A Great Fen Tradition Under Threat: Snag Hunting

Since the middle ages there has been a quaint ritual event occurring in the wildest fenland of East Anglia; Snag hunting. It goes unnoticed by the majority of the British Isles but is still kept alive by small groups of passionate young men in search of the secret honours of being the snag hunting champion.

What is a Snag?

Snags are a kind of snail which relish the dampness of East Anglia. It is a well known fact that snails are very slow – yet in damp and wet conditions their speed improves dramatically, and none more that the humble East Anglian Snag. These snails are known for their speed. This is relative of course, Snags are fast compared to other snails; travelling at up to 5” a minute.

What Do Snags Look Like?

The real survival trait of the snag is not its ability to dash away from any hunters but their amazing ability to hide. While most animals and insects have some form of camouflage, the Snag really excels in its ability to appear invisible. Snags will often hide amongst stones and moss in the wild to stunning effect, but as the fens become less wild they have adapted to human habitats. One plumber from the town of St. Ives in East Anglia claims, when restoring some pipe-work in a very old and rundown basement, then applied a spanner to what appeared to be a simple nut – it came away immediately and he found himself in possession of a inch-long Snag!

The Snag has appeared throughout history as well, Oliver Cromwell was one of the first to keep Snags as pets – look carefully at his famous “Warts and all,” portrait and you’ll be able to see a very small Snag (clue: what did you think he meant by warts?)

What is Snag Hunting?

Snag hunting happens at the end of October every year and consists of groups of young boys (usually between the ages of 7-17) hunting for snags across the fenland. For a Snag to be considered fit for judging the Snag must be at least 1½” inches long.

The Snag hunters leave the main camp at sunset and return at daybreak for the judging. The hunting happens at night because that is when Snags do most of their feeding. Upon return all Snags are measured separated into those fit for judging and those which are not. The Snag champion is announced at mid-day and everyone joins in the feast of – you guessed it, snails.

So, Why is Snag Hunting Under Threat?

Snag hunting is a noble tradition of the Fens which is coming under threat from several areas.

Firstly global warming has caused the snails much distress in their mating and feeding patterns with hotter summers and wetter winters and they have yet to adapt – this has had an adverse effect on the Snag population which has been criminally unreported until now. The Snag population has dropped to an estimated third of what it was in 2005 – this is a real blow for Snag hunters and Snags alike!

Secondly there has been a rash of unfair play during the last few years of competitive snag hunting – some competitors have been attempting to fix their chances of winning by affixing a snag shell to an East Anglian Jumping Slug. This practice, known as “slugging,” has become more wide-spread as many attempt to secure themselves the title. There have been some cases for grooming, which involves Snag hunters growing a snag at home under intensive “hot house,” conditions. This second form of cheating is much harder to deal with as there is no way to tell whether a snag has been bred in captivity until the taste test, at which point it is too late.

Samuel Thompson of Hemingford Grey, Snag Hunting Champion 1994-2000, commented on the outbreak of cheating within this tradition: “With such a wide range of cheating going on out there it is understandable why kids would be turned off this exciting tradition – we need more young blood and we’re simply not going to attract it without decent and honest role models.”

The current champion, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was stripped of his crown when he finally admitted to having groomed a Snag for last year’s competition.

This has caused some concern over the sponsorship of the event – which has been provided by The Axe and Compass of Hemingford Grey. The Axe and Compass Pub has supported the event since 1983 upon the death of the first recorded Snag hunting Champion, William S Slyer, who began the tradition of offering the oldest person in the Pub a free drink on the first Friday after the clocks change every year. This is a tradition which begun during World War One when daylight savings were introduced alongside greater restrictions on Pub opening hours. The tradition is still upheld today!

Even though the Pub has confirmed it will be sponsoring this year’s event there is still some concern about future events. With such an air of distrust about the competition now and stricter judging regulation coming into force for this year’s Snag Hunting championship many fans fear for this grand fen traditions survival.
 

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 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).