Snag hunting: The Inside Story

Snag Hunting is one of the great unknown traditions of East Anglia which has been undertaken since the Middle Ages. Recently questionable actions from within the sport itself now leaves Snag hunting under threat of collapse.

Snag Hunting is a traditional Fen pursuit in the area north of Cambridge and stretching into Norfolk. It consists of young men (usually aged between 7 and 17) hunting for Snags in the hours of darkness traditionally on the first Friday after the clocks change. These young ‘hunters’ return to camp and have their Snags judged by 6am the following morning, yet recently a spate of cheating has thrown the sport into disrepute.

Andrew Frost, an ex-judge and Veteran Snagger, commented:

“I resigned from the international judging panel at the end of the last season when it became apparent that the good name of snagging had come into disrepute. We had three youngsters taking part in ‘Slugging.’ I felt the world of Snag hunting had changed too much from when I was a Snagger in the 1990s.”

Slugging is the practice of attaching a Snag shell to the much larger bodied East Anglian Jumping Slug. This ‘tactic’ is becoming more widespread among some of the more unscrupulous and less able Snag hunters. The fear is that this negative image will now dissuade youngsters joining future traditional Snag Hunting Competitions.

Samuel Thompson of Hemingford Grey, Snag Hunting Champion 1994-2000, commented on the outbreak of cheating: 

“With such a wide range of malpractice going on out there in the Fens it is understandable why kids would be put off this exciting sport. We need more young blood and we are simply not going to attract it without decent and honest role models.”

With the Snagging population in decline in part due the global warming and a changing agricultural landscape and such bad press for the Snag Hunting community there is a fear that this ancient and noble Fenland tradition could completely disappear from the local East Anglian landscape.

Disclaimer: To the best of the knowledge of all parties involved, quoted and referenced it is with great certainty which we (the involved parties, including; the writer; The Axe and Compass of Hemingford Grey; Samuel Thompson; William S Slyer; The town of St. Ives; The East Anglian Jumping Slug; The Snag; Oliver Cromwell) assert the very untrue nature of this article and its contents (including; the writer; The Axe and Compass of Hemingford Grey; Samuel Thompson; William S Slyer; The town of St. Ives; The East Anglian Jumping Slug; The Snag; Oliver Cromwell).