CHAP. ii. Edibility of Mahseer. 23 



so much so that " de gustibus non est dispntandiim " is an axiom. Is it 

 fair, then, that I should be called upon to say whether or not the 

 Mahseer is good eating ? All I can say is that I have tasted Mahseer 

 in such high condition that they were excellent, they were so rich that 

 one could not eat any melted butter or other sauce with them, and so 

 well flavoured that they seemed to me to stand between the salmon 

 and the trout for the table. Such a fish must be one that has not even 

 commenced partially spawning, much less one that has completed that 

 operation. The best size for flavour is, in my opinion, about 6 Ibs. or 

 7 Ibs., say from 2 to 10 Ibs. When less than 2 Ibs. they are too bony, 

 when much larger than 10 Ibs. they are apt to be too gross and oily for 

 European tastes; but they are always thought thoroughly edible by 

 your camp. Natives, whom I have supplied with more than they could 

 eat fresh, said it salted well, but I never tried, and tastes differ, though 

 rich fish do as a rule salt well. But see remarks in the next chapter on 

 spent fish. 



You will want one attendant with you to land your fish and carry 

 them, as well as to carry and prepare bait, as we shall see hereafter, and 

 to relieve you of your heavy salmon rod between whiles when clambering 

 over rocks from one good place to another ; in short, to take off your 

 hands all the drudgery of fishing, and to leave you only the sport. 

 Pick out one or more likely fellows therefore, and train them. 



But I have been rather putting the cart before the horse, indulging 

 in the sport given by a Mahseer before saying how to hook him, 

 seemingly forgetting the wise saw " First catch your hare." Perhaps 

 it was by way of offering some inducement to anglers to accompany me 

 out fishing in the next chapter but one, for they can skip the inter- 

 mediate short chapter or not, according as they care or do not care to 

 know anything about the natural history of the Mahseer. 



