56 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



seven or eight inches long), to six inches or so of the tail cut 

 off a larger specimea In this case the eel from which 

 the bait is taken is best rather small, and should not, for 

 ordinary river and lake spinning, exceed a foot and a half in 

 length. For great lochs, like L. Corrib, where pike are 

 scarce and run sometimes to an extraordinary size, larger eels 

 may be used with advantage. When the eel is longer than 

 seven or eight inches one of the best forms of spinning-bait 

 may be constructed by cutting out just below the neck (after 

 skinning) a piece of from three to six inches according to cir- 

 cumstances, the head and tail being then sewn closely and 

 carefully together with strong holland thread, or, better, thick 

 red silk. Owing, however, to the giving way of the lips after 

 some little wear and tear, the ' natural headed ' eel-bait is, on 

 the whole, less convenient, though, perhaps, occasionally some- 

 what more attractive, than the bait made from the tail part 

 only, an artificial head, which never wears out, being formed, 

 as before observed, out of the skin. 



In order to form the head, skin the eel backwards towards the 

 tail as far as the point where the bait is to commence. Then tie 

 it tightly round, above the flesh, with waxed holland thread and 

 cut it off to within about half an inch of the ligature ; turn the 

 half-inch flap downwards over the ligature, towards the tail, 

 and then stitch it carefully down to the lower skin. 1 



Either of these baits can be used upon the spinning-flights 

 described further on, or any one of fifty different arrangements of 

 hooks can be applied, according to the ingenuity of the troller 

 and the size of the bait. It is to be observed that the original 

 trouble in making these baits is amply compensated for by the 



1 To skin an eel : Having first completely killed the eel, which is most 

 easily and humanely accomplished by dashing it down upon the floor or upon 

 a stone, make a circular incision through the skin below the pectoral fin, This 

 is best done by passing the blade of a sharp penknife under the skin, bit by 

 bit, in a circular direction. Then pin the head of the eel tightly down to a 

 kitchen table with a steel fork, and having got hold of the edge of the skin with 

 the finger-nails, turn it, or rather pull it, down a little way ; now take hold of it 

 with a dry cloth, and it will generally peel backwards with ease. 



