;itt4 coa*.5e fish. 



having to be done by the dim light of a lantern, 



and on a slippery weir head. When the net is 



hauled, a tub is set on 6r near the weir, the frame 



is pulled out of its groove, and the weight of eels 



dragged in by main force. This work is no child's 



play when the nets are heavy with eels as well as 



weeds and rubbish ^ after" getting the purse of the 



net over tbe tub, the rope is untied, and the eels 



are shot into the tub, a seething, wriggling, frothy 



mass. It is rare to take any fish but eels in this 



way ; and on netting a weir last year (September, 



1896) in the full run of the eels, I only saw one 



small trout taken amongst them. The tubs of eels 



are emptied into a tank or boat-well as soon as 



possible, the fish being sent to market alive. 



Several nets are set at once in a weir, in different 



runs ; and when the eels are descending in large 



quantities they are hauled about every twenty 



minutes. On moonlight nights, the nets may be 



set and not more than a dozen eels taken. 



If you wish to trap eels, wickerwork traps are 



„ far better than those of wire. The traps 



Traps 



should be well weighted, and, when possible, 



pushed under streamers of weed ; they are baited 



with big worms, fish or garbage ; and I have also 



seen them baited with the flower of the yellow flag. 



Eels bite well in thundery weather, even in the 



daytime ; but the largest are generally caught at 



night. 



