402 Fishing Localities. CHAP. xxvi. 



" In eleven days 87 fish were caught, weighing 1 145 Ibs ; being an average 

 of rather more than 13 Ibs. 2| ozs. each. 



" I hope I have been able to convey to your readers some idea of what 

 splendid sport Mahseer fishing is in India, especially in a good river. For 

 gameness and vigour the Mahseer, to my thinking, is superior to any 

 salmon ; his rushes are grand. His not taking fly as readily as bait is, of 

 course, a drawback. A friend has landed a 63-pounder in splendid con- 

 dition with fly ; but still it is undeniable that a man fishing with bait, 

 natural or artificial, will make a heavier bag than one fishing with fly only. 

 As far as my experience goes, phantom minnows, natural bait, and spoon 

 are all equally good, and I invariably gave them all a try over the same 

 water. I used to weight my line very heavily, putting on at least the weight 

 of an Enfield bullet, and to that * I attribute my catching heavier fish than 

 A. The phantoms we used were at least 6 inches long. Big fish, however, 

 have been landed with much smaller ones. The principal objection to the 

 small phantoms is the difficulty f of being able to use hooks strong enough. 

 My favourite spoon was the size of a dessert spoon. 



" The sun in the day time in March is powerful, the nights are very cool 

 almost cold. The previous year we fished in April; even then living 

 under canvas is bearable ; but the great objection is not so much the actual 

 heat as the constant dread of the snows melting, for when that happens an 

 end is of course put to all sport for the season. % 



" Our two friends landed 339 Ibs. of fish, but caught none of any very 

 great size. They were fishing five days. In the previous year three rods 

 (of which I was one) caught 700 Ibs. in five days, averaging over i8j Ibs. 

 each, in this same river, the Poonch. In one day we landed 358 Ibs. 



" K." 



Extract from the "Asian" of 2nd September, 1879. 



"In most localities, it is quite out of the question going out in July, 

 August, and September. The rain is one hindrance, muddy water another, 

 fever, etc., a good third. The consequence is, no one ventures out, except 

 perhaps once or twice during what should be ' close ' time. The only true 

 fishing months may, therefore, be confined to October and November, and 



from February to the rains. 



****** 



" First, then, Mirzapore is the railway station, and thence some 25 miles 



* Because the Mahseer is mainly a bottom feeder, and a great fish eater. See 

 pages 45 and 46. 



t This difficulty is got over by a hook made specially for Mahseer. See page 269. 



\ Colonel Parsons has now shown us that we may still continue fishing by his 

 method. Chapter IX. 



This difficulty is now overcome. See Chap ter IX. 



