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Sniggling for Eels - drawn by Duncan, 1850. Creator: M Jackson
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Sniggling for Eels - drawn by Duncan, 1850. Creator: M Jackson
Sniggling for Eels - drawn by Duncan, 1850....call to mind the semi-snaky creatures that furnish our dramatis personae - pseudo-serpents. You could not "troll" them, nor "angle, " nor "clip, " nor "bottom fish"; "eel-spearing" has a bombastic sound, and "bobbing " is low. Sniggle is the word...Its origin is obscure. Dr. Samuel Johnson merely describes it as a verb neuter: not a syllable about a worm at one end, and a fool at the other..."thus", according to gentle Izaak, "sniggling is performed. In a warm day, when the water is lowest...take a strong small hook, lied to a string about a yard long; and then into one of the holes where an eel may hide himself, with the help or a short stick, put in your bait leisurely, and as far as you may conveniently: if within the sight of it, the eel will bite instantly, and as certainly gorge it: pull him out by degrees". From "Illustrated London News", 1850
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Media ID 36196680
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Aquatic Life Doctor Johnson Dr Johnson Dr Samuel Johnson Drs Johnson Duncan Eels Fish Fisherfolk Fisherman Fishermen Fishes Fishing Hobby Izaak Walton Jackson M Johnson Dr Samuel Johnson Samuel M Jackson River Lea River Lee Samuel Johnson Teenage Teenager Teenagers Walton Izaak
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Sniggling for Eels
EDITORS COMMENTS
is a captivating 1850 engraving by M. Jackson, showcasing a group of boys engaged in an age-old fishing practice along the banks of a serene estuary. The scene transports us back to the 19th century, where the gentle art of eel fishing was a popular pastime for many. The title of this engraving brings to mind the semi-snake-like creatures that furnish their dramatis personae - pseudo-serpents. Eels, the elusive inhabitants of these waters, are the focus of the boys' attention. They could not be trolled, nor angled, nor clipped, nor bottom-fished. Eel-spearing has a bombastic sound, and bobbing is low. Instead, they employ the obscure yet effective method of 'sniggling.' The origin of this term is as elusive as the eels themselves. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the renowned lexicographer, merely described it as a verb neuter, with no association to worms or fools. According to Izaak Walton, the boys would perform this technique during warm days when the water was at its lowest. They would take a strong, small hook, tied to a string about a yard long, and carefully introduce their bait into an eel hole with the aid of a short stick. If the eel was within sight, it would bite instantly and greedily, allowing the boys to pull it out gradually. This evocative image, published in the Illustrated London News, captures the essence of a simpler time, where the pursuit of nature's elusive creatures provided a source of enjoyment and camaraderie for these teenage boys. The boys' focused expressions and the tranquil setting by the river Lea (or Lee) are a testament to the allure of this timeless pastime.
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