THE MAKING OF A HIMALAYAN TROUT WATER, 319 



Of the Kulu water flies the commonest are, as is natural in a mountain 

 stream, Trichoptera or Caddis, with species akin to Rhyacophilidae, Hydro- 

 psychid(S and Lepidostoma. Other species of which adult flies have been 

 examined by Mr. Martin E. Mosley resembled Sericostomatidce, (Grannom 

 and Welshman's Button) but were said by him to be smaller than English 

 flies thus named by anglers and to resemble more closely the genus Micra- 

 sema found on the continent of Europe. 



EpTiemeridce are hardly less abundant than Caddis, and the commonest 

 type is the flat Baetis with semicircular head and very broad legs. 

 Mr. Mosely found a nymph of this type closely resembling the March 

 Brown Ecdyurus cenosus : and the large grey larvise in my collection came 

 from the coldest and most torrential part of the river. In the brooks and 

 runners are many swimminc/ larvse resembling Clceon which produce a two 

 winged fly — rather longer than an Olive Dun. Burrowing larvse like 

 Palingenia with long bodies, small heads, and forelegs intended for digging I 

 have not identified yet in Kulu : but Mr. Mosely found some nymphs of 

 Ephemerella vfhich. cannot " dig itself in" in the larval state but disguises 

 itself with a shield of mud. This fly closely resembles the Blue Winged 

 Olive. I have caught adult epjliemeridm which 1 should myself have called 

 Olive Duns, Iron Blue Duns, and Yellow Duns in England. 



Ferlidce .^kxa.OT\g the bottles sent with this paper are undeniable " Stone 

 flies" — imayines axiAlarvce, and this family is represented by several species, 



I am no entomologist, however : I only hope that the collection and these 

 notes may one day inspire an Indian Halford to go to Kulu and work out 

 the entomology of the Beas. Enough has been said to assure anglers — for 

 whom this paper is chiefly intended — that there is "fly on the water" and 

 plenty of it. Whether the Beas will ever be a good fly fishing water re- 

 mains to be seen. Personally I doubt it. Trout all the world over eat 

 more fly larvce and other " underwater" food than they do flies : and the 

 Beas trout certainly take early in life to devouring their Aryan brothers 

 the barbel. On most parts of the river (probably) the spoon and phantom 

 and " creeper" will kill fish more readily than the fly. But — nous verrons. 



The valley is pastoral and abounds in terrestrial flies and beetles, especi- 

 ally those which breed in the excreta of grazing sheep. These are washed 

 into the river in large quantities during the monsoon, and no doubt feed 

 many trout. 



At any rate the river contains ''homes" : it contains "food". — What of 

 the " nurseries" ? And are they well supplied with food ? 



NUKSERIES. 



Here the thermometer and microscope come into play. No other Anglo- 

 Indian has a keener nose for a rising temperature than the British trout 

 fry in Indian water. Careful observations on a spring fed stream varying 

 from 52° F. at the source to 68° F. at the confluence with the river and 

 heavily stocked with fry show that trout regard 63° F. as the extreme limit 

 for comfort. When they drop into water as hot as this they do one of two 

 things, either run down into the cool river, or run up. A few fat lazy 

 fish will move about languidly (languidly that is for a trout !) at 63°. 

 But all right thinking troutlets live and flourish and keep their 

 British energy in water at 62° or under. To this rule I have found no excep- 

 tion, and it is certain that even in a troutlet instinct makes no 

 mistake. Now at Katrain (Reach VI) spring temperature is about 60° F. 

 and spring water at 60° heats up to (j<6° or so after a very short course 

 through an Indian sun. Fortunately there is a brook about 2 miles long 

 there which is fed not only by springs — but by a snow fed runner from a 

 glacier stream which keeps the summer temperature down to about 62°. 

 Between Katrain (Reach VI) and Manali (Reach III) there are very few 



