FISHING IN THE EAST 



and the stolen bait acts as ground bait, and brings flsh about you, but 

 not more than three together, or you cannot separate to play a big one, 

 and keep free of your neighbours. And in fairness, all should fish at the 

 same distance from the bank or steps. 



A little ground bait thrown in from time to time on the shore side of 

 your float will bring fish about you. Thoroughly well-sodden bran in balls 

 will sink fast enough, and answer the purpose. Dry bran will float away 

 on the surface, and do more harm than good. 



And how shall I satisfy the unbelieving angler that my insisting upon the 

 exact time to strike is not all fidget ? By an experience and then an explana - 

 tory reason. H. wrote me: "You would have given £100 to see R. fishing 

 with your book in his hands. * It's all lies, all lies,' he cried, nearly flinging 

 the book into the water, till after two days, striking harder and harder in 

 desperation, he struck a two-pounder, which went over his head and was 

 stunned against the wall behind him, and his rod was in pieces. * There's 

 something in it,' he said." Meanwhile H., by his side, had taken eighty- 

 three pounds weight. Similarly every unbelieving newcomer, wedded to 

 his Western views, will miss bite after bite till he gets to disbelieving the 

 book and himself and everything. It was only H.'s example by his side 

 that kept R. at it for two days, hoping and trying. From the third day and 

 after he was a successful, happy angler. 



And what may be the reason for the peculiar biting ? I fancy it 

 comes from the fimbriated mouth orifice; the fish in pushing down on 

 the bait getting the short tentacles round it, and when they have got 

 a grip of it and are thrusting it into the mouth, then comes the rapid 

 vibration which, in the bold -biting season, is emphasized to a quick 

 succession of bobs. 



The above remarks are applicable only to smooth-surfaced water, 

 which is the general, the almost universal rule in these high -banked, 

 sheltered reservoirs. Exceptionally, as in the magnificent Hassan Sagar 

 tank at Hyderabad, in the Deccan, tanks are open, extensive and wind- 

 swept, with a surface of waves in which it is impossible for any con- 

 ceivable fioat, rising and falling with the wave, one moment submerged, 

 the next lying fiat, to indicate the minute bites of the shy -biting season. 

 Anything floating on the wave is useless. Heu inimica fata! The tank is full 

 of five, ten and twenty pounders. What can be done now ? Take a very 

 fine tough light rod three feet six inches long, that will bend and not 

 break. The natives use a carefully selected branch of bamboo, as fine as 



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