198 ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT FISHERIES 



nights. The largest commonly go last ; some 

 have weighed upwards of 9 Ibs. It is worthy of 

 remark that they scarcely stir if the moon peeps 

 out, or when there is lightning ; the fishermen even 

 think the light of a candle prevents their motion. 

 When snow appears on the hills, they cease to 

 descend." 



Richardson rightly opined that the eels go down 

 to the sea to breed, and he remarks that in the 

 Derwent the young eels come up the river in April, 

 in size " about the thickness and length of a common 

 knitting-needle." 



Throughout the Lake District eels are taken 

 mainly on night-lines, these being sunk so as to 

 prevent trout taking the bait usually lob-worms. 

 Eels attain to a large size. I have seen one 

 of 6 Ibs. taken from an eel-ark at Whinfell 

 Tarn. This fish measured exactly 3 feet, and 

 is the largest that has come under my notice. 

 Bevans, one of the Water-bailiffs, stated that he 

 had seen a 9 Ibs. eel taken out of Windermere, and 

 a 5 1 Ibs. eel is said to have been caught in the Eden, 

 at Armathwaite. The coops are first set in August, 

 September, and October, and are fished until the 

 approach of winter. The river watchers notice the 

 young elvers running up the rivers in spring. 

 These ascend in enormous quantities, and no ob- 

 struction is sufficient to bar their progress. In 

 certain districts ropes of plaited straw are suspended 

 over weirs to aid them in their ascent. From the 

 angler's standpoint eels are undesirable in either 

 lake or river, as they are great devourers of spawn, 

 and they may frequently be seen rummaging on 

 the trout and char " redds." Eels are bright 



