BAITING WITH LIVING SAND-EELS. 65 



the stream has nearly ceased to run, or at dead slack, for by 

 being hooked through the nape of the neck, it preserves a 

 more natural position in the water, which would not be so if 

 hooked as in the tide-way. On the other hand, it would be an 

 error to use the slack tide method in the tide-way, because the 

 force of the stream would cause the bait to fall on its side and 

 thus take an unnatural position. 



The third illustration (fig. 18) shows the ordinary method of 

 baiting at slack tide, but I prefer that recommended by the late 

 P. le Noury as more calculated to maintain the Sand-Eel in a 

 natural position. Whilst baiting your hook according to either 

 of the methods, be careful not to squeeze the Sand-Eel, for its 

 attractiveness depends on its liveliness remaining unimpaired ; 

 therefore when it becomes feeble put on a fresh one. The 

 living Sand-Eel is such a killing bait that few who have used 



FIG. 18. Living Sand- Eel bait ; ordinary method at slack tide. 



it will care to procure any other when provided with it, as it is 

 greedily devoured by sea-fish in general, as well as by Pollack. 



The Sand-Eel or Launce is very numerous on many of our 

 own and foreign shores, and particularly at the mouth of those 

 harbours where the sand is of a loose and gravelly nature. 

 They should not be scraped out of the sand, as is the common 

 custom, but be taken in a small seine or net, the bag part or 

 bunt of which must be of very fine netting or of unbleached 

 calico, in order that it may not mesh them (see ' Sand-Eel 

 Seine,' fig. 70, p. 229). After being taken in this they are 

 poured into the baskets about to be described. 



There are many localities where Sand-Eels abound, and 

 yet no net is kept for their capture. In such places they can 

 manifestly be alone taken by scraping or digging them from the 

 sand ; in which case provide a small light bucket or bailer to 

 contain salt-water, and throw the Sand-Eels into it instantly on 



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