138 THE ANGLERS GUIDE. 



frequently bit and mutilated by small Eels, Minnows, 

 &c., therefore prefer Fish for baits, unless the water 

 you lay in, abounds with Trout, Carp, or Chub, who 

 will all take a worm-bait at night; in which case, 

 bait some of the hooks with worms, and others with 

 Fish. 



In ponds, I have taken large Eels with live frogs 

 for a bait, but have not found it to answer in rivers j 

 I have, also, used about two inch pieces of fowl's 

 guts put on my hooks, same way as described with 

 pieces of Lampreys : Eels will certainly take this bait 

 in ponds, but I have not tried it much in rivers. 



To lay Eel Lines. 



Choose those parts of rivers or waters where the 

 baited hook is not likely to be buried in the mud, or 

 entangled in heavy and strong beds of weeds ; and, if 

 the lines were fastened to bank- runners, instead of 

 peg-sticks, the Angler would sustain much less loss 

 of lines, hooks, and Eels, as the line gives way gra- 

 dually from the runner^ and, in consequence, seldom 

 gets twisted, or checks a Fish when he is taking the 

 bait, which will occur when the spare line is laid in 

 coils. Though Eels generally lay, during the day, 

 among weeds, in holes or in the mud, yet, when they 

 run, and are on the feed at night, they come to the 

 clean scowers, and on the sandy or gravelly part of 

 the stream, near beds of weeds, chalk stones, large 

 lumps of earth that have parted from the banks^ &c. -, 

 in such parts lay your lines. Some Anglers will take 

 the trouble to clear a sufficient space in the middle 



