CHAP. xxvi. Bombay Presidency. 383 



Karachi. An officer quartered there wrote me that it was easy to 

 get seven days fishing, omitting Sunday, out of ten days leave, by going 

 to the Hubb, which is 17 miles from Kurachi by horse or camel. Camel 

 carts can go, but are not recommended. No bungalow, no supplies, 

 tents needed. The Hubb, he says, is a large river, with deep pools 

 walled in by rocks. In the large pool just below Morad Khans bund 

 he got a 27-lb. Mahseer on a spoon. The natives say Mahseer are not 

 to be found lower down. Others caught smaller Mahseer with flies. 

 He heard of a 20 pounder having been caught there. He explored for 

 4 miles above the bund, and found a good many deep pools with sand 

 between, the river being very low, as it was February. Nevertheless the 

 pools were evidently very deep, but not clear, as he could not see the 

 bottom. The water was said to be better the higher you go, which it 

 is natural that it should be, as you would get away from the sand and 

 get into more rocky country. Also February was a very poor month, 

 about the worst in which to try the river. Being influenced by the 

 south-west monsoon the proper months would be from i5th September 

 to ist January. 



Quetta. An officer fished the Hurnai river from Babar Kuch 

 railway station, going thence to a lovely little bungalow, Kilat-i-Kila, 

 in the middle of the hills, within half a mile of the river, and about 

 6 miles lower down than Barbar Kuch. Here he had fair sport, the 

 fish running not over loj Ibs., but all taken on a single-handed trout 

 rod. Much better sport had been had there by another a little earlier. 

 The snows melt there in April, May, June, at the end of July the rivers 

 have cleared, and the best fishing is in August, September, October ; 

 by November, when my correspondent was fishing, it gets too cold. 



Again he went to Hurnai railway station, and walked 4 miles to a 

 tiny stream in which he and another had excellent sport. It was so 

 small that it hardly seemed worth fishing, yet in two hours in the 

 evening he took 31 fish weighing 24^- Ibs., and averaging a little over 

 Ib. each, the biggest weighing 2 Ibs. " It was most difficult fishing," 

 he writes, " as one had to fling one's little spoon into tiny little corners 

 or under bushes. In one place I pulled out four fish of about f Ib. each, 

 one after another, and yet it appeared to me that I was throwing into 

 a little spot about the size of the seat of the chair I am now sitting on." 

 And yet he was not happy, for he adds, " If I could only have got my 

 ] eave after the snow water had passed down," etc. He was fishing 



