The fens of East Anglia provide the scenery for this documentary. At the centre of the film is John, a solitary character, who makes his living by trapping eels in the numerous canals of the area. We see him at work and narrating his own story. Eel trapping is illegal, so he is always on the run: this is a tale of poaching, a traditional craft, and the influence of the modern state on the individual.