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foot on their tails, and directly cutting off their 

 heads, to prevent them entangling his line. Fine 

 fresh-water eels stewed or potted, form a very 

 savoury dish ; and the best way to catch them is 

 by laying night lines. There is no great art 

 required to make or lay a night-line. The line may 

 be any kind of cord or twine which may be judged 

 strong enough, and from twelve to forty yards long, 

 according to the breadth of the water in which you 

 intend to lay it. Each hook may be whipped to half 

 a yard of Dutch twine, and fastened to the line by 

 a draw knot about three feet apart. Bait the hooks 

 with what you please minnows, dace, gudgeons, 

 frogs, snails, or pieces of lamprey, though nothing 

 is better than common lob-worms and to one end 

 of the line fasten a brick. Either from a boat, or by 

 wading or throwing, lay the brick as far into the 

 river as the line will reach, and extend your line 

 across the stream in a slanting direction. If you 

 are apprehensive of having your lines stolen, fasten 

 a brick or a stone to the other end of the line, and 

 throw it into the water near the bank, so that the 

 line may be kept extended. Next morning your line 

 is to be reached by means of drag-hooks, and though 

 large eels will sometimes drag it a short distance, 

 yet, if not stolen, you will always find it near to 

 where you laid it the night before. When the eels 

 have gorged the hooks, or are entangled in the line, 

 cut their heads off, and clear your line when you 

 have leisure. 



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