122 Substitutes for gram. Ghaft. viii. 



A friend tells me that he has seen large fish, which 

 I have no doubt were Mahseer, freely taking the fruit of 

 the Banyan, (Ficus indica) as it fell from the tree into the 

 Water ; and so eager were they to get it, that they evident- 

 ly watched it ialling through the air, for it had scarcely 

 touched the water when they took it; indeed, so quickly 

 did it disappear, that he could not at first make out what 

 they were all rising at. This little scene would seem to 

 say that the Banyan fruit might be substituted for Bengal 

 gram. At certain seasons the road is strewn with the fruit 

 of the Banyan, and a basket-full of it can be swept up in 

 five minutes. But then the Mahseer would have to be 

 educated to the use of it, just in the same way as they 

 are accustomed to the Bengal gram, by having the select- 

 ed places well ground-baited with it beforehand. 



Tackle shops would save a good deal of bore, if they 

 would provide artificial imitations of gram covered hooks ; 

 the genuine articles would still be used for ground 

 baiting, and the artificial one for the hook only. It should 

 not however be rigidly fixed on the hook, but shift, so as 

 to make way for the fish getting on the hook. 



If you like to bottom fish for Mahseer you can, fishing 

 just as you would for barbel. I never tried it however, 

 and seeing how few the natives catch this way, I would 

 not recommend you to do so either. But it may be it is 

 because they do not set about it in the right way, and that 

 if you freely ground baited beforehand in a deep pool, you 

 might do as good work with the Mahseer as with the barbel. 

 There is no reason why you should not that I can see; the 



