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Acting Collector reported that the fresh-water fisheries existing in the 

 eleven talookas in his district are as follows : In Nowlgoond and Roan 

 fish are caught in the Mulprahha river, which skirts the northern bound- 

 ary of these talookas. In Dharwah fish are taken in some of the 

 large tanks which retain water all the year round ; in a few they 

 are large and plentiful, chiefly the " murrell^ and "parah." In Hooblee 

 there are no streams from which fish are to be had, but they are found 

 in large tanks which do not dry. In Dumhull they are obtained from 

 the Toongbhudra river which skirts its southern boundary, and 

 also in the larger tanks that do not dry up. In Kulghutghee they are 

 found in one or two small streams, also in the larger tanks which do not 

 become dry, viz., Devikope, Budneeguttee, and Tumboor; these always con- 

 tain a large supply of fish. In Bunkapur there are numerous tanks contain- 

 ing fish, but those of the largest size and the most numerous are found in 

 those which retain water all the year round. In Kurujghee numerous fish 

 are obtained in the rivers Wardah and Toongbhudra, as also in a few of the 

 tanks. In Hangul the river Wardah and numerous tanks and ponds that 

 are perennial contain them, likewise in similar ponds and tanks in Kode and 

 Raneebednore ; in the former talooka is also the Toongbhudra skirting its 

 southern boundary, and in the latter the same river forms its eastern 

 limits. The only private right of fishing is in the Bunkapur Talooka at 

 Nagpoor, which the Collector in 1832 declared belonged exclusively to 

 the Wuttundar Patel of Husan Aga. In Kurujghee formerly, the 

 fisheries in some of the tanks and in the Toongbhudra river used to be 

 sold by Government by auction, but this has not been done of late years. 

 In a third Report (March 28th, 1872) it is observed that fishing in the 

 talookas is carried on all the year round in the rivers and large and small 

 tanks. Fish are caught wherever they can be found ; whatever is brought 

 ashore by the net is kept. The minimum size of the mesh is very small ; 

 in some samples appended, it varied from one-tenth to one-thirteenth of 

 an inch between the knots ; even the very smallest fry cannot escape. 

 In the larger rivers, the Wardah and Toongbhudra, fishing is continued 

 throughout the year, except when they are in flood. In the smaller 

 rivers which soon dry up, it is carried on during the rains. It is 

 also continued all the year round in the large tanks that do not become 

 dry ; such, however, are rare in the black soil districts of Dharwar, Nowl- 

 goond, Roan, and Dumbul. Fish appear to exist in larger quantities in 

 tanks situated in red soil. Besides the long nets dragged by a number of 

 men, cast-nets with very fine meshes are used in the rivers. In the 

 tanks, besides nets, night lines are employed, and people daily visit them 

 to secure the captures. In some cases the tanks are drained, or nearly 

 so, and then everything that can be caught is taken ; thousands, not one 

 and a half inches in length, being captured by various sorts of nets by 

 the hand, and by fishermen throwing a large sort of basket-net over them. 

 There is no limit either by law or custom as to the size of the meshes of 

 the nets,- fishing not being interfered with. Were it proposed to regulate 

 the size of the meshes of the nets, there would be difficulties, but in no 

 degree insuperable ones, the chief being in the supervision that would 

 be required. The Acting Collector observed, that he concurs in the Assist' 

 ant Collector's views on this subject, namely, that it would be extremely 

 "ifficult and unpopular to fix the size of the meshes of nets to be employed 





