EELS AND LAMPERNES. 257 



thus obtained, I manured the roots of the vines 

 at the grapery, and many of the wall fruit trees ; 

 to the vines first and last I laid the lampernes 

 nearly half a foot deep as fish manure. 



Although in the Severn we deem the lampernc 

 one of its greatest delicacies, as well as the 

 shad, which we think second only to the beautiful 

 salmon of the same river, in the vicinity of Christ- 

 church, and on the banks of the Avon, the lam- 

 pernes, locally known by the name of '' nine-eyed 

 eels," when accidentally caught, meet with no 

 sale, and are thrown away. Of course, with my 

 Severn proclivities, lampernes were properly stewed 

 and served to table. 



As the lamperne season begins before the pike 

 are out of season^ I used them as bait for my 

 trolling rod, and found them, while they lasted, the 

 most killing bait of all. 



While mentioning bait for pike fishing, next to 

 the lamperne comes the eel or snig; and in addition 

 to its tempting nature, one eel bait for pike will 

 often last an entire day. The shape of these fish 

 (the lamperne and eel) enables you to place them 

 on tlie hooks so. as to spin to perfection; and if 

 the eels should be longer than you desire, you 



VOL. II. s 



