INJURY DONE TO SALMON BY EELS. 297 



eleven inches, I think it could not have weighed less 

 than twenty pounds. This point, however, I wanted 

 the ready means of determining, although I regret not 

 having made an effort to acquaint myself with it. On 

 examining the stomach of the monster, I found that it 

 contained all the three gorge-hooks employed by me, 

 and the trouts with which, individually, they had been 

 baited. My experience in eel fishing has not been very 

 great, but I have taken some hundreds of them in my 

 time, and I do not remember above one or two that 

 showed fight in the same manner this one did, while on 

 the rod. In general, they waddle or twist about, betake 

 themselves under rocks, stones, or roots of trees, but 

 very seldom push out directly across or up the pool. 

 With the gorge-hook indeed, and a small trout as the 

 bait, I have often, both before and since the occasion 

 abovementioned, captured them ; also while trolling for 

 pike with gimp and swivel tackle, and that in mid 

 water betwixt the bottom and surface ; nor, indeed, will 

 eels, when impelled by hunger, shrink from assailing 

 the largest fish, should these happen to be sickly or in 

 adverse circumstances. It is well known that what 

 are termed river cairns, or heaps of stones raised by the 

 tacksman of salmon fishings for the purpose of inveigling 

 running fish into a certain description of net attached 

 to them, afford shelter to large numbers of eels and 

 lampreys which, if the grilse or salmon happening to 

 become entangled is allowed, through neglect or other- 

 wise, to continue two or three hours in this state of 

 thraldom, will, forcing an entrance through the gill or 

 mouth, speedily disencumber it of its entrails ; nay, if 

 allowed to pursue their work of molestation unchecked, 

 absolutely hollow it out, until little remains but a sack 

 or skinful of bones. 



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