212 



to sfrlke, it should be done very gently. If there be IK) 

 opposition, forbear to pull, and allow the fish to draw 

 in again. But if die eel opposes the retraction of the 

 bait, give one little twitch, so as to fix him well, and 

 keep the line as tight as it will safely bear. At first the 

 eel will bear hard against you, but in the end will relax, 

 and come out. 



Violence should be particularly avoided, for it never 

 does good : you may pull your hook through its hold, or 

 tear away the eel's jaw -, but until he becomes tired and 

 numbed, by die constrained position in which he opposes 

 you, no effort can be successful ! 



Some, instead of hooks, use sniggling-necdles ; these 

 are short pieces of steel (see Fig. 3, Plate V.), on which 

 a worm being threaded, the line is tied round the centre 

 of the needle, from which it cannot slip, if properly 

 drawn tight on die groove. The end of the needle is 

 then set into a very small cleft in the end of the rod, and 

 being put, as above shewn, into die ee/'s haunt, by 

 shaking the rod a little, it disengages. 



The needle is rather surer than the hook ; for if your 

 line be of good whip-cord, and the needle once fairly 

 down in the maw, it must fly across the eel's throat, and 

 have a better hold dian the hook, which is more subject 

 to accident. 



Eels are not very scrupulous about the fineness of 

 tackle ; but I have always had best sport when my foot- 

 length has been of very stout gut, or rather of weed, 

 which I think is peculiarly applicable to this purpose. 

 The hook, from No. 4 to 6, as the fish may run 5 very 

 stout, and short in *the shank. With regard to night- 

 lines, no hook can equal the common kind made parti- 

 cularly 



