MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



959 



two main points in his favour are the hghtness and exceeding brittleness of the 

 petal used, causing it, if the fish be of any size, to float out of his reach in the 

 swirl caused on his rising, hence in two attempts out of three with the unbaited 

 flower he either misses it in toto or at most takes a chip out of it; exactly the 

 same thing occure with the baited hook, only in this instance if the Une be slack 

 the utterly impossible seems to happen as the flower is removed in a circle all 

 round the tail hook (we use two) or a biggish chip is cut out of one side see 

 diagrams 3 and 4. ' 



CcrA 



^ 



At this story I can see even that 

 prince of cheerful hars, the Golfer, open 

 his eyes, but cold fact it remains. We 

 have found the most successful method 

 of fishing to be :— allowing the bait to 

 float down ahead of one on a taut Une 

 and following it by wading very quietly 

 at the speed of the current, and the mo- 

 ment the slightest drag occurs to recast, 

 as no matter what colour the water the 

 shoal is immediately put down by this 

 and if the water be clear the sight of 

 the hue equally effective in doing so. 



We Avill now imagine that we have 

 arrived at the stream's bank, time being 

 9 a. m., day bright and clear and water 

 likewise, an intelligent man having 

 preceded us in order to cut flowering 

 branches so that all advantage may be 

 taken of fresh and unbruised petals. Rods being put together our poaching 

 instinct comes uppermost as we now consider with this fish " all's fair in love or 

 war " so we cast a few petals on the water in order to see where and how the 

 fish are taking. They float for about 15 yards untouched and are now nearing 

 a likely looking dark swirl, " Ah what's this ! " in a moment it is aboil. Our 

 hopes are high as we cast our bait, in amongst a crowd of floating petals as they 

 pass us, which our man has already thrown in from a little above. Suddenly 

 there is a rise at the bait and down it goes. " Strike and strike quick " you 

 tell yourself, remembering Thomas' notes on his near relative, Barhus carnaticus, 

 read overnight, and back comes what is left of your flower, which means binding 

 on afresh a work not conducive to improving one's temper. This will probably 

 go on the best part of the morning with many clear misses by the fish to further 

 irritate you, then, just as you are thinking things hopeless, away goes the Ime 

 at a smart speed and you" are saved in the nick of time from becoming 

 a soured fisherman and even feel your trouble was not wasted. The end of the 

 morning may see you, if lucky, with 6 lb. of fish varying in size and you had 

 hoped in your innocence for 60 lbs. ; still I know of many much duller pastimes 

 when on a lonely spot. 



The Assamese name for this fish is Bokha Mhao, our synonym is equally 

 sonorous but not as polite. 



ALEX. M. PRIMROSE. 



MuRPHULANi Tea Estate, 

 GoLAGHAT p. O. Assam, 

 1st November 1920. 



