Vexation and grief.
Dream dictionary: Eel, dead dream meanings
…Dreaming of an eel is good if you can maintain your grip on him. Otherwise fortune will be fleeting. To see an eel in clear water, denotes, for a woman, new but evanescent pleasures. To see a dead eel, signifies that you will overcome your most maliciously inclined enemies. To lovers, the dream denotes an end to long and hazardous courtship by marriage….
To take eel alive indicates malice. Dead eel represents suffering, sorrow and vexation.
…If they are alive and sneaky, an opportunity we did not count on will present to us. If they’re out of water or dead, it indicates that we have not taken advantage of opportunities….