CHAPTER XII. 



SMALLER FLY TAKERS. 



*- 



" Be mindful aye your fly to throw 

 Light as falls the flaky snow." 



IZAAK WALTON. 



THUS far the weapon of warfare has been mainly the salmon rod. But 

 there is business to be done with the trout rod also, and as it has its 

 devotees, a few pages must be given to smaller fish that rise to a trout 

 fly. Some of them are very small, certainly, but you are not bound to 

 fish for them because they are just mentioned ; and why should not 

 ladies and boys have fishing? There are some old boys, too, who will 

 whip away at anything, however small. And quite right, too, when 

 there's nothing bigger to be got. It does them good. It's the only 

 medicine for the mania which is in many of us. Besides some of these 

 fish are easily introducible into any pond, and are otherwise more 

 within every-day reach than the mighty rivers which hold the Mahseer 

 and the Carnatic Carp, rivers to which it is not convenient to every- 

 body to make a pilgrimage. Without further apology, therefore, I shall 

 introduce my little friends. 



I shall endeavour to call them by simple names. But this is not 

 easy, for the majority of Indian fish are known only to Ichthyologists 

 and native fishermen, and have, consequently, only Ichthyological or 

 vernacular names. Except in the case of the Mahseer, where the 

 Hindustani name has been adopted, the use of vernacular names seems 

 a mistake, as they differ with the language and locality. The full 

 Ichthyological name is frequently too long for common adoption. 

 Where the correct name can be simply anglicized, as in the Carnatic 

 Carp, it seems best to follow it. Where it cannot, and I am not aware 

 of any name ordinarily used by Englishmen, I hope I may be excused 



