1 68 The Carnatic Carp. CHAP. xi. 



100 miles or more down the same river in the Tanjore District. I 

 have, therefore, grounds for thinking it is more widespread than 

 Dr. Jerdon was aware of at that time. It is thus clearly not confined 

 to the base of the hills. 



H , who is a good fisherman, writes me that he came across 



very heavy Carnatic Carp at Hoginkal, on the Cavery. " They would 

 look at, but would not take a fly there. They took a green weed called 

 Pcisam freely," but were as cunning as a fox. 



The Carnatic Carp was introduced into the Bilikal Lake, and the 

 Ootakamund Lake, on the Nilagiris. It is known to be flourishing in 

 the former water, and is believed to be so also in the latter. Fishermen 

 should try them with a boat. 



The best hours for fishing are, in my view, from dawn till n, and 

 from 3 to dusk, though just at dusk I could frequently do nothing with 

 them. Fishing for such long hours as from dawn to n, and often 

 getting up at half-past 3 or 4 in the morning, to get out to your ground 

 by dawn, one gets a little bit hungry before n, and if you allow yourself 

 to get faint and hungry under a tropical sun, you are simply tempting a 

 sunstroke, and, what is more my business, perhaps, you are not fishing 

 well, but in a slovenly, tired manner. You are not half enjoying it, 

 and you are not killing nearly as many fish as you would be killing if 

 you were feeling quite fit. Now, to think of sitting down to eat while 

 fish are rising is too Gothic. The precious moments cannot possibly 

 be spared for such low uses ; so my little plan is to take Abernethy 

 biscuits in the left pocket. They are easily broken with one hand, and 

 eaten without taking your right hand off the rod, or your eye off the 

 line for one moment. Many a one have I eaten while in the act of 

 playing a good fish. In England, where you are at it all day, from 

 morn to eve, and are not going home to breakfast and shelter during 

 the heat of the day, there is nothing like sitting down comfortably to a 

 pleasant meal and chat, and bit of a rest ; that's quite another case. 

 Then you should take something for your man as well as for yourself- 

 A gentleman I know of had failed in this little forethought, and was 

 rebuked for it. He had had his snack and was at work again. His 

 man had had none. But no better luck attended the afternoon 

 fishing than had come in the morning; the basket was as empty as 

 the man's inside, and the master broke the silence with "The fish 

 won't bite." Thereon the man incisively: "Woant boite, woant 'eyv 



