FISHING 



as a poor sort of pike, to be captured with frogs and similar 

 bait. But the lula is a real gentleman, to be regarded with 

 respect, for he rises to the fly freely, and is a good table- fish 

 in spite of his bones two supreme qualities. He does not 

 fight very hard about as well as a chub perhaps but he 

 often leaps clear of the water as soon as he feels the hook. 

 A clear, calm day, with water low, is the best time for 

 taking him with a fly. He is just the opposite of the trout 

 in this respect. I have seldom caught them when there has 

 been any wind, or when the water was high. He will take 

 a dry fly if you are a dry fly purist but the best ones I 

 have caught have been taken with a large Red Palmer 

 fished wet. There is a small red Dragon Fly on which 

 the lula feeds in the evenings, and then the Red Palmer or 

 Foster's " Caterpillar " will do great execution. 



The lula is said to run 3 feet in length. The largest I 

 ever saw was about 5 Ibs. or 6 Ibs., which was taken by a 

 native in a wicker-basket trap. The natives here also catch 

 good ones! with a live bait and float on a hand-line. Or 

 when the water is low they " drive " them into nets staked 

 across a narrow opening in tank or river. The largest I 

 have caught with a fly was just 3 Ibs. I got three fish one 

 evening weighing 8J Ibs. Doubtless larger ones might be 

 caught with a frog, but who would use bait so long as fish 

 were to be caught with the fly ? Strong tackle is necessary, 

 as one drops one's fly into a hole between the weeds, and if 

 Mr. Lula takes it, it is a case of " Pull devil, pull baker," 

 to haul him safe into a more open spot. 



There are many other tank fish, but I have not caught 

 any that rose so freely to fly or were such good eating as 

 the lula ; and these notes are already becoming too long. 

 I will just mention a species of carp which I have caught 

 with fly in tanks here up to nearly ^ Ib. I think this fish 



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