Anyone dive to collect freshwater Crayfish in the UK?

[Benc]

Cheers Mr X,

Sardines aren't bad, I'm afraid the best bait is indeed a trade secret but a close second best is halibut pellets, they last over a week in the traps if the crayfish don't eat through the bait bag to get to them and give off a big oil slick. This year has not been a good year due to the flooding, could do with a long autumn to make up for it a bit!
Regards,

Ben

 

[Mr. X]

Not boiles or Winalot?

 

[spaghetti]

As Ben said for England, also in Italy the alien crayfish (Orconectes limosus and Procamburus clarki: both from North America, but who the hell brought them here?) are an environmental problem.
First off, they're causing the extinction of our native freshwater species (Austropotamobius pallipes italicus and Astacus fluviatilis). Our regulations say it's forbidden to catch the native ones, and if you accidentally catch any, it is mandatory to release them. On the contrary, if you catch the american ones, it is forbidden to let them go: you must kill them. Ooops: you must eat them!
PS- Ben, just for curiosity: do you make a living as a professional crayfish trapper? Your post turns on my imagination about changing my job and I mean it seriously (often thought to become a professional fisherman or something like that in the last years).

 

[Benc]

Mr X,

Not even close I'm afraid!


Spaghetti,

Yes I do make a living as a full time crayfish trapper but I believe there are only 2 of us full time in the UK. Not wanting to put you off at all, it sounds good fun when you talk about it to other people but to do it for a living is very different to catching a few for a bbq for a few friends!

I only work at night as the risk of trap theft is so high, you may sometimes have to leave £4,000 worth of gear in a place for a week to make a good catch and such places often have lots of public access and there are many people who will nick your traps if they get chance, along with the crayfish. Therefore you have to be quick, oraganised and quiet, the most important thing is not to be seen by anyone, it is a sad fact that even though you are working totally legally, you have to go on this way.:head

The other problem is finding a market for your catch, if you land 1500kg you have to be able to sell them in large volumes and also be able to sell each size of cray that makes up the catch, it's no good being stuck with loads of 7cm crays and them clogging up the fish house. It's extremely hard work, to give you a guide I've just got in from trapping and have been out fishing and delivering for over 24hrs!

Also, the season in the UK is relatively short, you must make enough in the summer to last you through the winter, to stop myself going backwards in the winter I use nets and electricity to catch coarse fish and re-stock rivers and lakes for angling associations but take as much time off as I can.

On the plus side, you get to spend all your time outside, I am my own boss, and I enjoy the work.

If you are really serious, PM me and I'll help as much as I can.

Regards,

Ben

 

[spaghetti]

If you are really serious, PM me and I'll help as much as I can.
Regards,
Ben

Thank you very much. I'm serious as can be, but I must do some research about the situation in my country (regulations, license, market and many more features) before I can say "let's do it". My present job is a good one, creative and paid above the average of office jobs. But it's mostly indoor and I've been doing the same for 15 years...I'm sure you can understand how I feel about it. My father has been an insurance broker for most of his life, then at 50 he gave up it all and started breeding honey bees...So yes, I'm serious, but practical.
I think you have a great job Ben. You have my admiration.

 

[Benc]

Many thanks Spaghetti,

You are completely right about sussing out the situation, it took me over 6 years to make the jump to go on my own and I had been working in fisheries full time, before that, doing a degree that was highly relevant to the job. It is a big risk to take and you must be sure it's going to work before you leap. By the way, Procambarus clarkii is just appearing over here, it is hermaphroditic (can breed on its' own) and is able to breed many times a year so will likely spread very quickly, everyone over here is extremely worried about it, you would have no shortage of stock if it is widespread over in Italy.

Regards,

Ben

 

[Mr. X]

...and I worry about leaving a <£10 trap out! Why the close Winter season though - ice or do the crays hibernate? I am curious as to what you do with the small ones (we eat em all!) -- animal feed? (Don't give away all your secrets though).

 

[Benc]

Mr X,

As soon as the water drops much below 10 degrees, the crays start to slow down, below 7 and they only move very slowly as they rely on the water temperature to gain much of their energy, much like flies and other insects need the air temperature to be warm to become active. If I was trapping in December, I would be lucky to catch 1 cray per trap, it simply isn't worth the risk of gear loss to bother fishing. Plus it's nice to do something different in the winter.

