390 Fishing Localities. CHAP. xxvi. 



Chin Hills. I am indebted to Mr. Whitehead for obtaining for me 

 from Mr. Bigg-Wither the following note of fishing on the Chin Hills, 

 the first notice I have seen of the fishing in that locality, though one 

 felt sure that there must be Mahseer in those mountain streams. 

 Mr. Whitehead writes that his correspondent tells him that the 

 Mahseer there "scarcely ever take a spoon or spun bait, real or 

 artificial, nor will they have anything to say to a worm, which Mr. 

 'Whitehead found so effective in the Nampoung River. I can under- 

 stand," he continues, " their not taking spun bait in the Manipur River, 

 as I am told it is never quite clear at any season." 



If the anglers in these rivers that will not clear would try picketing 

 live bait, as suggested in Chapter IX., and suitable tackle, they would 

 probably take generally finer Mahseer ; though they record some of 

 good sizes. 



The Peepul berry mentioned as the bait used is the Ficus religiosa. 



" I started in a small river about forty miles north of the Kale'myo, Fort 

 White road, named the Manldn Choung, I believe, and in another about 

 six miles south of it. The bait was the ' peepul ' berry of red and yellow 

 colours, and about the size of a smallish cherry. Thrown more or less as a 

 fly, the splash attracted the fish. 



" March 1st, 2| Ibs., on atta ; Hth, 4! Ibs., on atta. 



"April 1 5th, 1894. Twenty-nine Mahseer, 2, if, I, I, I, I lb., and the 

 rest from to \ lb. Lost three bigger ones by cast breaking. 



"April i6th, 1894. Morning, five Mahseer from lb. to 2 Ibs. ; after- 

 noon, two fish, 3i Ibs. and f lb. 



"April i;th. Morning, nine fish, 2, i|-, I, I, I, I lb., and the rest about 

 |- lb. ; afternoon, two fish, f lb. 



"April I9th. Morning, ten fish, 4, 3^, 3!, 2, 2, i, I lb., rest small ( lb.). 



"April 20th. Morning, 3, i|, i, i lb. ; afternoon, 3, 1, \ lb. 



"April 22nd. Another stream. Eleven fish, 2, i| Ibs., the rest from 

 iy Ibs. down to ^ lb. Two men, using rod alternately. 



" April 23rd. Two men, one rod. Eleven fish, 4. 3 Ibs. ; six fish of 

 from 2 to 2| Ibs., and three small. 



"April 24th. Thirteen fish from i down to ~ lb. (two men). Some- 

 times sinking bait (peepul berry) to bottom and letting it stop there 

 caught fish. We had only one rod out with us ; many fish lost 

 through gut breaking. 



" 1895. March and April. A few fish from 2 Ibs. down in Manipur river 

 on atta. Colonel Keary caught about half a dozen, from 18 Ibs. to 

 6 Ibs., on atta. 



" March 2oth. On gram thrown as fly in small river. 



