- Eel buck
Eel bucks are a type of
fish trap that was prevalent in theRiver Thames in England up to the 20th century. It was used particularly to catch eels which were a staple part of theLondon diet.Eel bucks were baskets made of
willow wood, and were often strung together in afishing weir . Construction of such weirs was outlawed under the terms ofMagna Carta : "All fish-weirs shall be removed from the Thames, the Medway, and throughout the whole of England, except on the sea coast." [ [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.html The Text of Magna Carta] , see paragraph 33.]
However the practice continued unabated, often with adverse effects on navigation.
Several islands in the River Thames reflect the presence of bucks at those points - for example
Buck Ait andHandbuck Eyot . [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles]References
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