156 Smaller Fly Takers. CHAPT. XI. 



" catch in most localities where I have tried them, and I attribute 

 " this in a great measure to the frequent presence of Mahseer in 

 " their vicinity. It is a marvel to me how any Barilius can 

 " escape at all from the rapid moving Mahseer, which is perhaps 

 " more partial to the Barilius than to the young of its own species, 

 " which, by the bye, the Mahseer swallows very freely, as 1 have 

 " repeatedly proved to my entire satisfaction in live bait fishing 

 " when the devourer has full time afforded to consider the species 

 " of Ins morsel. 



"The native fishermen at the Jumna, on the hills between 

 " Mussoorie and Simla, use scarcely any othei bait than the Barilius. 

 " They have a curious way of catching their bait. The trout, 

 " which for convenience sake we may call them, are excessively 

 " keen sighted, and the stream running into the Jumna at this 

 " locality where they are taken is of exquisite brilliancy, conse- 

 " quently they very soon clear out of reach on the appearance of a 

 " net caster. Their capture is effected by means of a weighted line ui 

 " horsehair nooses, dextrously slung across stream well ahead of 

 " the fisherman. As he walks up stream, scaring the fish to the 

 " line, the trout shoot along the bottom as if to escape observation, 

 " and the line being weighted, with nooses all along it across the 

 " stream, some of the tisli can scarcely fail to run into loops open 

 " to receive them, but which draw tight over their shoulders, 

 " on Hearing the dorsal fin. The trout in this stream average 

 " under £ lb., and are easily held by the noose. I have watched 

 " the performance with interest, and immediately purchased some 

 " of the bait in exchange for English fish-hooks, more prized 

 " than money by the fishermen 



" Speaking of fish hooks, the Limerick and other patterns 

 " would be much improved by the barb being additional, instead 

 " of being, as it were, a slice out of the shank. I have frequently 

 " known hooks of the best makers parted by heavy fish straining 

 "on the narrow bit of metal under the barb; such mishap has 

 "quite recently occurred to me while .Mahseer fishing at Tangrot. 

 " If the hook is resting on the point by pressure on bone, 

 " instead of cartilage, of a large fish's mouth, the trial at the above 



" pari of the ln.ok is very severe, and not likely to last ! 



"The Barilius is numerous in the Morar near (!>valior; it 

 metimes takes the tlv well, but it is of ven small average size 



