164 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



point of the needle is stuck very lightly in the end of the 

 cross piece of stick at the top. The cord is not tied to the 

 stick at all, but held in the left hand, while the right holds 

 the rod ; and then the angler looks about him for a suitable 

 place, such as a hole under the water in an overhanging bank, 

 or under a stone, or in old walls, or old rotten boards under a 

 landing stage, &c., and when he finds one, he puts the worm 

 on the end of the stick into it. If there happens to be an 

 eel there, he will seize hold of the worm and pull it and the 

 needle from the stick ; the angler will feel the tug, and then 

 he gently moves the stick away and throws it on the bank. 

 After a few seconds, when the eel has swallowed the worm, 

 the angler pulls the string, and as it is fastened to the middle 

 of the needle, it turns crossways in the throat of the eel, and, 

 of course, holds him faster than any hook can do. Now if 

 the eel is a pounder or more, and he has got his tail twisted over 

 a stone, or a board, or what not, he will refuse to come, and 

 it is then a clear case of " pull devil, pull baker," but the string 

 is strong, and the angler has only to keep steadily pulling, 

 and the eel will tire out in a few minutes, and come out 

 of his hole, and is soon drawn ashore. I have mentioned 

 this method because it is easily practised, and a few pounds 

 of eels are a welcome addition to the angler's basket, 

 to say nothing of the fun of the thing, when no other 

 fish will stir. In angling for these fish, the bottom fisher's 

 rod, reel, and line is used, but the angler need not be par- 

 ticular as to his tackle, the eel is not afraid of a bit of gut ; 

 if you want to angle close to the bank, or over a bed of weeds, 

 an ordinary quill float and a stoutish tackle weighted accord- 

 ingly will do. The hook is a No. 7 or 8, and the bait is a 

 worm, which of course must lie on the bottom. If there are 

 many eels about, they will soon take the bait, and when the 

 angler gets a bite, he must get Mr. Eel out as quick as he 

 can, set his foot on him, and stick a penknife in the back of 

 his head, and then get the hook from him as quick as possible, 

 for if he lets the eel twist about the tackle a few times, it will 

 probably take him half an hour to untie the knots and get 

 all ready for another attempt. Eels are also caught by 

 ledgering, or plumbing, as it is locally known. A big flat 



