Meredosia, IL – A Meredosia man is using an Illinois Arts Council grant to pass on the little-used craft of making wooden fish traps. Earl Edlin is teaching the craft to James Mashburn, who does river fishing for himself and for his church. Edlin learned the craft from an uncle who was in his 90S. He used that skill during more than 50 years of commercial fishing. Strips of ash are steamed and then formed into hoops and covered to make a cylinder. Edlin says when the river was better-stocked, he could get 80 pounds of catfish per day out of the traps. Traps made by a former student are on display at the Meredosia River Museum. It also includes river-related items including a machine for punching button blanks and boats, floats and pictures from the early years in the riverfront town.
Grant Insures Passing On of Little-Used Craft
