Book excerpt: It's summer in the '70s and an idea is hatched to go eel hunting on the Manawatu River. With home-made spears, under the cloak of darkness, the intrepid eelers set off. But everything does not go according to plan. The river is darker and deeper than expected, the eels are slippery and determined not to be caught , and a gruesome discovery is made. Based on a true story. Includes factual notes about eels, and eel conservation.