82 CASTS OF LAEGE EELS. 



set his eel-nets and then beat a drum. His reason was 

 this : " Bedad, sir, it's just to make the eels run ; they 

 think it's a thundery night." 



I have heard that the eel fishery at Ballisodare, in 

 Ireland, has been greatly improved and increased in 

 annual value by making a pass for elvers over a natural 

 obstruction. This is done by placing ro^^es of straw 

 loosely iDlaited, up which the elvers climb. This is a 

 hint that may be useful to other proprietors of eel 

 fisheries. I have much more to write about elvers, but 

 have not space. 



The London market is principally supplied from 

 Holland, the eels being brought over in Dutch vessels. 

 A free mooring was given to these Dutch skoots by 

 Queen Elizabeth, and boats have taken advantage of 

 this privilege up to the present day. 



In various localities eels run to a large size, some of 

 the weights of which are recorded in various numbers 

 of Land and Water. Thus, one was taken at Tewkesbury 

 weighing Tilbs. ; at Stag Park, Petworth, one of 5lbs. ; 

 in the Arun, one of 4^1bs., and another of 91bs. ; in 

 the Eichmond Piound Pond one of 51bs. 14oz. ; at 

 Bulford Mill, one of 41bs., which had been seen to draw 

 the young ducks down into the water. In one of the 

 broads near Great Yarmouth an eel was taken in a 

 tench bow-net of 7lbs., and in the same broad one of 

 61bs. and 6^1bs. ; another near the New Mills, Norwich, 

 turned the scale at T^lbs. ; another on 13th January, 

 1869, in the very same spot, of 8|lbs. Eels of 5lbs. 

 and 81bs. are not uncommon in Norfolk. An eel was 

 taken in 1869 in the Ouse (Hunts), at St. Ives Staunch, 

 7lbs. ; and two of 61bs. each about the same time at 

 Hemingford Grey Mills, on the same river. 



In the year 1850 an eel of 8flbs. was taken from the 



