CHAP. xxvi. Northern India. 397 



3 Ibs. respectively, which was not bad, as we had not a rise before three 

 in the afternoon, and it was dark by six. The water was rather thick, 

 especially in the pool. At dinner we discussed the failures and successes of 

 the day, repaired our damaged tackle, devised fresh schemes for capturing 

 the wily Mahseer, and then turned in, so as to be up and ready by daylight. 



" Our custom was t_> fish from daylight (about half-past five o'clock) till 

 nine or ten, and not start again till between two and three, when we fished 

 till dark. Our time between breakfast and our start in the afternoon was 

 always fully occupied in repairing tackle, whipping fresh hooks, or making 

 entirely new lines, so that the time never hung heavy on our hands. 



" Next morning A. tried the junction with fly, as the water was somewhat 

 clearer, but without success. At times, however, Mahseer rise well ; by far 

 the most deadly fly indeed, the only one that appears to tempt them was 

 Madras jungle-cock feathers in the wings ; if with silver body all the better. 

 While A. was wading at the junction I fished from the boat in the pool, and 

 landed one of 18 Ibs. Shortly afterwards we changed places A. fished 

 from the boat, and I waded. I first tried fly, but not getting a rise, put on 

 a phantom. Hooked one, played him for some time, and lost him ; so then, 

 as it was quite breakfast time, I walked back to camp, where I found A. in 

 great glee, having just brought home a splendid fish of 40 Ibs. In addition 

 to this monster he had hooked five others, all of which got away. As the 

 day turned out cloudy, and our keenness was redoubled by the sight of the 

 4o-pounder, off we started soon after breakfast, and made a brilliant begin- 

 ning by landing a 36 Ibs. and 40 Ibs. between us. Then came a lull, and 

 we did nothing till the afternoon was well advanced ; then we had sport 

 indeed. On our return to camp there were laid out before our admiring 

 gaze, as the result of our day's sport, seven fish, of 44 Ibs., 40 Ibs., 36 Ibs., 

 1 8 Ibs., and 14 Ibs., making a total of 210 Ibs. a feat as regards actual 

 weight for number of fish seldom, if ever, surpassed in rod fishing, and as 

 regards sport certainly unequalled. I have never seen salmon run as 

 vigorously or as long as these fish ; they are game to the backbone ; and, 

 bearing in mind that we were fishing with treble gut, it will be seen that 

 their powers of endurance are very great, for I never spare my fish in fact, 

 I fear I lost some by being over severe with them. During their run they 

 take out the line so very quickly, that one has the greatest difficulty in 

 preventing it from hanking on the reel, in consequence of the bar on which 

 the line is wound revolving after the fish stops running. At first I fished 

 with reel and rings under the rod, but I found that did not answer, as some 

 of the rings were cut through in a couple of days by the friction of the line ; 

 so I was speedily converted to the Irish fashion of reversing the rod as soon 

 as a fish was hooked, thereby having the reel and rings uppermost, and so 

 placing all the strain and friction on the rod itself. Another advantage was, 

 that by so doing one was enabled to prevent the line hanking in the reel by 

 pressing one's fingers against the line. This plan was effective, but not 

 always agreeable, as I found to my cost, occasionally having had the tips of 



