Chut, xxiv. The Poonck and JJidum. 321 



"enabled to p he line hanking in the reel by pressing one's 



"fingers against the line. This plan was effective, but not always 

 " agreeable, as I found to my cost, occasionally having had the tips 

 "of my fingers blistered. While on the subject of reels, I might 

 "mention thai no reels of English manufacture that 1 have ever seen 

 "have hard enough metal in the cog or cog-wheel of the check. I 

 "was using on this fishing expedition a new reel of Farlow's, and in 

 '"six days the teeth of the cog-wheel had almost disappeared, the 

 "space between the plates being filled with brass tilings. In a reel 

 "intended for Mahseet fishing, all the parts that have to bear friction 

 " should be made of well-tempered steel. 



"At sunrise next da}' I again tried the pool, but did not even get an 

 "offer ; so I strolled up the river, attended by my shikari — who, by-tho- 

 • hye, was quite new at this kind of sport. He took to it very keenly, 

 " however, and soon became very handy at landing fish, which was 

 " done in a way rather surprising to a man accustomed only to the gaff 

 "or landing net. When the fish is nearly exhausted, the man walks 

 " quietly into the water, gets behind the fish, gently runs his hands 

 " along his back until they reach his gills, then slips his thumbs into the 

 " gills, and lifts the fish out of the water. This mode of capture sounds 

 " very simple, and it is so if the fish does not see the man ; but if ho 

 " does, off he goes for another run. Mahseer have no dread of being 

 "handled; they keep perfectly quiet daring the time the man runs his 

 " fingers along their back, and even remain motionless while the hook 

 '• is being taken out. as long as they are held up ; butno sooner are they 

 "• placed on the ground than they commence kicking and jumping in the 

 " most violent manner. 



"When 1 had walked two miles I came upon a very likely-looking 

 " piece of water by some mills, which I fished diligently with fly, spoon, 

 "and phantom, till I was pretty well tired out by the exertion and the 

 ••sun, which was well up by this time; and the day promised to be very 

 " hot. So I turned homewards; and when I had finished my two-mile 

 " walk over boulders and deep sand, I was quite prepared for my break- 

 " fast, which I found all ready, and A. very anxious to begin. His 

 " morning bag was but little better than mine, for he had only succi 

 "in landing an 18-pounder. In the afternoon, when the day had got a 

 '• little cooler, we set to work again. I took a few casts in the pool, but 

 •stirred nothing, so went down to the junction. Here the Poonch 

 "divides itself into four or five very tolerable streams. I fished them all 

 "with every conceivable bait, but the only result \\:is a miserable 

 " 3 pounder, and that I hooked by tli«- stomach, A., however, was much 

 " more successful. He had resolved to persevere in the pool, and by so 

 the bod in until. V 



