148 FISHES AND FISHING. 



bury, on dark nights in such swarms, that they are 

 caught in nets prepared on purpose, and made into 

 cakes.* 



That I might try every kind of fishing, I was in 

 duced one fine warm evening in the middle of sum 

 mer, to accompany a person to " bob for eels" The 

 method of doing so is by a hollow leaden weight of a 

 conical shape, from half a pound to a pound, accord 

 ing to the water, with a hole through its centre, and 

 a number of holes round its base ; a quantity of brand 

 ling or other worms are threaded on worsted, and 

 hung in festoons from the bottom of the lead ; the 

 cord which passes through the lead has a large knot 

 to secure it from slipping, the other end of the cord 

 is fastened to a tolerably stiff taper pole, seven or 

 eight feet long ; two "bobbers " are seated in a boat, 

 one at the head, the other at the stern ; a grapnel or 

 anchor is let go in about five feet of water, as the tide 

 is running up. You each let down your lead and 

 bunch of worms, and in a few minutes you pull up 

 gently, and when at the surface of the water rapidly 

 bring the lead over the boat, when two, three, or 

 more little eels will fall off into the boat. Some 

 persons catch a large quantity that way, but one trial 

 was enough for me. It is said the worsted catches 



* In the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons there is 

 a mass of these elvers preserved, 



