210 



This fish rarely exceeds half a pound, and is sometimes 

 caught by turning up the sands where the water is brack- 

 ish. Its flesh is peculiarly wholesome, but rather dry. 

 It very seldom takes the worm, but maybe caught with 

 the prniu' inkle, or a piece of muscle, &c. 



Few eels will bite in the day time, except in deep wa- 

 ters, or where they are in muddy holes. Sometimes, 

 indeed, the smaller description of eels, especially the 

 silver, will bite freely during the whole day, either at 

 the minnow or the prickleback : of the latter they are 

 extremely fond, but its prickles must be cut away. They 

 are in season throughout the summer and autumn j ia 

 the winter they are lean and flabby. 



With regard to baits, the eel (particularly the Hack 

 sort) will take almost any thing : they are greedy to an 

 extreme, gorging instantly, whether it be worms, guts, 

 Jish, or greaves j and, as I have experienced, not even 

 rejecting the slug. But they give loose to their voracity 

 chiefly at night, when they sally forth in search of prey, 

 and may be seen running upon the scours in great num- 

 bers. 



During dark gloomy nights, and especially when 

 thunder is at hand, the eels bite very keenly ; sometimes 

 so fast, as scarce to allow time to attend to a second rod. 



If you fish on the scours, you may keep a rod in each 

 hand, letting your baits lay on the gravel, by means of 

 two or three shot. All the above baits are excellent ; 

 but I think when wasp-maggots can be had, they are 

 peculiarly acceptable to this fish. When you angle in 

 deep water during the day, your tackle should be stout ; 

 for you may sometimes meet with very heavy fishes, 

 which will not only writhe, and pull hard, but with their 



file- 



