Lads it was caught in a stream in the foothills of the Victorian High Country, so yeah probably couldn't get out.
WRF your Granpa is proberly correct, my Grandmother boiled it in a big pot of water, not sure if there was salt in it or not and when all the oil came to the top we took it out (it had already been skun) and then leaving the eel whole just sliced big thick steaks from it, was lovely. The water it came from though was pristine.
I am sure fish has some great recipes.