44 THE JOLLY ANGLER. 



them round your hand, and tie them tight with about a foot 

 of strong string, so that no links may hang loose ; they will 

 then be ready for use. This bait should be about as big as 

 your fist, and causes some trouble in the preparation, but 

 will last well a whole tide; moor your boat firm, in about 

 four foot water, by sticking a staff tight in the ground, to 

 which you fix the head, and another for the stern; lay the 

 sculls across for a seat; then let out just so much line, 

 close to your boat, as will let your lead touch the ground 

 at the same time as the top of the pole touches the water ; 

 then rise your lead about two inches from the bottom, 

 which you can see by the length of line you have out of 

 water; but it is as well every minute to move it gently up 

 and down, by which means you ascertain your depth, and 

 encourage the Eels to bite ; when the tide rises a foot or 

 two, go nearer the shore, and proceed as before; the last 

 two hours of the flood tide is best; (you may catch a few 

 at the ebb). The bite of an Eel is easily felt, if "you keep 

 the boat quite still, a thing of so much consequence in 

 Bobbing, that I can catch more by myself than with one to 

 help me; when you have a bite, draw your bait steadily, 

 without jerking, increasing your speed as you approach 

 the top of the water sufficient to swing the lead into the 

 boat, where they will drop off; you will often take two or 

 three at one pull-out. Many people lay night > or chain- 

 lines for Eels, made of whipcord, thus 



about six or eight yards long, and the hooks about half a 

 yard apart, baited with loach, minnows, worms, &c. and a 

 brick at each end, or a peg at one end and a brick at the 

 other, to sink them, (these last should be longer than the 

 before-mentioned, say twelve yards,) and laid slanting 

 across the stream ; they often take other fish. Eel-hooks 

 for this purpose are sold at all the Fishing tackle shops. 

 Many Eels are also taken with an Eel spear, (which can 

 also be bought at the same places,) fixed on the end of 

 a long pole, by means of which they strike it into the mud 



