Eel Man Ray Turner: End of an Era:
The timeworn fish weir on the East Branch of the Delaware River may have trapped its last eel. The stone-and-wood structure in Hancock, New York, has been operated for decades by Ray Turner, whom locals refer to as “The Eel Man.”
Turner is something of a recluse, a throwback to earlier times and the analog world.
We rent a house on the East Branch for a few days most summers, walking distance to Ray’s smokehouse, and have enjoyed both his stock and his stories over the years.
On our last visit he told us he’s no longer running the eel trap, the “geezerism” got him.