At the time of writing, the Eels (Anguilla anguill) is rated as "Critically Endangered", so anglers need to take this into consideration and, ideally, avoid targeting them until numbers recover. Eels are far from shy feeders and have been known to use its powerful mouth to bite through fine fishing lines. They are essentially bottom feeders, surviving off pretty much anything of animal origin, alive or dead. Baits such as worms, clusters of maggots, or small dead baits are particularly effective when fishing for eels. The eel's eye is very close to the mouth, so it's better to use smaller hooks in order to avoid damaging the eye. A size 6 is probably the biggest to go for and you may want to consider barbless hooks. In the UK and Europe, ledger fishing is a very popular form of fishing in which a weighted bait rig is cast from the bank. Eels have a habit of backing up several inches and swallowing bait without noticing it when fished on loosely presented setups. Keep the hook length short and the line tight to avoid hooking the eel deep in its throat. A quick strike will also decrease the chance the eel will swallow the bait. After getting hooked, the eels coil themselves up and wrap around weeds or obstacles. Consequently, they are able to fight like fish that are two or three times their size and weight. To unhook and release your eel, it's important to remember that the more you fight, the more they fight back. Do not place the eel on newspaper or other absorbant material. They need to retain the slime on their skin! Hold the eel behind the gils and keep it calm by stroking it and then gently remove the hook. If the hook is too deep in the throat, better to cut the line as close as you can and let the eel dislodge it over time. Their organs are right behind the head so too much force removing a hook can do serious damage.