In a previous post, I talked about catching eels with my grandpa using a clod of worms. But that wasn’t the only unusual way I caught them.

The Wümme River is a tidal river. It rises and falls. One summer, Northern Germany was in a drought. At low tide, the river nearly disappeared. The center was dry. Only the edges had water, flowing at the base of the riprap.

My cousin and I walked up the empty riverbed, looking around. I got curious and lifted a rock near the water’s edge. An eel shot out. Fast. It squirmed upstream in a flash. I yelled to my cousin, Let’s catch one!

Crazy idea! Eels are slippery. We’d pounce and grab one, and it would wiggle free. Over and over. It was crazy fun, but no luck.

Then I had a thought. Try dry sand. We scooped some into our hands, then grabbed an eel. The sand gave us just enough grip. It worked! We caught two fat eels.

My uncle smoked them that night. They were delicious.