CHAP. XIX. 



Ootacamund. 



263 



fine fly-taking friend of Chapter XI., introduced by Dr. Day, is 

 flourishing. The then owner of it, Mr. Thomas Kaye, told me, in 

 September, 1875, that he saw the big fish spawning on the shallows of 

 the lake, sixteen at a time, and that they rose best to the fly in the 

 N.E. monsoon, after and in a shower ; that they took butterflies, when he 

 threw them in, and tried at swallows. He had shot 3 Ib. fish, and had 

 seen them 4 feet long in the water. He heard them splashing from 

 his bungalow, which is two or three hundred yards away from the lake. 



THE OOTACAMUND LAKE. 



He preserves well from netting, and is kindly about allowing gentlemen 

 anglers to fish. But alas ! alas ! he had put in the small English carp 

 from Ootacamund in 1874. The present owner is, I am told, 

 V. Thiruvengadaswami Mudaliar. 



I paid one day's visit to the Billikal Lake, which is about 6 miles 

 from Ootacamund, but could catch none, because the big fish keep to 

 the deep water, and are unapproachable without a boat. Any one 

 essaying them there should have a basket boat brought up from the 

 low country, or try the deep water near the embankment, bottom 



