DOWN IN THE DEEP VALLEYS BY THE STREAMS 67 



hoping he will stop before the bamboo is bent double or 

 something breaks. If your cast is the best treble salmon- 

 gut with two strong swivels, and the line be sound and 

 the hooks extra strong, you may at last get a pull on him 

 in the next deep pool, where he will go to the bottom and 

 try and rub himself clear against the rocks. If he fails 

 he will sulk for some time, and you can wind up for a 

 second rush. You shout for a companion or a native 

 assistant with a gaff, but it is long enough before the 

 gaff is wanted. If you fail to bring him to the surface 

 you must throw stones in to rouse him, and then away 

 he shoots again for the rapids, springing clean out in the 

 air like a dolphin, his golden sides glistening in the sun. 

 Then slack the line a little as he faUs with a splash into 

 the clear green water, and keep it taut again till you bring 

 him into a shallower place where he cannot sulk. You 

 have to tire him out, and by bringing his nose to the 

 surface you can exhaust him at last, the slender long top 

 of the bamboo always springing as he flounders and plunges 

 with fresh efforts to renew the fight and run for the deep 

 pools below. If he ever gets a straight haul on the line 

 he will smash it with one stroke of his strong tail, but 

 he cannot do so if the point of the rod be kept steadily 

 up. At last — after these performances have been re- 

 peated perhaps many times — you can haul him up into 

 the shoal-water, where is a nice flat sandy beach, and then 

 the gaff may be tried. Be sure it is held in skilful hands, 

 or all your long struggle wiU be in vain. When you see 

 him out safe on dry land, then, and not before, you may 

 say you have fought a good fight and won a noble prize. 



Our camp was pitched on a shingly flat close to the 

 dak bungalow of Bagesar, where the clear bright stream 

 of the Sarju river flowed close by, winding through a 

 beautiful valley of rather wider character than is usual 



5-2 



