48 SEA-FISHING. 



of an eel, being round and long ; but it seldom 

 exceeds the length of a foot. It is blue on the 

 back, and of a silver colour on the belly and 

 sides. It has no scales, and has a sharp snout, 

 a wide mouth void of teeth, and the lower jaw 

 is longer than the upper. The upper lip is 

 double. It lives on water- worms* which it digs 

 up with its sharp snout ; it feeds also on the 

 young of its own species. These eels spawn in 

 May, laying their ova on the sands, not far 

 from the shore. They generally lie half a foot 

 deep in the sand* and when the tide is out, the 

 fishermen dig them out ; in fine weather, they 

 are often discovered coiled up like a snake 1 on 

 the sand, and their heads buried in it. 



As a practical hint to amateur fishermen who 

 delight in a day's sport on the ocean wave, we 

 may support the use of a bait-board. It is 

 very simple to take out a small bit of board 

 and a knife, and is far cleaner and better 

 than extemporising a block on the seat of the 

 boat. 



With regard to lines, it may here be re- 

 marked that there is scarce any part of a 

 fisherman's tackle which has been so improved. 

 Many of the medium lines now used are water- 

 proof; and the extra cost of original outlay is 

 fully made up by durability of wear. Lines 

 are frequently marked ; that is to say, steeped 

 in a tan*pit a process which takes over a 

 couple of days ; but it must be borne in mind 

 that the finer their manufacture the more 

 useful will they be when employed in deep 

 sea-fishmg t 



