Fishing for Elvers

by Tony Ashby

Making a net and going elvering

In the first going off they were made out of wood - the surrounds and in later years aluminium came.  Instead of Hessian they bought nylon and also when you went elvering you had a light to attract the elvers into the net.  If yu were going to have them for eating you just left them in the bucket, but if you were taking them to the (Elver) Station you had to have trays and they had hessian on the bottom or nylon - which ever you liked.  You took them to the Station on the tray and they would weigh them and give you a ticket to the amount you brought in and at the end of the season you would get your cash.  Mr Cox at Lower Framiliode used to make the net and I think he used to charge 7/6 (37p) to make the net.  In those days if you got 2/6 (12p) for a pound of elvers you soon paid for your net.  They were 6d (2p) for a pound in the early days and we used to buy them from Mr White.