Chapt. v. Live-bait impracticable for Mahseer. 45 



has managed in its lively gyrations to make a tangle of its 

 line, and encircle itself therein; or it is more dead than 

 alive, and looking anything but tempting; or may be it is 

 off altogether, and the angler is in happy ignorance of 

 the fact, and in blissful expectancy of a momentary run 

 at a bare hook. 



My sentiments then are that, if the angler will be at 

 the pains to spin delicately, will take the trouble to con- 

 ceal himself thoroughly, and will bait his fish neatly with 

 the hooks well concealed, he will kill more by spinning a 

 dead fish than by using a live bait. 



But even though the live-bait-lover may remain "of 

 the same opinion still" with reference to pike fishing, he 

 will scarcely be able to show me any one that ever fished 

 for a salmon with a live bait, and the position of the Mah- 

 seer is in this respect, similar to that of the salmon. He 

 abides not ordinarily in still pools like a pike, but de- 

 lights more in eddies and deep runs, that would very soon 

 drown a live bait. For Mahseer therefore there is noth- 

 ing for it but to put on a dead fish or to use an imita- 

 tion one or a spoon. 



I have killed Mahseer with a spoon, with a phantom 

 minnow, and other imitation fish of sorts, and with a 

 dead fish, and there is something to be said for each. of 

 them, something that will commend itself differently to 

 different anglers in proportion as they like taking trouble 

 or not. 



The spoon bait is of course only an imitation of a 

 fish, and about the rudest imitation we are in the habit 



