Eel

Identification

The eel is unmistakable: a snake-like body without pelvic fins, covered in a thick slime layer. The color varies from grey-green to dark brown on the back, with a lighter belly. The eyes are small and the lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond the upper jaw. The dorsal, tail, and anal fins merge into one continuous fin fold. There are two life stages you encounter as an angler: the yellow eel (brown/yellow, actively foraging, the stage when you catch them) and the silver eel (silvery with large eyes, migrating to sea to spawn).

Behavior & ecology

The eel has one of the most fascinating life cycles in nature. Born in the Sargasso Sea near the Americas, the larvae drift as glass eels to Europe. Once in fresh water, the eel grows into a nocturnal bottom predator that hides during the day in mud, stones, or aquatic plants.

The eel is a true night hunter, most active from sunset to the early morning. The diet is broad: worms, small fish (especially ruffe and sticklebacks), crustaceans, insect larvae, and even dead fish. Warm, rainy nights with low atmospheric pressure are ideal — eels become massively active then. After 8-30 years in fresh water, the eel transforms into a silver eel and migrates back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die.

Fishing techniques

Eel fishing is quintessentially a nocturnal pursuit. The most effective methods:

• Worms on the bottom: The classic method. A bunch of lobworms on a sturdy hook (size 2-6), presented on the bottom with a simple lead weight. Eels swallow eagerly and deep — use an unhooking mat and forceps.
• Dead bait fish: A small ruffe or stickleback on the bottom. Particularly effective in canals and rivers where eels hunt small bottom fish.
• Bobbing: A traditional Dutch method where worms are tied to wool thread. The eel bites and holds on, and can be lifted without a hook. Animal-friendly and traditional.
• Timing: Start around sunset and fish through midnight or later. Warm evenings (15°C+) after a rainy day are ideal.

Use a sturdy rod (2.70-3.00m) with strong line. Eels are powerful and wriggle toward obstacles. Keep the line tight and strike immediately.

In the Netherlands

The eel was for centuries one of the most important food fish in the Netherlands, but the population has declined by over 90% since the 1980s. The species is now critically endangered. Canals and rivers are the main habitats, but eels occur in virtually every water type. There is no closed season for recreational eel fishing. Smoked eel is a Dutch tradition, but due to the dramatic decline, sustainable management is becoming increasingly important.