The European eel: a life extraordinary

Its migration is among the most incredible feats of the natural world but this once-prolific eel is now critically endangered and needs our help

- MIKE DAUNT

DO YOUR laces up, Michael,” Miss Watson, my teacher, commanded “I don’t know how,” I replied. “Nanny hasn’t taught me yet.” “Well come here and I’ll teach you,” she responded. I was five years old and this was my first term at preprep school.

“Where did you get these laces from?” asked Miss Watson. “I’ve never seen anything like them before.” “I made them,” I said proudly, “out of the skin of an eel that I caught.” She leapt back as if I had said they were made of adders and I went around with untied laces for the rest of the day. Since that early age, I have always held the eel in high regard.

Apart from being delicious to eat, either naturally or smoked, the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, has many uses. I was taught how to catch and skin an eel by our gardener, who was also the local poacher. He was a fount of country knowledge and, as a small boy, I worshipped at his feet. I am not going to write about catching eels, as that is another article entirely, but few people know how to skin them. It is simplicity itself: nail the head of the eel to a wooden door. Then, with a sharp knife or razor, cut around its neck only skin deep. With a pointed pair of pliers, gently pull the skin down the eel’s body. The skin can then be cured with salt and cut into strips for shoelaces.