CHAP. xxvi. Northern India. 405 



is rather sluggish at places, and does not look deep. Lower and about 

 4 miles from Jhansi off the Burwa Sagar road, is the best and deepest pool ; 

 but though there are numbers of fish in it, I do not remember ever to have 

 taken there one good trout. No reason why others should not, but it was 

 puzzling. 



" Oorcha, the ancient capital of the Raja of Teekumgarh or Tehree, has 

 a wall old and broken, in parts made of loose rocks and boulders piled up, 

 and I fear to say of how many miles in circumference. It is 7 miles, 

 probably. A Gazetteer would simplify matters. The ruins are grand. 

 Here we had many a merry party, and many a jolly day. The Betwa runs 

 close under the old temples, and fish are fairly numerous, though I have 

 never seen one above 8 Ibs. The rapids are splendid, and there is a dam 

 below the old city, which was once unbreached, but has been neglected, and 

 now has one or two rifts in it, and the waters pour through in wild disorder. 

 Many a good fish have I taken there. 



" Most successful was a fly I describe now. Body orange wool, gold 

 twist, yellow tail and yellow wings, with a ' taste ' of red on the shoulders. 

 It is very killing. 



"Another. Body dark yellow, tag of peacock harl, wings black with 

 a few peacock harl in it. I found, however, bright English Salmon flies 

 take well too. 



" Then the country *above Oorcha is splendid. The scenery all the 

 heart could desire, and the Betwa winds through forest lands, now one 

 united stream, and now through several channels, sometimes clear of trees, 

 and more often bordered by them thickly. Fishing is grand, and so is it 

 all on to the bridge over the Jhansi and Lullutpore road. I would like once 

 again to camp up the Betwa's banks from Oorcha to the bridge on the road, 

 and fish the old pool. Just above the bridge, too, is one of the finest pools 

 in the river. It is a ' still ' pool, and requires fishing, but has given good 

 sport. I have given no fly for the Pahooj or Babaries, but here they are, 

 and I am indebted for a knowledge of the first to a friend about those 

 parts : 



" i. Body red, silver twist, wings black, tipped with white (the common 

 Myna will furnish this or the turkey), hook rather small. 



" 2. The ' red spinner.' 



" 3. The ' black spinner,' with silver twist. I found gold twist 

 answer too. 



" The above are probably the best flies, but there may be others. My 

 experience of Jhansi dates only over a year. There are others there who, 

 if they would, could give better information. Then the Dessaun. I hate 

 the river ! There are lots of fish in it, though I do not think so many as in 

 the Betwa, but I never could get a bag out of it. 



" The ' Ghat ' off the road from Jhansi to Nowgong, about 38 miles from 

 Jhansi, and 15 or so from Nowgong, is the place I would choose to try my 

 luck. From thence one can fish some rapids about a mile and a half down 



