104 How, When, and Where to Fish for Mahseer. CHAP. vi. 



When you get farther north still the matter is further complicated by 

 melting snows, and certain rivers have idiosyncrasies, as the Ganges, 

 page 51, supra, and others mentioned in the "Angler's Handbook," 

 from which I quote the following, premising that for " In India " I 

 would read the Bengal Presidency : 



"Season. In India there is not much doubt but that March and 

 October are the two best months for fishing in most waters, and on the 

 whole the spring fishing is the best ; but, of course, in different rivers the 

 seasons differ according as to whether the water is affected by the melting 

 snows. For instance, fishing in the Poonch after the middle of April is 

 uncertain, and at times almost useless, at least for spoon fishing, as the 

 river is swollen by the melted snows ; whereas the Mahl, only three or four 

 marches distant and in the same territory, is beautifully clear until the 

 rains commence in July, and in fact March seems to be almost too early 

 for this stream, as the snow on the hills near the Mahl melts very early. 

 Again, in the small streams round Pindi, which are scarcely affected by 

 snow water, fishing may be carried on almost all the year round. As a 

 general rule, December, January, and February are blank months, but 

 General Dandridge's wonderful bag made at Torbela in January, 1887, 

 and recorded in Part II., shows that on occasions the fish will take 

 ravenously even in the cold weather. This is, however, very rare, and 

 quite exceptional, and as a general rule it may be taken for granted that 

 there is no fishing obtainable during these months." 



For Burmah I am told : " The rivers begin to clear the second 

 week in September, and are, for the most part, in good order by 

 ist October." 



These then being the general seasons, it is still to be remembered 

 that Mahseer, as well as Labeo, and probably most similar Indian fish, 

 are not exempt from being put off their feed by thunder in the air, just 

 as trout are in England, and also by cold winds, but you will not be so 

 often troubled with this in India as in England because the climate is 

 not so variable. And especially on the clearing of the floods after the 

 rains you will be quite free. Then is your time, carpe diem, for you 

 will get a carp a day, or rather several Mahseer. 



Where there is rice cultivation you are sometimes troubled by 

 discoloration from ploughing for a second crop, but these are very 

 local and temporary grievances. 



The time of day is also a thing to be considered. Fish will run all 

 day long, especially on cloudy days, but I don't much believe in them 



