Hi All
What is the best time of year to fish for eel's ?
Eel's normally give me the creeps pumpkin but after
seeing some monsters swimming round a water I fish for carp I've got to admit I would like to have a go for them as they were so big

Cheers
Saul

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Summertime. But for an eel to be big it has to be huge! Good luck.

At this time of the year an eel spear is excellent, but the eel police, understandably, get a tad miffed!

Dear Saul

Time to fish for eels with the best chances of catching them......Spring time, from when the other fish species present in the lake are spawning, onwards through the summer months right into October or the first few hard frosts.

October through to March is hard, hard time and very near dead-zone eel fishing time.

Hope this helps.....if you need more info or advice, then you can private mail me and I'll see if I can help you out.

Dear Peter

Quote "But for an eel to be big it has to be huge! Good luck."

Not only huge Peter but also very old.

Quote "At this time of the year an eel spear is excellent, but the eel police, understandably, get a tad miffed!"

As you say, understandably miffed and also rightly so as well.

Humour is cool but sometimes things are always best left un-said.

The 'eel police' are nothing like the 'barbel police'......others reading those words 'might' not know the difference....you do Peter and that's good but it needs spelling out to others that the 'eel police' work with other objectives in mind......that being trying to ensure that we manage to make headway with other organisations to protect and preserve that there will be future eel stocks of the freshwater eel, Anguilla anguilla, in our water systems.

Happy days....

I'll put it down to you getting a tad excited about Christmas coming.... santa

Yours With Respect.....
Steve.

Hi Steve, thanks for responding. I got the bite that I wanted & you have put forward a far better case for the eel than I ever could.

If ever a fish needed consideration then it is the eel. Norfolk Broads stocks are now down to less than 1% of historical levels.

For those who don't know, the use of an eel spear or pick is now, thankfully, outlawed.

Very naughty Peter. Good job I know you. (on this Forum anyway)

Anyway, at this time of the year you would be lucky to see an eel let along be able to spear it. Most sensible big girl Anguillas will be well buried in the mud or deep gravel, dreaming of a nice juicy worm or small fish for their Xmas feast.

Actually, having said that, several eels on the Top 50 Eel list were caught by pike anglers in the winter using small live or dead-baits. However, it can be soooo slow. frosty santa

Brian

As an expat now living in NZ where there are realy humongus eels I would suggest deep eddies on a very large river on a dull humid day with a steady barometric pressure. Try dead baits of about 1/2 lb or so on a 50 lb. braid hook link on 15/20 lb line. Best method is freelining in the margins close to weed beds with a bite alarm to give warning of a run. Use single hooks and have a really good disgorger to remove hooks as eels have incredibly powerful jaws. Ground bait with liquidised tinned fish based cat food.
Lastly the rod needs to be tough, I use a 3 1/2lb TC.
My best is a wee one of a mere 17 1/2 lb so far, my target is 40 lb. plus

Whatever age is a 40lb eel for heavens sake!?!? Are these our European eels on their way back to the Sargasso Sea, if NZ is on the migration route? Amazing stuff.

indeed,did ytou see the ones in the mail,a lil while back,god damn they was huge i think one was 20plus.

Arnt they "Hairy" eels or something? Not Anguilla Anguilla.Must be terrific sport though.