THE EEL. 361 



This kind of line is only really capable of successful "laying " from a 

 boat. A short one on the same principle may certainly be thrown out from 

 the bank, but the chances of entanglement are so many, and of breakage 

 so great, that I condemn its practice in favour of the " trimmer " to be 

 yet described. When the former line has been conveyed on board, it is 

 necessary to undo the baits and carefully spread them a few inches 

 apart, just over the side of the punt, in such a manner that when one 

 extremity of the line is dropped overboard, attached to a weight, the 

 progress of the boat will enable all the others to slowly assume their 

 position until the other end, also connected to a weight, to which a cork- 

 marking buoy or float should be attached as well, be reached. This 

 should be quietly dropped over, being careful that the prime line is not 

 stretched, for undue tension will cause the best cable laid line to twist, 

 and thereby furl up the hook lengths of twine. Night lines of this 

 character should be laid across the stream, and just outside the margins 

 of deeps in the summer time, and always in deeper water as the year 

 wanes. The chief season for such fishing is early, mid, and late summer, 

 and it is very effective. 



As indicated above, when a boat is not to be had for such a purpose, 

 and it is desired to try the night line for an eel in some pond, may be, 

 gravel-pit, &c., the ordinary bifurcated trimmer may be used. This con- 

 sists, as is known to almost everybody, of a two-pronged fork cut from 

 the hedge, Y shaped. To the lower part of the Y is attached the twine, 

 of a length of about four yards, and while one end about a foot long is 

 left loose, the other is twined in and out and round the two arms, in a 

 figure of 8 form, finally to rest in a slit made in one of them. The shape 

 shown must now be imagined as turned upside down, for it is thus that 

 it is hung upon a branch or stick overhanging the water. The bait is 

 the same as before particularised, and sufficient line is drawn from this 

 improvised reel to allow of its being pitched out some little distance. 

 When a fish takes it, it, without let or hindrance, draws out the line, the 

 suspended trimmer allowing of this without a chance of entanglement. 

 It is very deadly, and a great number of such instruments can be laid 

 without exciting attention, as its "wooden" aspect does not con- 

 spicuously show, except to the initiated. 



I have had occasion to put down a great number, and in connection 

 therewith I remember two very curious incidents, which may be inter- 

 esting as serving to relieve the dull monotony of the foregoing tech- 

 nicalities. One morning on taking up some I had laid with hooks armed 

 with wire and baited with small fish (dead) , I was surprised to find one 

 of them "run out," and that not water- wards, but land- wards. This 

 was, at least, very surprising, and I was not long in ascertaining the 



