Bait Angling for Common Fishes 



near it when captured, and the only sure 

 way out of the difficulty is to rap it hard 

 on the top of the skull with a stout stick or 

 knotted rope. The conger is not numerous ; 

 few are caught, and they are landed mostly 

 when angling for other fish with large 

 pieces of clams or cut fish. The conger eel 

 is extremely good eating, with white flaky 

 flesh; though rather soft it has a peculiar 

 taste, rather sweet, I think, but very differ- 

 ent from cod or halibut. The common eel 

 is perhaps the most palatable of all bottom 

 fishes; when caught in running clear water 

 no fish is equal to it, if well cooked; the 

 flavor is sweet and the flesh nutritious, 

 especially if stewed and served with a 

 sauce of parsley butter. The popular mode 

 of cooking eels is, however, by frying them 

 in plenty of fat or good olive oil. A large 

 number of eels are pickled and salted, but 

 whatever way they are prepared each of 

 them makes a savory dish. 



