Eel buck
An eel buck or eel basket is a type of fish trap that was prevalent in the River Thames in England up to the 20th century. It was used particularly to catch eels, which were a staple part of the London diet.
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Eel bucks were baskets made of willow wood, and were often strung together in a fishing weir. Construction of such weirs was outlawed under the terms of Magna Carta in 1215:
- All fish-weirs shall be removed from the Thames, the Medway, and throughout the whole of England, except on the sea coast.[1]
This was intended to keep the rivers navigable by boat,[2] however the practice continued unabated.
Several islands in the River Thames reflect the presence of bucks at those points; for example, Buck Ait and Handbuck Eyot.[3]
A surviving eel buck may be seen on the River Test at Script error: No such module "Coordinates"..[4]
See also
References
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- ↑ The Text of Magna Carta, see paragraph 33.
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- ↑ Fred. S. Thacker The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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