Personally, my favourite meat from a cray is the large claws of the big males but after that, I find the small tails to be the tastiest, they don't go for animal feed although I have heard of this being done. A lot go as garnish for large fish platters etc as they look so presentable on the plate, many go and are processed as the tail is the same size as a prawn but the texture is better and the flavour more subtle, others are boiled up and made into sauces/soups, so now you know! Apologies for being cagey on some subjects, you will find all commercial fishermen are like that!

Regards,

Ben

 

[sarge]

Any one managed to find a map of where they have spead to? Been on the enviroment agency web site but could not find any thing on there. Hoping they have got down as far as me. Wishful thinking i think!

 

[naiad]

As Ben said for England, also in Italy the alien crayfish (Orconectes limosus and Procamburus clarki: both from North America, but who the hell brought them here?) are an environmental problem.

The alien crayfish Orconectes limosus is now in the UK.
New Alien crayfish found in UK | Practical Fishkeeping magazine
Who releases these things and why?

Any one managed to find a map of where they have spead to? Been on the enviroment agency web site but could not find any thing on there. Hoping they have got down as far as me. Wishful thinking i think!

I think they are almost everywhere now. The native crayfish is restricted to a few isolated sites.

 

[jimy286]

Still water and the smellyer the better.

A good tuff piece of salarmy is good as they find it hard to break up. I put my bait in a wire mesh.

 

[stuckinsurrey]

Not crayfish but theres a big problem with chinese mitten crabs in the Thames at the moment. Have managed to reel a few in and they are a fair size, not sure if edible though. Reckon they'll probably become as big an issue as the signal crayfish soon. Not least for all the fishermen (like me) who are struggling to leave a bait in the water long enough to catch a fish.

 

[Oldsarge]

Clean as the Thames is alleged to be, I'd imagine that the mitten crabs should boil up a treat. Mmmmmm, crab salad on really fresh, organic lettuce. Numptious!

 

[Mr. X]

Mitten crabs are supposed to be edible (we had a thread on them last year - with links to articles). As for the Thames being clean :yack I guess it's all relative!

 

[jimy286]

How big is big? Mitten ahh

Anyone know how there spozed to of got there??/

 

[stuckinsurrey]

Cheers for the replies chaps,

they are a reasonable size, around 3" across the shell and then legs on top (really bristly hairs on legs). Seem to be able to crunch off most baits, pretty strong claws.
Dont reckon i'd be brave enough to eat them, i guess you could probably hold them in a tank for a while to clean them out (ala Hugh Fernley Whittingstall carp reciepe).

Not sure how the mitten crabs got in the river but they sure seem to like it. They burrow into the banks apparently and help to erode the sides. Not sure if there are any fish that would really predate on them, maybe chub and catfish (another import, not moaning about them though - would love to catch)

The Thames is meant to be a lot cleaner these days, But as Mr X says, i guess everything is relative. Apparently they get a few salmon up the river again. Had a walk on sunday from Kingston to Richmond and saw a kingfisher which was pretty cool - it few across the river a couple of times - a streak of electric blue. A few of the tributaries feeding the Thames have been polluted in the last couple of months which is sad and the the perpetrators on the last occasion were Thames Water (should know better). Killed a lot of native brown trout and grayling (lover of very clean water).

 

[naiad]

The Thames is meant to be a lot cleaner these days, But as Mr X says, i guess everything is relative.

They have just launched two 'skimmer' boats to remove the surface debris from sewage spills. rofl
Thames Water Utilities - About the Skimmer boats

 

[jimy286]

Sounds like you Would be shitin if you ate a mitin

 

[naiad]

Another non-native freshwater invader is the Clicker Barb. This small fish can have a devastating effect on native fish, out-competing them and spreading a parasitic disease.
Study confirms invasive status of UK barb | Practical Fishkeeping magazine
Probably edible, but a bit small, about 5cm. Maybe they could be prepared like whitebait or skippers?

 

[Oldsarge]

Just toss 'em inna deep fryer and mix them with buttered rice. Ought to a treat.