MAHSER FISHING 5T 



which really count ; and after that I am always 

 eager to finish with a fish and get on to the next. 



A mahser nearly always rushes down- stream 

 when he is hooked, and, if there is an island or 

 big rock in the river, he will take the deeper channel. 

 If a fish is on one side of an island or rock, and you 

 are on the other, he will break you ; and, as the 

 fish rushes down-stream, you must contrive to 

 follow him and keep on the right side of any 

 obstacle. This often necessitates fording the 

 river in strong water, where there is a very 

 appreciable risk of being drowned. Some of the 

 Indian fishing- ghillies, I have had have been 

 first-rate in the water, as they were good swimmers 

 and with their bare feet they got a good foothold 

 on the sand or rocks on the bottom. Often I 

 have been borne struggling down-stream, clinging 

 desperately to my ghillie with one hand, and 

 holding on to a big fish with the other. My 

 friend, the late Colonel Downman of the Gordon 

 Highlanders, who was a fine fisherman, told me 

 that he once went down a rapid on the Giri with 

 a 34-pounder, but this is a feat which I have never 

 been called upon to attempt. 



On one occasion I was fording the Giri River in 

 high flood with Mihndu, the syce, Mihtab Khan, 

 who was lame, having crossed the river on the 

 mare's back at another place. A local native 

 had shown us the fords, and with arms linked 

 we were working our way across. Suddenly 

 the local native, fearing apparently that I might 

 be drowned, lost his nerve, threw off my arm 

 with a cry, and went to one side. I exhorted 

 Mihndu to be firm, and he clung desperately to 



