New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15
HUNTING FOR EELS.
A Winter Sport IN Sand Dune Popds
of Long Island.

Hunting eels Is the chief winter sport a-sonz -,
jewellers in the stretch OF country lying back o.
the sand dunes on the Long Island coast seors,
Of ponds. none OF them larger than a huud-at
acres. lie scattered through that district Na-r
rally fresh. they have been made salt By means q.
channels cut through the conhning sand hank.
which admit the tides This mingling % tns
salt water with the fresh has enhanced the growth
and improved the favor Of the shelfsh native -
the ponds. and made OF peculiarly excellent quality
the eeIs which abound therein as in no other va
tiers, fresh or salt
During the summer time no more active OF alert
creature dwes IN water than the eel. bur IL is %
thin blood and when the water begins 70 chill win
the approach Of cold weather the eel loses -
vim and friskiness and prepares 10 abandon such
uncongeniaI environment TIE sard dune pond eel
does this BY simply burrowing into the muddy bot
tom OF it's summer habitat. with the intention q
lying there dormant until the winter Is over going
down to the average depth OF a foot. then turning
its head upward 70 the roof OF it's winter hcne
puncturfng hole through it and passing into Iath-
argy with its nose at the ventilatns openiHs thus
made.
The holes these eels bore in getting down into
the mud and those they make for ventilation r.
main 70 betray TO the eel hunter their h.1errat1s
retreats. Like the bear and the raccoou. the e--s
go into Information laden with fat. aud. conss-
quently. even in the months CT their ravenous feed
ing were never so ft for the table When the ee's
have thus betaken themselves to their winter guar
trap or fish for them. become eel hunters.
In his boat, and equipped with a barbed and
many tined spear. the eel hunter passes along ma
edges and over the shallow places of a pond whers
the bottom IS within easy sight. The e-tale holes
discovered, he plUnges the spear vigorously into
the mud between them. and almost Invariably
draws IL out with eel fmpaIed upon IT, wriEzIv-
and squirmins. for the contact OF the spear seems
instantly 10 waken the eel 70 all its summer tina
animation But whether an eel comes Up with ths
spear does not the hunter turns his head quickly
and glances about the surface Of the pond in all
directions This is that he NAV determine whether
he is over paying eel bed not r he is he
will know IL by an infallibe sign
Inc spear may not have brought IN eel from ths
mud. but II there are eels buried anywhere near
by. the shock Of the spear pluuging into the mud
will startle them sufficiently from their Ietla-gy
. cause them to instantly eject from their
ing holes Jets OF air TheSa rise ia bubbles
surface. In the language OF sand dune eel hunter.
II II was a bear thus disturbed from IT'S winter
snoOze. that breath would be a snort When ~
eels send these bubbles TO the surface it known
among the hunters smoking I've Cfrranr
greeting OF the sand dune people during the eel
hunting season is
How do? Herd whether the eeIs is zrroka'
any this mOrnin' not2''
BY this smoking sign the hunter knows whers
70 work his spear 20 advantage. and good srnok-
of good. fat cells.
When the edges and shadows Of pond have