Fishing in North Carolina. 105 



the head just back of the eyes, when the skin 

 can be easily pulled off, the same as a rabbit. 

 It can also be removed by scalding, which, how- 

 ever, is a reminder of skinning in the hereafter. 



We have several kinds of catfish, but the blue 

 or channel cat runs the largest in streams east 

 of the Blue Eidge, and is the cleanest feeder. 

 I have frequently caught them with hook and 

 line in the Pee Dee River weighing as much as 

 six pounds. In truth, I caught one recently in 

 Myatt's pond, near Ealeigh, which weighed four 

 and one-quarter pounds. 



Catfish and eels seem to feed and bunk to- 

 gether, for where one is found the other is 

 pretty sure to be handy. By the way, both 

 American and English authorities say that eels 

 go to sea to spawn; while this may be true gen- 

 erally, yet I know that all of them do not take 

 this annual outing unless they have adopted a 

 relay system, because I have frequently taken 

 large eels in summer in streams where the out- 

 let to the sea was unobstructed. The eel is 

 highly esteemed as food in some parts of the 

 country; if it is allowed to get cold, however, 



