The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
SOMETHING AMOUR EELs.
The Incidental Eel Caught While Ang-
ling-One Way of Fishing for Eels.

The year round, trying at the various seasons
for one kind " fish and another there may be
found along the North River. sitting on the re-
tanning wall outside the tracks of the New York
Central and Hudson RiverRailroad. skirng River.
side Park. more or less men fishing. II man fish
ing here should catch an eel sometimes he does.
he would probably turn with II TO the nearest rail
of the track behind him. and kill IL by breaking
it's head on the rail: saying perhaps meanwhile
To it, and to himself $50 you're the chaps that =
been stealing my bait ch?" for the eel Is u great
bait stealrr.
Sitting on wharf a man catching AN eel In like
circumstances would kill II on the suingpiccc
and, in boat on the boats gunwale; hut these
would he cells caught incidentally BOTHER fishing
fishermen, catching cells for market would not
Kill an eel in that manner for the reason that the
bruises would show on the eel when IT was skinned
and 50 make II unmarkctahle.
man catching cells for market. from q boat.
would have box To put the cells in. II hc had
climb up to the gunw ale. ON the projecting edges
81 the planking but they can't climb up the straight
SIDES Of box. II h" were fishing with hooks and
caught he would very likely have what il called
a trnt line. this being a long line perhaps i've
each end. and having along it at intervals Of three
feet as many as hundred aud nifty or two hun.
drcd hooks each hook ON short line,
When the fisherman oyerhauling the trot line.
comes IT, a hook with all eel on II, hc simply pulls
united the knot in the short line 50 removing 1t
from the ttn' line aud drops that short line 'nok.
eel and all into the box, and goes on ovcrhaUlinc
the trot line and taking oil the cells In the same
manner until he has got them all IA h" goes
along. in place " the hooks and short lines he
takes oil. hr ties the trnt line other short lines
with baitcd hooks attached His ttot line all
ovrrhaulcd and reset, he gurS nj the cells IN tho
box. taking the hooks out NJ their mouths and
then rrbaiiing these hooks and getting them ready
To- nut on the trni line again
The fisherman taking cells in this manner
when he had got \ hoN full would 60 ashur" and
dig shallow hole in The sand and empty in ihr
cells and Then I'LL the hole up with the sand This
would keep the cells from getting away. and also
make them So that they could b" handled From
this mass ut c"lS aud sand ~" fisherman
would tai" the cells one at a time and ST. in them
When he had finished tins work D" would gather
up the Gel skins. accepting prS'Illy some " IN"
larger ones. and throw them in bunch into IN"
water Their" crabs and shrmps wuuld feed IN
what there was about them that could be- eaten.
and the residue would In time disappear
Eelskins are put Ia some uses and occasionally
a man wears ono around hiS wrist a. u cur" IT,
rheumatism. Once, by farmers near the >rd>hurr
they were commonly used IN nails fur tying the
club To- the handle. thcrr was mott ing hat served
the purpose So we'll Not many fails are .lS'i
nowadays, but Hhrrc one Is used it i likely 'r
h" found with It's swinging arm attached 10 ~"
handle with an c"lskin a. - Old