HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



fish, whereas I have always met with it high up in rivers 

 beyond the influence of tides. It may not be the same fish, 

 but the illustration and description are very like it." 



Mr. McDonnell says he used to catch the kodavei from 

 the bridge at Elephant Pass, whence the Kanakarayankulam 

 river issues in flood time to the lagoon, and thence to the 

 sea, half a mile away. If the moda is a good table fish, 

 it must be different to the kodavei, if Mr. Festing's de- 

 scription of the latter in that respect is correct. There is 

 room for any amount of inquiry and experiment in ex- 

 ploiting the low-country fishing ; but I am afraid very 

 few men are likely to go in for it, as the low country 

 principally attracts the shooter, not the fisherman. 



As regards tank-fishing, there are many difficulties in 

 the way of doing it in European fashion. For one thing, 

 though some of the fish do, I believe, take artificial fly, 

 most of the tanks are so littered up with lotus and other 

 weed growth as to render it almost impossible to cast a 

 bait of any sort without being hung up at once. A little 

 bottom-fishing may be indulged in, but I don't think many 

 of the big fish are caught that way, as they, one and all, 

 seem to live in and amongst the tangled weed and lotus 

 growth. If, however, you are camping near such a weedy 

 tank, you can always try native fishing methods, and 

 many's the time I have enjoyed an evening at that game 

 on the Topawewa, with M'Donnell or the Mudaliyar 

 Jayawardene, fishing out of a big dug-out canoe. 



Years ago, when the water was fairly clear, the method 

 followed was to use very strong casting-lines having a huge 

 hook at the end, with a chunk of wood as float about 15 

 inches above it no pretence at gut or gimp, and, above 

 all, no deception ! Before starting we used to put about 

 3 inches of water in the bottom of our canoe, and, using 



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