26 ANGLING IMPROVED. 



the ground-line and fishing, as I did for the natural and 

 ' artificial fly, and then we shall go on. 



There are two ways of fishing for Eels, proper and 

 peculiar to that fish alone ; the first is termed by some, 

 angling for Eels, which is thus : take a short strong rod, 

 and exceeding strong line, with a little compassed, but 

 strong hook, which you must bait with a large well- 

 scoured red worm, then place the end of the hook very 

 easily in a cleft of a stick, that it may very easily slip 

 out ; with this stick and hook thus baited, search for 

 holes under stones, timbers, roots, or about flood-gates; 

 if there be a good Eel, give her time, and she will take 

 it; but be sure she has gorged it, and then you may 

 conclude, if your tackling hold, she is your own. 



The other way is called bobbing for Eels, which 

 is thus : take the largest garden worms, scour them well, 

 and with a needle run a very strong thread or silk 

 through them from end to end ; take so many as that at 

 last you may wrap them about a board, for your hand 

 will be too narrow, a dozen times at least, then tie them 

 fast with the other two ends of the thread or silk, that 

 they may hang in so many long bouts or hanks ; then 

 fasten all to a strong cord, and something more than a 

 handful above the worms, fasten a plumb of lead, of 

 about three quarters of a pound, making your cord sure 

 to a long and strong pole; with these worms thus or- 

 dered, you must fish in a muddy water, and you will 

 feel the Eels tug strongly at them; when you think 

 they have swallowed them as far as they can, gently 



