ANGLING FOR EELS. 207 



themselves off' the hooks. " Sniggling " is another mode 

 of eel-capture. Take a rod, or long stick, strongly curved 

 at the top, and fasten a ring to its extremity ; through 

 this ring slip a piece of string, one end of which must be 

 held tightly in your hand. To the other end, on some 

 stout twine, attach a strong darning-needle, fastening it 

 by the middle. For bait you secure a large lob- worm, 

 through which you thrust your needle longitudinally, 

 with an utter disregard of its feelings, taking care that 

 only the twine shall emerge from the lob- worm's head. 

 Having drawn your worm up to the ring of the rod, your 

 preparations are complete ; and fixing on some hole which 

 you suspect to accommodate an eel, you thrust the point of 

 your rod, and the living bait, into it. As soon as you 

 think the worm has been swallowed, give a gentle twitch 

 to the string ; and the needle, which, inside the worm, 

 has gone straight down the eel's throat, being tied by the 

 middle, is twisted across the creature's gullet or stomach, 

 and firmly hooks it. This process requires some skill and 

 more patience ; and, so far as our experience goes, is not 

 very fruitful in satisfactory results. 



Then there is "clod-fishing." You string a good -sized 

 bunch or cluster of lob-worms to some stout worsted, and 

 fasten the said bunch to the end of a cord, which is, in 

 its turn, attached to a rod or pole. Where the eels are 

 moving, you take up a convenient position, and dropping 

 your clod into the water, allow it to sink to the bottom. 

 The moment you feel " a bite," gently and smoothly, but 

 quickly, draw up your bait. The eel or eels will be found 

 to have so entangled its or their teeth in the 'worsted as 

 to be unable to get free. This method is extensively 

 practised in Holland. 



(502) 1 j. 



