BOBBING AND SNIGGLING. 121 



for eels), I forbear to give any directions as to their use. Too 

 much is known on the subject of night-lines akeady. 



Bobbing, or clod fishing, is rather good fun in its way, pro- 

 vided we can quite make up our minds that worms do not 

 feel. First catch fifty or a hundred lobworms, and, by means of 

 an extra long darning needle, string them through like beads, 

 from tail to head, on a length of worsted, and join the lengths 

 together. When this worm-necklace is several yards long, coil 

 it up into one large coil, about lOin. in diameter, tie a light cord to 

 it, and fasten the other end of the cord to a pole. I am 

 perhaps, wrong in so pointedly telling the reader to make these 

 preparations, for when a base hireling can be obtained to do the 

 work, his services should certainly be utilised. At a suitable 

 time and place (the latter being where the eels are, the former 

 when the eels are feeding or running), drop the coil of worms 

 in the water, let it just touch the bottom, and wait the course 

 of events. If an eel is about he will bite, and a tug will be felt ; 

 then quietly and evenly raise the " clod " of worms out of the 

 water, and, most likely, the eel will be found hanging on, bravely, 

 but foolishly. If you are in a boat, lift him in without letting 

 so much as the tip of his tail touch the side, and drop him into 

 a pail of water. I have seen this plan practised with great 

 success in lakes, at the mouths of small streams, swollen and 

 muddy from the rain. 



Sniggling is another queer way of taking eels. It can be 

 followed on hot summer days, when not much else can 

 be done. The tackle consists of a thin stick 

 about 6ft. in length (one end of which turns 

 round like the handle of a walking-stick), a few 

 yards of not too coarse running line, and a 

 stout needle. One end of the line is bound on 

 to the eyed half of the needle in the manner 

 shown in Fig. 38. To use this tackle, the 

 sniggler passes a worm on to the needle, 

 sticks the point of the needle into the bent end ^^i«- 38. 



of the stick, and then, holding the stick in his Tackle. 



right hand and the line in his left hand, he quietly places the 

 worm at the mouths of, and sometimes a little way into, holes 



