12 The Mahseer. CHAP. n. 



water, and that nevertheless you still need very strong tackle for large 

 Mahseer. You have to lower the top because you cannot help yourself, 

 and it is not infrequently pulled much below that angle. Indeed, I have 

 had a 16 feet rod jerked clean out of my right hand, and very nearly 

 out of my left also, when a little unprepared, and for a few seconds had 

 no strain on the fish beyond what was the result of winch friction. But 

 quickly recovering my hold on the rod, its point was promptly raised a 

 little, and then more and more as the violence of the rush allowed. 

 Your aim is never to let the point be lower than the angle of 45 if you 

 can help it, so that there is a little, but not too much rod friction just 

 for the first few seconds, the unavoidable winch friction being, with a 

 Mahseer, sometimes as much as the line will stand.* 



Still you should also be " hard " on your fish, keeping the line as 

 stiff as a wire from the fish to the point of the rod, so as to avoid slack 

 line, a state of affairs which not only facilitates a hook dropping out, but 

 also gives opportunities for a "foul" round a rock. Hold the point 

 well up so as to keep the fish free of any snags at the bottom. You will 

 find that in deep water a Mahseer will, like a Grayling, always bore 

 down to the bottom. If there is a depth of 20 or 30 feet of water, down 

 he will go to the bottom, your whole collar will disappear below water, 

 and when at length you again catch sight of the knot that unites the 

 collar to the running line, you may commence " chortling in your joy," 

 for he is giving in, your strain is telling on him, as he will never come 

 up willingly, he will never spring into the air after the manner of the 

 Salmonidae. The moment he comes upwards pull him towards the 

 shore. Put in your claim for being the conqueror. 



Well, all being ready for paying out line at any required pace at a 

 moment's notice, and it not being supposed that it is to be given gratis, 

 far from it, how is full toll to be exacted for every inch ? This is 

 usually done by raising the point of the rod more or less according to 

 circumstances, and thus compelling the fish to bend it before he can get 

 the line to run, and to bend it more and more as you feel you can 

 steadily raise the point still further, till eventually you nearly " show him 

 the butt." 



Playing. Different men kill their fish differently, some taking 

 twice as much time about it as others. My preference is for having 



* There will be more to say about winch friction when we corns to winches ; but 

 enough here for our present purpose. 



