538 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol, XXVII. 



from twisting. Sinkers may be made of aluminium, brass, and lead ; several of 

 different weights are necessary, from aluminium which is extremely light to leai 

 weighing up to six ounces, of course, any other form of sinker will answer the 

 purpose, but the thin metal "anti-kinker " should not be omitted for in practice 

 the comfort of it will be appreciated. Of Lines there are many, a very useful 

 one is a length of about twenty-five yards of number 3 or 4 plaited silk dressed 

 line, bent on to 100 yards of plaited flax backing. One can cast out twenty 

 yards or so of silk dressed fine with a turn of the wrist, and the " anti-kinker " 

 referred to above ensures it coming back without twist, every time. 



When using live bait, the boat man will procure such in advance or will catch 

 them with hand lines when the boat is anchored at the place one is anghng 

 from ; it is always expedient to take a few mullet of about four inches, to 

 provide against a shortage of live bait ; they are generally procurable in the 

 bazar and may be spun on the same mount. In August and September a four 

 inch Silver Devon or a two inch spoon is possibly the best lure on a strong tide, 

 and live bait or spun mullet if there is a tide of less than six feet. As the 

 bottom over most shoals is particularly rough and scraggy, it is better not to 

 cast when the tide is low and weak, but to use a float to keep one's gear from 

 f ouhng. The float should be so arranged that it may be easily released when 

 one has a run, a fixed float meaning almost certain disaster. 



When the Bahmin is present in force and on the feed, he takes anything going 

 without being particular as to the manner in which it is offered, at other times 

 he has to be searched for and humoured. When the stream is running strongly 

 one has only to pay out line a few yards at a time with a sink and draw 

 motion, the stream carries out the lure, and the Bahmin will make 

 his rush. By this method one is always covering the same stretch of bottom 

 backwards and forwards. 



When there are fewer fish about, one needs to cover more ground and search 

 for them, rather than to hang out ones line in the hope that he will come along 

 presently — here let me digress with a note of warning; never to lay down a rod, . 

 with a baited line in the water, unless first taking the precaution of securing the 

 butt, for at any moment a rush may come, and the rod be snatched from, 

 the boat. An effective and kilhng method of searching water may 

 be explained by referring to the dial of a watch and to assume one's boat is 

 anchored in the centre with the stream running strongly towards 12 o'clock ; 

 swing in the bait and let out from 20 to 25 yards of line, then with the left : 

 hand draw in a yard or so of line at a time with a sink and draw motion, coil 

 up line on seat of boat then cast out about 20 yards or so, so that lure strikes-.; 

 the water at about 7-30. The bait sinks with a curve and then rises with a 

 curve at about 10 and swings round to 12. Recover fine as before and try the 

 same cast at 5-30, the bait will sink and rise and continue round to 12 again. . 

 If not taken, repeat these casts and in successive throws reduce the radius a 

 yard or so at a time, until all the water in f of a radius of about 20 yards near 

 the boat has been tried. If no result, leave line out at 12 o'clock, secure the 

 rod, and rest a few minutes, for it will be fairly safe to assume that no Bahmin . 

 are present, otherwise in the area of water covered a touch would be almost; 

 certain. Sometimes he takes a devon or spoon immediately it touches water, 

 but in most instances, his rush is made when the lure is rising on the upward 

 curve. One must be particularly careful to feel the lure when it is at right 

 angles to the boat, that is about either 9 or 3, as if the current is not strong 

 and the weight is hea^^y one catches the bottom and this means loss of part 

 of fine with its appendages. If one has the bad luck to get so caught, it is 

 sometimes possible to get free, by puUing the fine nearly taut and to put the 

 helm over so that the current will swing the boat over the entangled bait, when 

 an upward puU immediately over it, will often effect its release. To get in to 

 the proper position to perform this operation, it may be necessary for the^ 



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