CHAPT. xi. 'i Flies and Quirk Strik I 10 



to, those which are rich in water-weed, on the seeds of which, as 

 well as on the weeds themselves, and the insect life therein, they 

 feed largely. They are not to be found in the runs, but where the 

 watei Sows more gently, and even in the still water. There they 

 congregate in shoals like dace, and take tin- By with a very gentle 

 suck like dai 



To make anything of a bag of them they require right good 



fishing. I have a note . . t" having at Mala, in the South Canara 



I »i-t i i«t , caught 30 one afternoon. I*i> they came, a fish at 



each fly, and out they came, one or two at a time. In one throw 



1 took three fish the size of the plate, one on each fly. But, aye, 



there's a hut, and it must be admitted 1 have a note also that 



runs thus: "Had I taken all that rose that afternoon, I suppose I 



" should have killed :'.un tisli, weighing from 35 lbs. to 50 lbs." 



Of course I wiite, not from memory, hut from notes made at the 



time. They are very shy and the water very bright, so you 



must tish very tine. Their month is leathery, lmt small, so that I 



think a fly on No. 14 Sneck bend is preferable to one on No. 12. 



You miss fewer rises with a small hook. The above note will 



show I found this out to my cost. Any light dun or Mack fly will 



kill, but I saw on the water a deep purple little fly, and imitating 



it did best with it. It is coloured on Plate XII, and mentioned 



among other flies in the remarks on the lesser Barils. Because 



of their shyness, throw as long a line as you can perfectly command, 



both to fall straight and to strike quickly with, for they frequently 



rise as the fly touches the water, though a sunk fly will suit them 



also. Do not draw the fly too close to you, because they will also 



follow the fly, and if they follow it too close to you they see you, 



and there'll be an end of your fun. Remember they swim in 



shoals like dace, so that if you get on a shoal you had better 



not move from it as long as they keep rising. Out tiny come, 



one after another, with a quaint look of unutterable surprise in 



their faces. " Now, who would 'a thought it!" Sou may go on 



throwing in exactly the same place. Draw your fly very slowly. 



They are deep and thick for their length, so that the full-sized o 



are just a little too heavy to Hick out. Any fish that cannot 



be flicked out, but has to be struck tine, with a light, quick hand, 



and then brought out quietly, ( tents me if there are enough of 



them ; ami I think it i^ likely to lie the same with many of my 



TI1K RO!> IN IN HI I. L 



