THE CONGER, 



179 



latter, it should be first beaten with a stick, to render it some- 

 what soft, as it is naturally rather hard, and Congers are dis- 

 posed to reject anything hard or bony. Cut a piece of this six 

 inches in length and two in width, and having entered the 

 hook at one end, turn it over, and pass the hook through the 

 second time. (See ' Squid,' p. 194, for method of capture.) 



Conger will also take a piece 

 of almost any fresh fish, which 

 should be first scaled and the 

 backbone removed ; for instance, 

 a Chad about six inches in length 

 makes a good bait, which being 

 first scaled, enter the knife at the 

 tail, and cut up to within an inch 

 of the head ; do so on the other 

 side, and remove the backbone 

 with the back fin, and cut off 

 also the pectoral fins ; give the 

 head a blow or two with the lead 

 to soften it somewhat, and enter- 

 ing the point of the hook down 

 the throat of the fish, bring it 

 out at the gills, now turn it over 

 and pass it through the fish 

 crossways. If your bait fish be 

 eight inches or more in length, 

 cut it in two diagonally, and 

 make two baits of it. 



Fig. 48 is an illustration of a 

 hook baited with the tail half 

 of a small Whiting, Mackerel, or 

 other fish. The tail fin being 

 cut off and the bait split half- 

 way up, the backbone is to be 

 dissected out thus far, the point 

 of the hook is then to be entered 

 at the tail-end, threaded down by the backbone, and brought 

 out as shown in the woodcut. 



N 2 



FIG. 48. Hook baited with the tail 

 half of a small Whiting or other 

 fish. 



