522 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



close by the bothome of the water : so as no fflood carries them 

 over the dam set to stopp them ; and catcht in a nett by Mr. 

 Huddston of Hutton John in great plenty, and them that getts 

 by becomes great Congers ; and a dainty sea-fish.' 1 Clarke not 

 only alludes to the quantities of the ' silver eel' taken in Eamont, 

 but he also refers to the sport of spearing eels in Ulleswater 

 Lake: 'Two or more persons go in a boat in a summer morning, 

 from three to six o'clock ; one gently moves the boat by the 

 margin of the Lake, while the other looks for eels; he no 

 sooner sees one than he strikes it with an eel spear, and by this 

 method great numbers are sometimes caught.' 2 A similar 

 practice obtained at Windermere. Walker tells us that 'the 

 large Eels may be seen sprawling on the grassy bottom of the 

 Lake like a country inhabited by innumerable serpents. These 

 are taken early in a morning by bearded spears fixed on the end 

 of long poles. But this is a dangerous diversion ; for, as the 

 bottom of clear water always appears nearer than it is, the un- 

 experienced striker finds the Eel more distant than he expected, 

 and frequently tumbles over the side of the boat.' 3 Eichardson, 

 writing in 1793, details the method employed for capturing 

 these fishes in the river Eamont on their preparing to descend 

 from Ulleswater to the sea : ' They are taken in August, Sep- 

 tember, and October, in nets, at Eel-Stank, about half a mile 

 down the river Eamont. In five or six hours eight or ten 

 horse-loads have been caught ; but such large quantities only in 

 the darkest and stormiest nights. The largest commonly go 

 last. . . . They scarcely stir if the moon suddenly peeps out, or 

 when there is lightning. . . . When snow appears on the hills 

 they cease to descend.' This ' Eel-Stank ' has only lately ceased 

 to exist. I have visited the spot and questioned local folk, who 

 assured me that considerable numbers of Eels had been taken 

 within a recent period. 



Pennant gives a description of Urswick Mere, which may be 

 compared with Richardson's account of Eamont : ' The eels 

 descend in multitudes through the river that flows from this 



1 Sandf ord MS. , p. 32. 



2 Survey of the Lakes, p. 39. 



3 From London to the Lakes, p. 69. 



