eel

Eel

Eels lack pelvic fins and the associated skeletal structures. The caudal fins are long, usually connecting with the tail fin and the body is very elongated. Depending on their species,eels can reach from 10 cm to 3 m, and weigh up to 65 kg.

Those Eels living in freshwater undergo changes in pigmentation; their bellies turn yellow. It is assumed that the yellow-coloring acts as a protection from predators as it makes it harder to visually detect the animals. The slimy coating of the eel is thought to protect the fish against changes in salinity but can result in the Eels being exceptionally hard to handle.

The bigger eels seem to frequent The Old Carp lake although the species will often be found in the other lakes too including The Pleasure Lake where specimen Eels up to 5lb have been caught. Yet the biggest specimens so far have been caught as said in The Old Carp Lake with specimens reaching 8lb..

This species is not often targeted by anglers and is instead seen as a pestering species and instead Eels are often caught by mistake when fishing baits such as Worms for other species.

The most appropriate tactic for catching Eels is using ledgered Roach heads on strong tackle whilst a bulk of lobworm is also a worthwhile tactic. A warning though to anglers who just fancy catching an Eel, the species fight especially hard in the water and fight even hard out of the water making a photograph a near impossible task.