EELS AND FLOUNDEBS. 165 



plumb is fastened on the line and a short tackle, or even two, 

 being used ; the bait is, of course, a worm. The plumb is 

 wound up to the point of the rod, and the angler throws 

 directly from the reel to any place he desires. (This throw is 

 described elsewhere.) When this plan is adopted, a "lazy 

 back," as it is called, is used. This is a forked stick a good 

 deal like the letter Y j the bottom end is thrust into the 

 ground, and when the angler has made his throw, he hanks 

 his line round one of the handles of the reel, and lays the rod 

 on the forks of the "lazy back" aforesaid. The butt is 

 on the ground ; when an eel bites, the angler will have 

 plenty of time to pick his rod up, for they are but slow biters 

 at best. He can tell by the bobbing of the rod point 

 when he has a bite. If the eel be a big one, and the angler is 

 getting the hook from its mouth, he must mind not to put 

 his finger in, for the eel possesses a lot of small sharp teeth, 

 and his bite is a very serious affair ; the disgorger is a good 

 thing here. 



The flounder is a peculiar, yet withal a very delicious and 

 bold-biting fish, and is found in considerable numbers in the 

 lower reaches of the Trent. The colouring of these fish varies 

 considerably, some of them being of a beautiful bright brown 

 on the back, spotted with crimson spots, while others are of 

 a much darker brown, and the spots darker, while others 

 again are nearly black, without any spots to be seen. I have 

 taken all these different coloured flounders out of one swim, 

 and in one day. Odd ones have cream-coloured patches on 

 their backs, but they are only met with occasionally. They 

 are of a beautiful creamy white on their bellies. The line 

 that runs down the middle of the back feels very sharply 

 rough to the fingers. The eyes and mouth are, as it were, all 

 on one side, and a peculiar thing sometimes happens. You 

 may be looking over your bag of flounders, and you may, per- 

 haps, notice one out of the number to be what we call left- 

 handed, that is, his eyes and mouth are on a different side to 

 the majority. It is only very rarely that we catch a left- 

 handed one ; in a general way their mouths are on the right 

 side. They spawn, I believe, during the beginning of Febru- 

 ary, or perhaps during the latter part of January. I have 



