My first eel

[Guest RobStubbs]

Just thought I'd let you know that I managed to get my first eel this w/e, after a few previous, blank, attempts. It went 4lb 4oz so not a bad start. I'm not sure it will be the first of many as I'm still trying to clean my net etc up, oh and how the hell do you keep the things still for a photo ? I had a hand from an experienced eel angler and that didn't help at all.

 

Rob.

[Guest RUDD]

Grip the Eel with some newspaper.

 

This stops them wriggling.

 

RUDD

[Guest Paul Williams]

Makes for terrific photo's does newspaper

nice eel!!!

[Guest RobStubbs]

I have had some alternative suggestions as to how to stop them squirming, all much less fish friendly than newspaper. The 'stroking' and keeping their eyes covered all helped until I tried picking the thing up and uncovered it's eyes. I'll have some pics just not sure what they'll be like.

 

Rob.

[Guest Elton]

Originally posted by RobStubbs:

I'll have some pics just not sure what they'll be like.

 

Rob.

 

Bloody funny by the sound of things

 

Elton

[Guest tony jolley]

GOOD EFFORT!!!!!

A brilliant first eel one of the 4+ catagory is a special eel indeed,

 

DONT rap the eel up in news paper as the paper will remove the protective slime and leave the eel open to infections, You may not know this but the eels body needs its slime to stop it absorbing water as its skin is not water proof,

Make sure your`e hands are wet at all times this stops yuo getting the slime all over your hands,

Did you turn the eel on is back while you calmed it down? (dont leave them up side down for so long as they cant breath in that position thats why their gills puff out,

Make sure the eel is very limp before you try to lift, if she "wakes up" place her back down you dont need to rush as thy are ok out of water for a considerable lenght of time definatly worth taking your time to get the best picture possable, keep the wet to stop the slime coming off them.

Leave your net out to compleatly dry off the slime will crystalize and then shake off.

Post the picture when you get them back,

Did you enjoy the fight?

 

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Tony B.T Jolley

[Guest RobStubbs]

Tony,

Didn't actually turn the eel over but it did seem to go pretty limp - until I attempted to pick it up and uncovered the eyes. I know about the protective mucus - like all other fish.

 

The fight was different but not difficult. I hooked the eel about 8 foot from the bank and I just played it on a light clutch. The difficult bit was getting the thing in the net. I thought I had it in the net and then realised that as I was lifting the net my rod was still bouncing, I hadn't actually netted it. It went in second time and was pretty OK at the time. Sacking the fish was probably the problem, i.e. it was too lively again. Next time I might target the bigger eels on another water on the complex.

 

Rob.

[Guest pikelines editor]

Roy,

 

Firstly, congratulations, a superb start, some of us eel die-hards fish all year for a '4', it is the sign of a decent season if you manage one.

 

I can echo Tony's comments and add one other tip found out accidentally. When you have the eel upside down and are stroking it, try firmly gripping the eels body about one third up from the tip of the tail. There must be a nerve junction here as it does help to calm them. It is a matter of perseverence, you can tell when the fish is ready to be positioned for a picture, the 'tension' works out of it's body and the eel becomes quite limp.

 

As Tony says, do not keep the eel on it's back too long as it will suffocate.

 

As with all angling, it just takes a lot of practise and patience to get it right.

 

Keep at it, nice one!

 

Best,

 

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Steve Ormrod

[Guest tony jolley]

Rob!

take a look at the N,A,C web site at www.ANGUILLA.ORG.UK theres a picture display of the best way to preepare an eel for a photo shoot. its within the canal fishing article,

I wish you a great season and post more about any eels you catch, Why not add them to the EEl societys thread so we dont miss them.

 

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Tony B.T Jolley

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

Try holding an eel so that (say) the left hand is toward the head, pulling up and backward, and the right hand toward the tail pushing back and downward.

 

This confuses the instincts which tell the eel which way to squirm (I guess that it puts the creature's neural network into a recursive loop!)

 

Tight Lines - leon