122 ANGLING FOR COARSE FISH. 



in banks, between stones, or cracks in woodwork, or wherever 

 else lie thinks an eel is likely to be. As soon as an eel sees the 

 worm, he seizes it, and the needle comes out of the stick. The 

 stick is then removed, and at the end of a minute or two the 

 sniggler pulls the string, and the needle shifts across the poor 

 eel's throat. Then comes a case of pull eel pull sniggler ; but 

 the latter usually has the best of it — not through any great 

 display of force, but by keeping up one firm steady pull, which 

 is the great secret of getting eels from their strongholds, both 

 in salt water and fresh. Another plan is to stick Gin. of wire, 

 about as thick as a darning needle, into the end of a straight 

 stick, turn the wire at right angles, and insert the end of it 

 in the head of the worm. Possibly this is the better plan, as the 

 eel can draw the worm off the wire easier than it can pull 

 the needle out of the stick. Of course, the needle is in the 

 worm in both methods. 



Not long since, I was told that eels may be snared when the 

 water is very clear and their blow-holes can be seen in the mud. 

 A fine wire noose (softened by being burnt in hay and allowed 

 to cool slowly) is fastened to the end of a stick, and laid 

 exactly over the hole. An assistant then prods the mud just 

 behind the hole with a shai-p pointed stick, and, if he goes to 

 work skilfully, wakes up the eel, which puts its head out to see 

 what is the matter. Sometimes the eel is through the noose 

 and away before the snarer has time to jerk up the stick. 

 The operation must require some skill and practice. 



Yet another method of taking eels and this chapter is finished. 

 One hot summer's day, I took off my shoes and stockings and 

 joined some juvenile Patlanders, who were turning over large 

 stones which lay in a foot or two of water on the side of a large 

 lake, and stabbed, or tried to stab, the eels, which were under- 

 neath, with a kitchen fork, before the poor things had time to 

 scuttle away. Great fun it was too. I believe I caught one eel 

 in about an hour. 



