BREYDON IN LEISURELY AUTUMN 169 



flounders, "eel pouts," and a variety of rubbish are some- 

 times pulled from the depths, the worst captures being a 

 distorted bough or some sunken article made of metal. 



Eel-picking is not nearly so profitable now as in days 

 gone by. Fifty years ago as many as twenty-two eel-fishers 

 might be seen picking at one time. Half a dozen is the 

 most one sees to-day. Threepence a pound " as they run," 

 and sixpence a pound for the larger ones, is a poor induce- 

 ment for men to toil hard and long to capture them. The 

 growing-up of the flats accounts largely for this, and eel- 

 catching is now only pursued with ardour and some success 

 up the rivers, the eel-setters who in autumn, when the eels 

 are " running " for the sea, bar the river with huge-podded 

 eel-sets, getting the lion's share. 



****** 



EEL-BABBING 



Babbing is the favourite method of catching eels in local 

 waters. It is a very simple process, and at certain seasons 

 a fairly successful one. An eel-babber finds his day well 

 taken up in procuring his worms, in bringing his catch to 

 the wholesale buyer, and in babbing in the daytime when 

 tides are right and the water in proper condition. " Sheer " 

 [clear] water, and an easterly wind are abominations to the 

 eel-fisher. Dark, warm, " thundery " nights are his delight, 

 for the eels seem most hungry on such occasions. 



The eel-babbers find worm-catching easy enough on moist, 

 damp nights. A dark, ugly, blue-black kind of worm, tough 

 and thin, is his favourite bait. Lobworms and "dew- 

 worms " are useless, for the eels soon pull the babs to pieces 

 with their sharp "pluck-pluck" and sharper little teeth. 

 In dry weather deep spade work has to be done, and 

 "wriggling " in grass plots and on low meadows. Wriggling 

 is accomplished by thrusting deep into the ground a long 

 iron spike, which is turned and roughly shaken in the soil, 

 to the alarm of the worms that quickly come to the surface 

 and are captured. A few dozen of these are threaded on 

 worsted or shoemaker's hemp, and a big "necklace" made 

 of them. This circle of threaded worms is then wound 

 round and round the hand until a compact cluster is made, 



