64 BOBBING FOR EELS. 



sporting, and that lie would proceed to "bob for eels," 

 which are very numerous in the Tweed : so much so, 

 that they are considered quite a nuisance by the fisher- 

 men ; as these sly and voracious gentry frequently attack 

 the salmon captured in the cairn-nets, and scooping out 

 the whole interior of the fish, leave only the bones and 

 skin. The apparatus for "bobbing" was thus prepared: 

 Taking a moderate-sized stocking-needle, with about a 

 yard of worsted yarn, he proceeded to thread a quantity 

 of worms upon it, by drawing the needle and worsted 

 right through their bodies from head to tail, and sliding 

 them close upon each other, until the latter was con- 

 verted into a complete string of worms ; he then doubled 

 it up into five or six loops, and tied it in the centre to a 

 piece of whip-cord about three feet long, but which, as a 

 rule, must always be of sufficient length merely to reach 

 to the bottom of the stream intended to be fished, and 

 no more ; the other end of the cord must be attached to 

 a short stout stick a walking-stick or broom-handle 

 will answer the purpose very well. These animated loops, 

 very much resembling the hair of Cerberus, hung like 

 fingers from the cord, when the whole was ready for action. 

 Embarking in the boat, we rowed to the head of a 

 stream about three feet deep, and casting overboard a 

 couple of large stones tied to ropes one at the stem, 

 and the other at the stern we moored her broadside to 

 the stream ; and by the whole crew sitting towards the 

 low side of the boat, we brought her gunwale within two 

 or three inches of the water, and then dropped our singular 

 tackle, of which we had three or four sets, into the 



