158 The Carnatic Carp. CHAP. xi. 



It is properly a light two-handed rod. Where there are only Carnatic 

 Carp to be considered, undoubtedly it is the right rod for them, and as 

 you would not fish for Carnatic Carp, or " the likes of them," except 

 where the chances of Mahseer were few in comparison, you should 

 then take the rod which best suits the style of fishing contemplated. 

 But if the chances are at all even, of course you will prefer to be 

 prepared for all comers with a i6-ft. rod, and should a 5o-lb. Mahseer, 

 instead of a Carnatic Carp, take your fly, to be able to pass the word 

 " ready, aye ready," and to look to making him your own, instead of 

 being anxious to get it out of his mouth, like the thrifty Scot of 

 Punch : 



DONALD. " E h, Sir ! yons a gran' fesh ye've gotten a baud o' ! " 

 THE LAIRD. " Oo, aye, a gran' fesh eno', but I'd be gay an' glad if I saw my 

 twa and saxpenny flee weel oot o' his mooth ! " 



I have killed these fish, for please remember that we are discussing 

 nothing but the Carnatic Carp in this chapter, on flies of many colours, 

 and of pretty nearly all sizes, from a No. i Limerick to a No. 6 

 Limerick (my scale), and even a No. 5 Sneck bend, which is equivalent 

 to a No. 8 Limerick, and I have killed on a phantom minnow, and on 

 a spoon, and on spun dead bait ; but I have killed both more and 

 larger fish on a No. 6 Limerick hook, and have done more business 

 with a dark, gaudy fly, composed body, legs, and wings entirely of 

 peacock harl, than with anything else ; though my old friend the simple 

 black fly seems to be very little less attractive than his more glistening 

 brother. Still, I am bound to confess that there once was an evening, 

 a memorable evening, it was a sorely trying evening, when the fish 

 were rising freely at some natural fly, and would not look at our flies. 

 The natural fly was on only for a brief space at sunset, and I could 

 not catch it, but it seemed as small as an ordinary trout fly, if not 

 smaller. Trout will play you the same trick sometimes, when they 

 are " midging," even though you think you have every fly entomologi- 

 cally worked out, and exactly prepared for their acceptance, so that 

 sometimes it really does seem that like the little boy : 



" Who can thoroughly enjoy 



The pepper when he pleases, 

 They only do it to annoy 

 Because they know it teases." 



Still our flies did their work very well ordinarily, for we got fish 



