Odd Q - anyone tried catching crayfish in UK?
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Odd Q - anyone tried catching crayfish in UK?
I've got some mates in the US who've spoken about putting traps out for fresh water crayfish, going for a long hike, hauling out the traps and spend the evening boiling them in over a fire in their hundreds and eating them with melted butter, better than lobster apparently and slightly cheaper!
This sounds (to me!) like quite a fun way of getting a meal - apart from buying a trap.
I've read that the american crayfish (Signal) is now pretty rampant across southern England and is decimating the native population so catching them is legal - has anyone tried?
This sounds (to me!) like quite a fun way of getting a meal - apart from buying a trap.
I've read that the american crayfish (Signal) is now pretty rampant across southern England and is decimating the native population so catching them is legal - has anyone tried?
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Not here, but the same sort of traps are used in Finland. We sampled some (canadian cray fish, introduced there I believe some years back) on a visit to a friend's summer house back in 2002. He'd used mini-lobster traps (well that's what they looked like) to catch them.
They were absolutely gorgeous, though getting into the buggers is an art form! Their shells are considerably stronger than those on king prawns!
They were absolutely gorgeous, though getting into the buggers is an art form! Their shells are considerably stronger than those on king prawns!
#3
Many English rivers including the Great Ouse and the Kennet are full of signal crayfish.
They are considered pests as they upset the predatory chain.
Setting fixed line traps for any freshwater creature is a grey area though so I suggest getting in contact with the Environemnt Agency who can advise you on the legality of it.
They are considered pests as they upset the predatory chain.
Setting fixed line traps for any freshwater creature is a grey area though so I suggest getting in contact with the Environemnt Agency who can advise you on the legality of it.
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#6
Ian,
Have a shufti here:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...61227/?lang=_e
Sorry if the link wraps round.
Cheers,
Steve
Have a shufti here:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...61227/?lang=_e
Sorry if the link wraps round.
Cheers,
Steve
Last edited by spider; 07 April 2004 at 02:31 PM. Reason: poor linking! :rolleyes:
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cheers Steve - I spotted that early today - not very conclusive!
Couldn't find info about Thames region supplying a licence.
Couldn't find info about Thames region supplying a licence.
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I have seen people catching american signal crayfish in this country, You have to apply to the environment agency for a licence. All signal crayfish you catch must be killed straight away as part of your licence agreement.
The people I have seen trapping them used homemade mesh traps and for bait they used dead rabbits or cat food.
The people I have seen trapping them used homemade mesh traps and for bait they used dead rabbits or cat food.
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Two hours, ten pots - 158 lbs of crayfish
about 7/8th's of the way through a long and oddly interesting page.
http://www.terrybullard.com/fishing_history.html
Admittedly high levels of expertise/obssesion/access to US lake but even so there are very low levels of trapping here and apparently enough of a problem to decimate fish stocks in certain rivers.
Just got me thinking - live freshwater crayfish - reckon you could shift them easily at a Borough Market-type farmers market for £15-20 a kilo. I'm a bit of a seafood cooking obsessive and I'd be in there like a shot.
Given low levels of trapping there's got to be a way of making a grand over a weekend.
Anyone up for setting up a side business?
http://www.terrybullard.com/fishing_history.html
Admittedly high levels of expertise/obssesion/access to US lake but even so there are very low levels of trapping here and apparently enough of a problem to decimate fish stocks in certain rivers.
Just got me thinking - live freshwater crayfish - reckon you could shift them easily at a Borough Market-type farmers market for £15-20 a kilo. I'm a bit of a seafood cooking obsessive and I'd be in there like a shot.
Given low levels of trapping there's got to be a way of making a grand over a weekend.
Anyone up for setting up a side business?
Last edited by IanWatson; 07 April 2004 at 07:39 PM.
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From a fishing mailing list ( only a few days old ) CSAS is Berkshire based, the trapping was done on the Kennet.
Some of you who fish the CSAS stretch at Hambridge may be interested in this. As you may know crayfish trapping took place from the North bank of this stretch last summer. In less than 6 months 12/4/03 - 30/9/03 a total of 14781 signals were caught - thats nearly ¾tonne of the bloddy things!!!Largest crayfish caught measured 8inches and weighed nearly 5ounces.
Numbers caught by month were as follows...
Apr 491
May 1855
Jun 3605
Jul 2726
Aug 3434
Sep 2670
Some of you who fish the CSAS stretch at Hambridge may be interested in this. As you may know crayfish trapping took place from the North bank of this stretch last summer. In less than 6 months 12/4/03 - 30/9/03 a total of 14781 signals were caught - thats nearly ¾tonne of the bloddy things!!!Largest crayfish caught measured 8inches and weighed nearly 5ounces.
Numbers caught by month were as follows...
Apr 491
May 1855
Jun 3605
Jul 2726
Aug 3434
Sep 2670
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