HOOKING A MAHSEER. 29 



from the effects of malaria. We turned in on the old spot, 

 having this time taken the precaution to have a " lean-to " 

 constructed to shelter us, and were soon lulled to sleep by 

 the roar of the river close by. 



We shouldered our rods again as the dawn was trying 

 to struggle through the dense mist. For in the morning, 

 during the autumn and winter months, a heavy bank of 

 white vapour almost invariably lies along the bottom of every 

 deep, narrow Himalayan valley where any considerable 

 stream flows, until dispelled by the sun's rays. The water 

 looked more promising, so our spirits as well as our chances 

 of sport began to rise with the lifting fog, which at first 

 was a decided damper to both. It requires but little 

 reference to my old shooting journal to call to mind all 

 the details regarding the killing of my first really fine 

 mahseer. 



" Take a rest for a little while, and try again when the 

 sun gets higher." Thus suggested old Chundreea a native 

 of. the valley, and fisherman by profession, who usually 

 attended me by the river-side as I was getting rather im- 

 patient with my bad luck, and my back was beginning to 

 ache from chastising the water with flies, and spinning live 

 baits the whole morning without having moved a fish. Fol- 

 lowing the first part of his advice, I reeled up, sat down on 

 a rock, and pondered as to whether it would be worth while 

 acting on the last part of it. After I had consoled myself 

 with a pipe, and Chundreea had adjusted a fresh chilwa, 1 I 

 again waded into the river, and loosening a good handful of 

 line, dropped the bait as far across the swirling pool as 

 possible. I have him at last ! Hardly has the chilwa com- 

 menced spinning in the water when I feel a heavy pull, 

 which is immediately followed by a splash and a boiling 

 swirl. Bob goes the point of the rod, and " whir-r-r " out 

 runs the tightened line, almost smoking in the rings as it 

 flies from off the reel, which is whizzing and humming with 



1 A beautiful silver-scaled little fish the minnow of Indian waters. 



