going on my bike to catch crayfish

[stokepa31_mk2]

in the interests of diversifying content i am planning to catch some crayfish (the big nasty american ones). anyone know of locations? I hear they are now in the coventry canal so i may swap my panniers for lobster pots and get on my bike to go hunting.

I'm informed the are very good eating and present in huge numbers

perhaps the pots wont be necessary if i can convert my battery into an electro fishing kit

 

[Phil the drill]

in the interests of diversifying content i am planning to catch some crayfish (the big nasty american ones). anyone know of locations? I hear they are now in the coventry canal so i may swap my panniers for lobster pots and get on my bike to go hunting.

I'm informed the are very good eating and present in huge numbers

perhaps the pots wont be necessary if i can convert my battery into an electro fishing kit

Hi

I assume you're referring to the Signal Crayfish. I'm told they eat well too.... but most of them are pretty smallish (at the moment, may need a little more time to 'mature').
Couldn't comment on the Coventry canal, but I've heard they are getting to be a problem in the Norfolk area and on the Broads.
Send us some pics if you catch some...

Cheers, Phil

 

[flecc]

This Warwickshire website about protection of our native white clawed crayfish suggests there is a developing problem in that area with the signal crayfish:

White Claw Crayfish Warwickshire survey
.

 

[Mussels]

I'm informed the are very good eating and present in huge numbers

The US ones were introduced for food so should be quite good. I've been meaning to try catching them but have no real idea how to find them let alone catch them, might try them in my aquarium if they are small ones.

 

[Mussels]

Apparently my area is overrun with Signal Crayfish and no license is needed to keep them in my aquarium. I need a permit to trap them or use a line so my objective is to catch them with my pond net, the intention now is to find somewhere on my ride home where I can pick a few up.
I have seen that people catch them in large quantities from Erith jetty which is on my route but may be a bit big for my net.

So I'm hoping that I can find them in the salt marshes a bit further downstream where I will hopefully not get my collar felt for some obscure law that I've never heard of or the PSCO has made up.

Are there any laws about transporting fish on a pushbike?

 

[flecc]

Are there any laws about transporting fish on a pushbike?

It probably has to have a refrigerated compartment.

There's laws about scales too.
.

 

[stokepa31_mk2]

apparently they are all hibernating at the moment and will only emerge once thy get 10c average temperature which I figure will be mid to late april. you need to get a licence from the EA to use pots and you have to kill all the crays you catch in aid of conservation. if white claws are in the area, no licence will be issued. you also need the permission of the landowner. i intend to do somme reccies first just dropping bits of oily fish into the margins of some local streams to see if it brings any into view. I can then net them.

 

[Mussels]

It probably has to have a refrigerated compartment.

There's laws about scales too.
.

Hmm, I'll bung in some ice packs and plead ignorance.
I've found out it's illegal to remove any Crayfish from non tidal areas of rivers that flow into the Thames, so it looks like I'm stuck on the marshes.
I've just picked up some of the Wisper luggage that looks pretty watertight, I wonder if it will make a suitable temporary fishtank? I feel another test coming on.

Slight downer to my aquarium plans was this passage I found, I might still try it if I find a dinky one.

It is pretty amazing how crawfish can catch even a six inch fish and hold it with their big pincers while they eat the poor fish while it tries to get away.

 

[stokepa31_mk2]

here is a link to a good discusion about crayfish hunting

Signal Crayfish - Wildlife and Environment Forums

 

[Mussels]

here is a link to a good discusion about crayfish hunting

Signal Crayfish - Wildlife and Environment Forums

Getting a license to trap them is a bit of a nightmare, on the tidal Thames they love people to remove them and kill them but you have to promise to keep doing it as just removing the big juicy ones occasionally is a bad thing to do.

Looks like the pond net is still the way ahead.

 

[jac]

hi there are plenty of traps for sale on ebay that way you can go into business as a major cray fish seller aparentley you have to keep in fresh clean water for a couple of days before eating

jim

 

[River Ecologist]

Hi,
I'm a tiny bit biased on this subject, but i'll try to keep on an even keel. The rules about whether or not you can go out trapping American crayfish, is different for different areas around the country. Please check with your local area Environment Agency office for the current legislation. If you live in the north of England or Wales, you're likely to be refused, this is also true of South West England. If you're in Southern England you stand a better chance of getting a licence for trapping. But traps are not the best way to go for the rivers. It's the big males that normally get caught and these are the ones that help to control the population by eating the smaller females and juveniles. If all the big males are removed then the population can increase which isn't the best thing to happen with a non-native invasion. Rod and line is best. Not sure of the deal with pond nets though.

Also be absolutely sure you can tell the difference between an American signal female and a white clawed native. Other than that good luck and happy eating

Emma

 

[Mussels]

Also be absolutely sure you can tell the difference between an American signal female and a white clawed native. Other than that good luck and happy eating

Emma

Considering that in my area I am free to transport and keep them without needing a permit I can be quite sure there's no native ones left.

Can you catch them with just a line? I thought they let go of the bait if you did that. The net was to catch them with once the bait on the line has dragged them out of hiding.

 

[stokepa31_mk2]

My plan is to use a drop net with a big hunk of fish in the bottom. The EA blub would indicate that I do not need a licence to keep signals so its a given that they are in the area and also a given that the white claws are long gone. just in case though I have read the guidnce on telling them apart and there are lots of good indicators like thorax deliniation and number of ridges on the head.

cant wait for spring. shold be a good family day out!