BOBBING FOR EELS. 125 



strike too soon, you mostly miss hooking the Fish j 

 but when you have hooked them, get them on shore 

 as soon as possible, for you cannot tire Eels by play- 

 ing them like other Fish 3 on the contrary, they very 

 often get round weeds or rushes so tight that they 

 generally break your hook, line, or rod. I always use 

 two hooks on my ledger, placing the top one about 

 two feet above the bottom ; and to prevent it moving 

 from its proper place, fix a shot above it and below it, 

 in the way which you will see is done to prevent the 

 lead slipping down, in the cut of Angling Apparatus, 

 fig. 3. Ledger-fishing is a killing mode of angling 

 in large deep waters, tide rivers, docks, sea harbours, 

 &c. Eels are also taken with dead lines. (See Flounder- 

 fishing.J 



Bobbing for Eels. 



Bobbing for Eels is practised in a boat, with a large 

 bunch of worms suspended by a strong cord from a 

 pole or stout rod, in the following manner. First of 

 all, you must procure a large quantity of worms, 

 (marsh and blue-headed worms are better than lobs, 

 though small lobs will do,) and string them on worsted 

 or coarse thread, by passing a needle, which you 

 fasten to coarse thread or worsted, through them from 

 head to tail, until you have as many strung as will 

 form a bunch as large as a good sized turnip 3 then 

 fasten them on the lines, so that all the ends may 

 hang level. In the middle is placed a piece of lead, 

 of a conical or bell form, the broad end down- 

 M 2 



