Ply Fishing in British Guiana. 305 



a small bright feather had been attached ; but this 

 apparently had not suggested fly fishing to any one. 

 Mr. Nicholson of Pin. Farm was the first person to 

 introduce me to the cuffum in the Mahaica Creek, when 

 he was successful in landing some fine fish. The next 

 enthusiastic and successful Angler was the late Mr. 

 EXLEY Percival, who injured his health by exposing 

 himself to the most malarious influences whilst in pursuit 

 of his favourite pastime. I am indebted to him for some 

 interesting notes upon fish which afford sport to the 

 Angler. 



It is a curious fa6t, noticed by all fishermen in the 

 colony, that the fish are gradually becoming educated, 

 and are now much more difficult to catch than aforetime. 

 All readers of " The Field" are aware how continu- 

 ously this complaint is made of the over-fished rivers in 

 England. Fine tackle, dry flies, and the absolute con- 

 cealment of the Angler's person, are now requisite if you 

 would kill a dish of trout in the clean English streams ; 

 the fish have become so suspicious of anything like a 

 lure. Here the lukananni and cuffum are acquiring simi- 

 lar suspicions, and are much more difficult to capture 

 than they were twenty years ago. Most people think 

 that you have only to throw in your fly and pull out a 

 fish, but this is not so ; you must cast as carefully and 

 work as patiently as the English Anglers if you wish to 

 be successful. Let any one who disbelieves this compare 

 the bag made on a fishing excursion by a scientific Angler 

 like Mr. GEORGE Bagot, with that of one of our city 

 bunglers. 



The finest fish in the colony for sporting purposes is 

 the cuffum, a large fish of the herring family. My old 



QQ2 



