Wooden Eel Trap, c.1865

eel trap

Wooden eel trap. Made in Noank, CT c.1865. This trap is made entirely of oak strips with withes woven under water. It is comprised of two small baskets that enter into one larger, longer basket. Woven traps similar to this were popular with Native Americans. Also common for eel fishing, were eel spears made by blacksmiths. The artist Milton Burns illustrated one way to spear eels, by using a burning torch to see into the shallow waters at night.

Milton Burns was an artist and photographer. His drawings were published in HARPER'S WEEKLY in the 1870's, and Mystic Seaport has several of his works in the collections.