CLOD-FISHIXG. 89 



half-a-dozen pounds or more of eels easily, and so, as I 

 have said, amend his dinner without wasting his time. He 

 must cut a sniggling stick or rod, from eight to ten feet 

 long, or longer, with a curved or bent top a hazel, alder, 

 ash, or other twig will do. Taking then a lob-worm, he 

 must thrust the needle into the worm, until it be hidden 

 within it (see Plate VI. figs. 5 and 6, p. 130) ; then sticking 

 the point of the needle lightly into the end of the stick, 

 and holding one end of the string in the left hand and 

 the stick in the right, the angler must ' prospect ' and 

 look out for some hole in the bank, under a stone, or the 

 side of lock walls, &c., which may be likely to hold an 

 eel; and, directing the worm at the point of the stick 

 towards the hole, it should be thrust as far as practicable 

 into it. If an eel be there, he will immediately seize it, 

 and pull it from the stick ; when the angler feels the tug, 

 he should draw the stick gently away from the spot, and 

 give the eel time to swallow the worm ; when he has 

 reason to think it has done so, he must give a slight pull, 

 and the needle which has gone inside the worm straight 

 down the eel's throat, will turn across in his gullet, and 

 hook him safely. Now comes the tug of war. The eel 

 will refuse to quit his hole very likely, and turning his 

 tail about in its sinuosities, will firmly resist all efforts to 

 withdraw him; but the angler has only to be patient, 

 and keep up a steady strain on the string, and he will in 

 time tire the eel out, and it will come out of its hole? 

 when it will be easily captured. Eels of two or three 

 or even more pounds weight are often thus taken. 



CLOD-FISHING is another way of taking eels. It can 

 hardly be called angling, though it has a rude resemblance 

 to it. A large number of lob-worms are strung on pieces 

 of worsted, and these are all tied up into a mass somewhat 

 resembling a small mop. This is called the 'clod,' which 

 is attached by means of a stout line of convenient length 



