CHAPTER XIV. 

 FRESHWATER SHARKS. 



" FALSTAFF : If the young dace be a bait for the old pike, I see no reason in the 

 law of nature but I may snap at him." 



HENRY IV. 2nd Part. 



Wallago attu. 



Wallago attu (Tamil, Vale ; Gwali, Punj. ; Hindustani, Bawali, 

 Boali ; Latchi and Mulley, and Bawari of Tirhoot ; Lanch and Lanchi, 

 of Deoli ; Assamese, Baralie) has been treated as a pond fish in " Tank 

 Angling," because he is seldom fished for in rivers, Mahseer there 

 claiming prior attention, and is always present in reservoirs that are 

 river fed. But he has therein been treated with scant courtesy because 

 he came in our way when better employed with Labeo, and when so 

 employed I would not advise any other way of fishing for him than I 

 have therein set down. But if you prefer to devote yourself entirely to 

 him, or come on a reservoir, as I have, where the circumstances were 

 not suitable to labeos, and there didn't seem to be any, you may have 

 very good sport out of him by substituting your light labeo rod for your 

 pike or salmon rod, and spinning with a small fish the size of your 

 forefinger, or even with a small i| inch spoon. With such light tackle 

 they give excellent sport, as I found in a reservoir shown me by 

 Mr. H. S. Dunsford, and induced, as I was, to try it by the record of 

 his bags. Between 9 A.M. and 10.30 A.M., he killed n, weighing 

 together 4olbs., the biggest being lolbs. After breakfast he killed 9 

 more, weighing 45 Ibs., the three biggest fish being i2lbs., lolbs., and 

 81bs. Then trying another pond he took 12 more weighing 30 Ibs., 

 which makes a total for the day on one rod of 32 Wallago attu, or as 

 they are called in those parts, Mulley, weighing 115 IbS'. Half of these 

 were caught on a i? inch spoon, half on fish. In another place he 



