FISHING 



at you when bathing, and can give quite painful nips. I 

 remember some years ago Brockman and I tried fly in 

 the Gal Oya at Kauduluwewa, and we caught the tiny 

 nuisances by the score, until I got tired of it. I then 

 substituted a smallish ordinary hook, cut up one of my 

 " catch," baited with a small piece of same, and, weighting 

 the line with a silver shirt-stud for want of something 

 better, I dropped it into the water in a spot clear, for the 

 moment, of the little pirates. 



Long before the bait reached bottom it was seized, and 

 after a bit of fun I landed a quite nice fish, not unlike 

 a dace, of nearly a pound in weight ; but I failed to attract 

 another after that. 



I have it from my friend E. R. M'Donnell (Irrigation 

 Department) that he and the late Mr. R. W. levers (then 

 G.A. of the N.P.) used to enjoy splendid fishing in the 

 lagoon at Elephant Pass, on the Jaffna road. The bait used 

 was always spoon, or other spinner of sorts, and was very 

 successful. 



A strong trout rod was usually employed, and a reel to 

 hold 200 yards of very strong line. M'Donnell tells me 

 they used to make some big hauls, and the largest, fish 

 caught (by the late Mr. levers) weighed 32 Ibs. The fish 

 usually caught were of a kind known as kodavei (Tamil), a 

 very game fish, and M'Donnell thinks it is that which, in 

 Thomas's book on " Indian Fishing," is called bar meen. 



Referring apparently to this fish (see also Mr. Fest- 

 ing's letter at the end of this chapter), a well-known local 

 authority, in a letter to me on the subject of fishing, says : 

 "Low-country fishing deserves more attention than it re- 

 ceives. There is a most excellent fish for the table, called 

 moda in Singhalese, which seems to be about the same as 

 Thomas's lates calcarifer ; but he describes it as an estuary 



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