SEVERN lave netters who fish in the estuary at Black Rock near the second river crossing will demonstrate their skills on dry land this weekend.

As part of the 'Open Doors' day which gives free acess to many historic buildings, Chepstow's Museum will be the setting for an exhibition and demonstration by the fishermen this Sunday.

The fishermen still continue to fish at Black Rock, though for reasons of conservation they operate a reduced season and are only allowed to capture a small number of salmon.

A museum spokesman said: "They are trying to keep the history and tradition alive for future generations to enjoy, and exhibiting and demonstrating the craft, skills and techniques of this ancient method of salmon fishing in the Severn is one of the ways of promoting the Black Rock fishery as a heritage fishery and tourist attraction."

The museum is also working to conserve a Wye stopping boat, another method of catching salmon which was once commonplace in the Wye and Severn but which has now disappeared.

•The lave net exhibition takes place between 10.30am and 5.30pm on Sunday.