2O 



The Mahseer. 



CHAP. II. 



another basket-boat a gaff enabled me to take the fish by surprise in 

 deep water, and he was lifted into my coracle. In such a position it 

 is well to know the proper way to use a gaff on a Mahseer. And in any 

 r- case a gaff is the thing for freshwater sharks, so I 

 give illustrations of the collapsing or telescopic gaff- 

 hook, and handle, which is of course the more ex- 

 pensive ; the gaff-hook that screws into a socket fixed 

 at the end of a handle ; and the gaff-hook that can be 

 lashed on to any bamboo. 



Netting. With a really big Mahseer a landing- 

 net is out of the question, as no landing-net ever 

 made would hold him. Still I have found a big 

 salmon-net very useful when fishing from a boat, as it 

 saved the too precious time which would have been 

 lost in getting ashore, and saved also lamentably dis- 

 turbing the beautiful water which would have had to 

 be crossed to the only available landing-place ; and amongst forests 

 and high banks and rocks that landing-place was not to be seen, and 

 was perhaps half a mile off. My landing-net was of the steel-ring, 

 jointed, collapsible sort, i foot 3 inches across the mouth when open, 

 and 2 feet 6 inches deep in the net, and the net made very full so as to 

 allow of a fish of over two feet long lying across at full length 



directly it is in the net. And 

 so lying it is difficult for him 

 to get out again. In place of 

 a stone to sink the net I 

 bored a hole through a bullet 

 and tied it permanently to the 

 bottom of the net. This net 

 screwed into a socket fitted on 

 to a stout male bamboo, which socket equally fitted the gaff-hook, 

 so that net and gaff were readily interchangeable, according to the 

 requirements of the fish. 



There is also the triangular landing-net affected by some because of 

 its lightness. It is a pattern that admits of easy enlargement to any size 

 desired, by simply extending the arms with bamboos. 



Here let me quote from "Tank Angling" in connection with Labeo : 

 " As the fish are heavy, not only must the handle be strong, but it must 



CLOSED 



