ESTUARY FISHING IN WESTERN INDIA. 629 



famous as a sporting fish, than he ever was, by the writings of Mr. Gadsden to 

 this Society. 



But there is one other almost equally well known sporting fish, " The Cock 

 up " or " Nair" (Lates calcarifer), a fly taker, and many more which have, unfor- 

 tunately for themselves, to ascend the Creeks in order to spavin. Next to the 

 Pomphret and Bamin (well known locally as Rawas — (U^TJ ) the " Nair fish " 

 are rightly esteemed the finest eating of any fish along the coast. The enquiries 

 made certainly tend to show that the numbers of these migratory fish are 

 decreasing. I need hardly say that they are comparatively ueldom caught in 

 the Bankot Creek. The reason for this decrease is again, I believe, not very far 

 to seek, if any reliance whatsoever is to be placed on the testimony of fisher- 

 men, and on the observations I have myself been able to m;.ke from time to 

 time. Like the Salmon, these estuary fish ascend the various Creeks not only 

 in order to spawn, but in regular and ordinary pursuit of their food, 

 which consists to a great extent of the fish locally known as " teheg " (a kind 

 of Mullet) and " Noit " (Boleopthalmus boddaerti). The process of spawn- 

 ing in almost all instances is stated to take place with, I think, accuracy 

 between June and August, when, be it noted, the native fishermen, in their 

 hundreds, unable to put to sea, concentrate all their energies on estuary 

 fishing. 



In times of flood, when nature points to additional safety, the larger fish 

 are no doubt able to, and do, to some extent avoid the vast array of trapping 

 engines already mentioned : for that enormous numbers of fry ate caught and 

 destroyed, is merely a matter of fact. I have personally identified the fry of 

 a large number of these migratory fish taken in the Alibag and lievctanda 

 Creeks and have, in fact, 20 specimens before you secured in these Creeks 

 alone, and I have repeatedly seen the little things caught in the higher reaches 

 during the last 3 touring seasons. 



Now, it has already been demonstrated that the size of the mesh, which is the 

 all-important factor, depends, in the Konkan Creeks, more on the expertness of 

 the maker than on any other recognised factor. In a word, the meshes are as 

 small as it is found possible to make them. If we follow this s-tatement to 

 its conclusion, we shall find that on every one of these nets of the " hhoksi" 

 pattern being drawn twice in 24 hours (except during about eight days in each 

 month), they invariably contain a mass of little fry which have, to all intents 

 and purposes, been needlessly and heedlessly slaughiered. If the catch is a 

 satisfactory one (the matter depends a good deal on the state of the market), 

 the drowned fry are now cast away, not in tens and twenties, but in their 

 thousands. Without taking too sentimental or too alarming a view of the 

 position, the simple facts stare us in the face that (a) there are scores, nay 

 hundreds, of nets of various kinds with minute meshes on every Crtek of any 

 length, (J>) that the process of slaughter described with the flow or stream net 

 takes place, with the regularity of clock work, twice in 24 hours, day after day, 

 and (c) that albeit, at other times of the year, Creek stake fishing is 



