342 I', hi wj Localities. Chapt. xxiv. 



'• ago, full of Mahsccr, but it has been so poisoned of late years by the 

 " Cossyahs, that very few fish are left. The river is full of limestone 

 '• rocks, and it' yon strike a fish, you cannot afford to play it, as it is 

 " more than likely to get into a hollow rock, when you have to cut 

 " him adrift. "We commenced to fish on the 14th. O. with a spoon 

 " only caught two fish, 1 = 3 lbs., 1 = 2i lbs., and 14 small fish with the 

 " fly ; I got one 3 lbs. only. On 15th, Baurne caught 1 = 5 lbs., 

 "1 = 3 lbs., and 1 = 2 lbs. Col. Hicks, 1 = 8 lbs. and 1 = 3 lbs. I 

 " had to cut one adrift that got under a rock, but caught three 

 " weighing respectively 20 lbs., 9 lbs., and 2 lbs., all on the same spoon. 

 " Ommanney 1 = 3 lbs., 1=2 lbs., and a lot with the fly. 



" On Saturday we moved towards the Darrung river, and tried a 

 " cross cut. Owing to the dams constructed by the Cossyahs we had 

 " great difficulty in getting into a branch river, which was connected 

 '" with the stream we wished to get to. After an infinity of trouble to 

 " get to Lakat, we sent for boats to take us on, and put up for the 

 "night on a sandbank. During the night we heard fish jumping 

 " about, but never thought for a moment that there were Mahseer so 

 " far down in the plains. Early next morning, on starting, I threw out 

 " my line, without thinking for a moment I should hook anything, but 

 " in a second I had struck a very heavy fish. The others crowded 

 " round my boat, some declaring I held the fish too taut, others that 

 " I gave it too much line ; I paid no attention, but worked the fish my 

 " own way. At last it kept turning over, belly uppermost, and a 

 " beauty it looked too, with its large red fins and tail ; it was reduced 

 "to the last gasp, and was almost within striking distance of my two- 

 " pronged spear, whin it gave a last convulsive struggle, and, in 

 " turning over, got its body across the line, one beastly hook snapped, 

 " and the other two straightened, and off went my monster ! Om- 

 " manney and I were together, fishing with exactly the same tackle, 

 "which was in fact mine. We all got our lines out at once, I kept 

 " having all the luck. It began to rain, Baurno had gone on ahead, 

 "with Colonel Hicks. As our boat approached a rapid, we saw 

 " Baurne coming down it, fast to a very big fish, with all his line out. 

 " As he passed us I struck a heavy fish which I bagged in half an hour ; 

 " no sooner was my spoon in, than I had another fish, a 22-poundrr, which 

 " I also landed, Baurne passed us in a very despondent mood, having 

 " lust his monster. Our hut this lime, thanks to Major Stewart, also 

 "a good fisherman, was bail! on the plains side of the gorge, near (he 



" weir. We arrived here at lit A.M. with the following bags : — Colonel 



•■ Sicks '.' iish weighing 43 lbs., largest L3 lbs. : Baurne 6 fish, 27 lbs., 

 •• largest 11 lbs. ; Ommanney I fish, 6 lbs. : I with ■> fish weighing 66 lbs., 



