

 old boys, too, who will whip away at anything, however small. 

 And quite right, too, when there's nothing bigger to be got. It does 

 them good. It's the only medicine for the mania which is in many 

 of us. Besides some of these fish are easily introducible into any 

 pond, and are otherwise more within every day reach than the 

 mighty rivers which hold the Mahseer and the Carnatic Carp, 

 rivers to which it is not convenient to everybody to make a 

 pilgrimage. Without further apology, therefore, I shall introduce 

 my little friends. 



I shall endeavour to call them by simple names. But this is 

 not easy, for the majority of Indian fish are known only to 

 Ichthiologists and native fishermen, and have, consequently, only 

 Ichthiological or vernacular names. Except in the case of the 

 Mahseer, where the Hindustani name has been adopted, the use of 

 vernacular names seems a mistake, as they differ with the language 

 and locality. The full Ichthiological name is frequently too long 

 for common adoption. Where the correct name can be simply 

 anglicised, as in the Carnatic Carp, it seems best to follow it. 

 Where it cannot, and 1 am not aware of any name ordinarily used 



