FISHING IN THE EAST 



me that he would not have come except to oblige, as the time of year was 

 hopeless. He had fished only in the bold biting season, in the rains, when 

 a rohu will promptly take a pike float under water. In the shy biting 

 season, as far as his methods were concerned, his words were confirmed 

 by results. He caught nexf to nothing, and those few only little ones, for, 

 with his large float, he could not see the subtle bites in that season, and even 

 when seen on my more sensitive float, he tenaciously held to it that they 

 must be the bites of small fry. And so would ninety-nine men out of a 

 hundred till they learnt better. Fishing close to each other at the same 

 time the methods to be given below resulted in a very good bag, including 

 individuals of twenty pounds and thereabouts. I find it recorded that I took 

 twenty by my methods to one taken by his. And devices that will catch 

 them in the dull season when none others will, are equally available in 

 the bold biting season, and will even then give you a decided advantage 

 over others. Similarly a friend using my methods caught seven to one of 

 the fish caught by his companions in the ordinary English manner, and 

 I have caught twelve to one with expert natives fishing by my side. It 

 points the moral that the mode of fishing should be adapted to a study of 

 the idiosyncrasies of the fish. 



Among these is yet another not mentioned above. This fish, though 

 not showing his sides above the surface like the seetul, still comes close 

 up to it, rolling about and making the water boil, which might equally 

 lead you to think he was a surface feeder. But his form tells quite another 

 tale. He simply could not feed at the surface if he tried. He is only in high 

 spirits and at play. It is a most welcome indication, however, that he is 

 on the feed. Throw in a little ground bait close around your fioat, and he 

 will follow it down, and draw others after him. 



And what is the practical use to be made of this preliminary study of 

 natural peculiarities ? It is with bait actually resting on the bottom that 

 we must fish, the fioat must be as sensitive as we can make it, the running 

 line must be fine, and the sinking weight, for which the roach fisher 

 would use split shot, must be so disposed as not to affect the sensitiveness 

 of the float, and lastly the rod must be one facilitating quick striking. 

 Take your seat exactly where you are going to fish, and use no separate 

 plunmiet, but a strip of lead round the bend of the hook you are going to 

 fish with, plumb the depth exactly, and straight under the point of your 

 ten -foot rod held as you will hold it when fishing, plumb it till you get the 

 adjusted fioat riding at an angle. The hook may be a No. 1 Limerick, eyed 



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