CHAP, xi i L My Methods Endorsed. 193 



gentlemen caught six more. The largest fish we caught weighed 18 Ibs. 

 and the smallest about 12 Ibs. In five or six days fishing nearly seventy 

 fish were landed and the tank (1000 x 500 feet) is crammed with fish. The 

 largest Rohu I have caught was in Tirhoot, and weighed 54 Ibs." 



Sixteen fish weighing together 208 Ibs. means an average weight of 

 13 Ibs. each. Again I have it recorded that one rod has been known 

 to kill 200 Ibs. weight in a day, the fish being from 27 Ibs. and 23 Ibs. 

 each downwards, the smallest being 2 Ibs. Will this content him ? 



But if such arguments suffice for the roach fisher they will make 

 no impression on the salmon tamer, the Mahseer conqueror, and the 

 fly fisher, who simply laugh bottom fishing to scorn without ever trying 

 it. They scorn, forsooth, because they know nothing about it, whereas, 

 if they only tried it, they would infallibly be converted, for I never 

 knew any fisherman, however good at Mahseer, who had once tried 

 this Labeo fishing with me and was not fully converted to it as taxing 

 all his skill in a higher degree than any other fishing, and as showing 

 sport of a superior order. 



But there is yet another class of scoffers, those who believe in the 

 fishing, but not in my methods. For them I cannot do better than 

 quote the words of a convert. Mr. H. S. Dunsford, a " good wine " 

 that " needs no bush," by way of saying he is a good fisherman, writes 

 in the " Angler's Handbook " : 



" After many years of excellent tank fishing I would strongly advise 

 those who wish for success in this kind of sport to accept Mr. Thomas's 

 teachings unreservedly and entirely. I have met many sceptics who have 

 scoffed at his insistance upon the use of very sensitive floats, absolute 

 exactness in the regulation of the depth of the bait, etc., etc., and their 

 argument has been that they have done very well without these precautions. 

 This is no doubt quite true. In my earlier experiences of tank fishing I 

 obtained very fair sport myself, though I was very casual in my use of 

 floats, regulation of depth, and so on, but experientia docet, and looking 

 back to those days I feel with many a vain regret that if I had only known 

 as much as I do now, thanks to Mr. Thomas's teachings grafted on to my 

 more slowly gathered and much less perfect knowledge, my sport, instead 

 of having been ' very fair,' would have been ' Magnificent ' with a capital M." 



A friend who had fished with me and was a believer in my methods, 

 wrote me : 



"You would have given ^100 to see R. fishing. He had your book 

 in his hand, and was reading it and fishing, and alternately striking 



THE ROD IN INDIA. O 



