Friggin eels !

[Just Paul 1]

How do you stop the b@#@#$# wriggling in landing net lol

 

[Keith M]

I’ve heard people that say that laying them upside down sometimes works, however getting them in that position in the first place is almost impossible.

Keith

 

[Aknib]

Gently stroke them.

You might need to initially do it through the mesh to calm it down and then, once it has, along the eel's body itself. It sounds a bit weird but it works and they more often than not will just go into a flop so you can easily deal with them.

Try lightly at first and gradually repeat with added pressure until it works.

 

[no-one in particular]

I cut the line near the mouth on the bank or over the water, if they are on the bank they usually wriggle back soon enough, I never use the landing net but I usually have a 5lb line so no need and I never touch them, horrible things.
No sweat tying a new hook back on and it means I can easily wipe that disgusting slime off first. I might have caught more eels than any other fish. I think this does me and them a favour, no wound in the mouth as such by me trying to get the hook out on a very difficult fish and they keep more of their slime; I don't think the hook does them much harm, less harm than me trying to extract it and it is always barbless so I expect they get rid of it easily enough one way or the other..

 

[markcw]

Mark,try using a Slamo type of disgorger, you will find the hooks can be removed.

 

[no-one in particular]

Mark,try using a Slamo type of disgorger, you will find the hooks can be removed.

Thanks Mark but I don't know what a Slamo is, whatever it is I still have to handle the thing , deal with the slime on the line and clothes etc and they are not easy to handle full stop and I catch some big ones. I find what I do no problem apart from the inconvenience of replacing the hook which is not much anyway.

 

[markcw]

A Slamo is a normal shaped disgorger with a slot at the bottom but closed end,
A friend of mine has a lot to do with the National Anguilla Club, he has had them to over 7lbs out of club waters,
He put a roach dead bait out last year for one, and caught a 14.8lbs carp on it,
I could ask him how he unhook them if you want ,?

 

[Just Paul 1]

I’ve heard people that say that laying them upside down sometimes works, however getting them in that position in the first place is almost impossible.

Keith

Oh Keith, it's me that usually gets upside down with these buggers

 

[no-one in particular]

A Slamo is a normal shaped disgorger with a slot at the bottom but closed end,
A friend of mine has a lot to do with the National Anguilla Club, he has had them to over 7lbs out of club waters,
He put a roach dead bait out last year for one, and caught a 14.8lbs carp on it,
I could ask him how he unhook them if you want ,?

Ah that's a slamo, I have plenty of them Mark. I still find unhooking them with those not easy, they still slime everything. I am OK with how I do it IE cut the line and I said it think it is better for the eel but thanks anyway.

 

[Paste paul]

If the hook is well down just cut the line and put another hook on.......
You can remove the hook if it’s lipped hooked.....
Weather you want to is another thing entirely!!!

 

[rayner]

Old them through the net, it gives a better grip.
A story I remember with eels was with a club back in the 80s it must have been, well after one particular match on the Tidal Trent at the weigh-in I noticed a number of eels floating down river in the flow with their heads half cut off, I queried this with the committee at the subs table the following Sunday.
The only thing they would say was for me to bring it up at the general meeting after the last match was fished.
The general meeting came round then when we got to any other business I asked if we could stop killing eels, I was astonished when virtually the whole membership voted in favour of killing eels, disgusting, to my now shame I continued to fish with that club when I should have ended my membership.

 

[nottskev]

I'm surprised to hear someone's seeing enough eels to count as a nuisance. They reckon the European eel population has declined by 95%.
I've caught 1 in the last 15 years.
It's shameful to remember how it was once commonplace to curse these fish, stamp on them throw them up the bank,, kill them to get a hook back etc.
I agree it's a problem dealing with an eel when you catch one - but it's our problem, not the eel's, which didn't ask to be caught and deserves no less respect than other fish.
The "slime" bit .... yes, they have a protective layer of mucous that's a barrier to disease. Most fish do. It can mess your clothes, but then my waterproofs can stand up on their own after a big catch of roach or tench and yet you never hear anyone complain of slimy roach and tench..

 

[mikench]

Thankfully eels remain on my " never caught and wish to keep it like that " list

 

[Paste paul]

Thankfully eels remain on my " never caught and wish to keep it like that " list

We used to catch loads on the Trent and witham..... not on purpose I might add!!!!!

 

[no-one in particular]

I'm surprised to hear someone's seeing enough eels to count as a nuisance. They reckon the European eel population has declined by 95%.
I've caught 1 in the last 15 years.
It's shameful to remember how it was once commonplace to curse these fish, stamp on them throw them up the bank,, kill them to get a hook back etc.
I agree it's a problem dealing with an eel when you catch one - but it's our problem, not the eel's, which didn't ask to be caught and deserves no less respect than other fish.
The "slime" bit .... yes, they have a protective layer of mucous that's a barrier to disease. Most fish do. It can mess your clothes, but then my waterproofs can stand up on their own after a big catch of roach or tench and yet you never hear anyone complain of slimy roach and tench..

Maybe it is because most of my fishing is near the coast but I have always had plenty of them. I think I saw something a while ago where elvers are being found in good numbers again in one river so maybe the situation is getting better.
I cant compare an eel to being like other fish. It doesn't look like a fish, nothing wraps itself around a line like an eel and ties itself in knots. And as for the slime, nothing compares, its more like a hard snot and it smells worse than ordinary slime and because they wriggle so much your more likely to get all over you. I think they bleed more than other fish as well, or so it often seems to me so, another reason to cut the line then trying to remove the hook. They also have small hard narrow mouths, not easy removing the hook when it is even marginally deep and of course nothing wriggles like they do. For these reasons I still think it is best just to cut the line on the mouth and let them go, a much better option to me and I always do it now after having several struggles with them, a lot of the eels I catch are 3-4ft long; and I think it is better for them as well.
I never mistreat them and I think it is good they are getting preserved but to me, they are just not a fish that I ever want. I always know when I have caught one, the way they pull is unmistakable but it is a big anti climax for me after watching the float go under and expecting a beautiful big roach or something, beauty and the beast plus plus.

 

[bleak]

How do you stop the b@#@#$# wriggling in landing net lol

Just be glad that eels are still about...