Crayfish trapping

[SLC]

We had a crayfish trap fouling our propellor. We had to call in for assistance because there was no way we could disentangle it. So you can imagine our view on the subject.

You have to have a licence, it has to be attached to the net and generally permission will only be granted for scientific purposes. Not that this stops people doing it.

[sigsegv]

Could anyone ID this little dude I plucked from the canal yesterday (just by napton)? Found it when I was trying to retrieve a dropped AirPod (to no avail). Also found a freshwater mussel during my netting

[MtB]

That's a LOBSTER!!!!

 

 

[cuthound]

Kraken?

[Jim Riley]

On 14/09/2024 at 12:27, sigsegv said:

Could anyone ID this little dude I plucked from the canal yesterday (just by napton)? Found it when I was trying to retrieve a dropped AirPod (to no avail). Also found a freshwater mussel during my netting

  When I bought my boat it had a wet gas locker, a 1/4" slit allowing gas and water in or out. When I drained it out, having grounded the boat, I found a fully grown English crayfish in the bottom, it must have got in when it was that size or smaller. 

[boardwalker72]

Hi Tw86,

Not sure if you've received your licence yet.

I applied a year ago (I'm Derbyshire based) and I was refused a licence. There was a nationwide cull on at one point, for the non-native crayfish, and due to this being extremely effective there are only a limited (and I remember it being very limited) number of places where you are permitted to catch now.

The Environment Agency did provide a digital map of the UK waterways where it is still allowed - sadly I never kept it as places were easily over 50+ miles from me to be anywhere I could catch them.

Good luck hunting. 🤠

[boardwalker72]

Hi Tw86,

Not sure if you've received your licence yet.

I applied a year ago (I'm Derbyshire based) and I was refused a licence. There was a nationwide cull on at one point, for the non-native crayfish, and due to this being extremely effective there are only a limited (and I remember it being very limited) number of places where you are permitted to catch now.

The Environment Agency did provide a digital map of the UK waterways where it is still allowed - sadly I never kept it as places were easily over 50+ miles from me to be anywhere I could catch them.

Good luck hunting. 🤠

Edited November 6, 2024 by boardwalker72
Duplicate - needs deleting

[Tigerr]

I used to have 2 traps on the boat. Caught a wheelbarrow load of them at Farmoor on the Thames, back before it was e.coli soup. In truth though, they're hard work for the amount of edible tail, plus that intestinal vein is just a bit of a worry in any UK river.  It's a sort of 'Russian roulette' meal, but neither of us got ill, after many versions of crayfish - I think they are best on nice al dente pasta, with a garlic and herb broth. 

They are revolting creatures, they eat everything, and the biggest part of their diet is other smaller crayfish. 

We kept them in the shower/bath on the boat. I can still remember the awful clicking and scratching noise at night. Apparently if you put chillies in with them it purges them but to me that sounds like torture. 

[Jerra]

On 08/09/2024 at 11:55, MtB said:

 

I think that ship has sailed, long ago! 

 

But yes when I was a kid the only way to see a zander was pictures in a book. Still puzzling how they got over here into our rivers and canals.

 

 

Zander were first introduced into the UK in1878 by the Duke of Bedford who put 24 into Woburn.  Presumably they managed to get into the water escaping from the lakes and slowly spread from there.

 

I really should read all of a thread before posting.

Edited November 21, 2024 by Jerra

[Tigerr]

18 hours ago, Jerra said:

Zander were first introduced into the UK in1878 by the Duke of Bedford who put 24 into Woburn.  Presumably they managed to get into the water escaping from the lakes and slowly spread from there.

 

I really should read all of a thread before posting.

Apparently water birds are responsible for the spread of a lot of watery species. Eggs get stuck to their feet, and transferred to the next bit of water, and so on.  my friend had a gravel pit dug on his field, and when it filled with water, it ended up with a complete range of fish species, and all the other stuff, none of which he put in. 

[SLC]

Dogs can spread crayfish via their coats. It is one reason why dogs should be on a lead when walking some of the dales in Derbyshire. They are supposed to keep out of the water but I wonder if dogs are being unfairly / disproportionately picked out here since crayfish can be carried by other methods. Not that you would think so looking at the number of dogs of leads.

[Covfefe]

Our dog got out of the Coventry Canal with a signal crayfish hanging from his fur.

[Onewheeler]

On 08/01/2025 at 23:52, Covfefe said:

Our dog got out of the Coventry Canal with a signal crayfish hanging from his fur.

Could have been worse!

[smiler]

On 09/01/2025 at 00:52, Covfefe said:

Our dog got out of the Coventry Canal with a signal crayfish hanging from his fur.

Should have thrown him back in a couple of dozen times.😁

[Sooty_Sweep]

On 13/01/2025 at 15:04, smiler said:

Should have thrown him back in a couple of dozen times.😁

I’ve seen the Coventry Canal, that would constitute cruelty to animals.😁

[Llamedos]

Signal Crayfish are delicious. Just leave them in a bucket of clean water for 24 hours and they’ll clean themselves, then into a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. Never got ill yet from eating them apart from a bit of a headache once, that might have been the bottle of wine I had with them I suppose. 🤔

 

 

[magnetman]

When we hauled out loads of crayfish just near Rainbow bridge/Bossoms on the River in Oxford it got a bit hair raising. While in the bucket for 'cleaning' they exhibited cannibal behaviour and the number was reduced but at the same time they defacated more and there was more waste in general.

 

Maybe there is a specific number which should be allocated to a standard 15L 'black builders' bucket. We had several dozen which I think is too many for this scenario.

 

 

Mother did a curry with them which she and my cousin enjoyed but I am heavily traumatised by a previous nasty experience with shell fish so I won't touch them with a largepole.

Edited March 23, 2025 by magnetman

[Russ T]

5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

Maybe there is a specific number which should be allocated to a standard 15L black builders bucket.

I always understood it to be two Krays in one bucket.

[magnetman]

I thought it was one foot per bucket then the concrete gets added.

Also I am unsure as to whether I am allowed to use the bucket as I am not a builder nor am I black.

[Llamedos]

9 hours ago, Rod Stewart said:

I always understood it to be two Krays in one bucket.

 

These two?

[magnetman]

Its cool the way bad gangsters used to wear ties.

 

[Ronaldo47]

A couple of years ago, a radio programme on the Tower of London mentioned that the Krays were the last people to be imprisoned there. They had  failed to turn up at their allocated army base when called up for national service. At that time, the Tower was still an operational army base, and as it was the closest to the Kray's home, they were put there for a night after their arrest before their transfer to a military prison.  

Edited March 29, 2025 by Ronaldo47
Typos

[Mike Coombes]

On 14/09/2024 at 12:27, sigsegv said:

Could anyone ID this little dude I plucked from the canal yesterday (just by napton)? Found it when I was trying to retrieve a dropped AirPod (to no avail). Also found a freshwater mussel during my netting

 

Thats a native Crayfish. I saw a lad catch one on rod and line opposite Tooley's Boatyard in Banburty in the70's.

[Llamedos]

Difficult to tell without seeing the underside of the claws. On the native crayfish they’re white on the signal crayfish they’re red. Could be a juvenile signal crayfish but you could well be right - if it is a while claw that’s good news. 

Edited June 4, 2025 by Llamedos

[magnetman]

I think thats a signal crayfish. Just not a very old one. We caught loads of these a number of years ago at Oxford. The whole riverbed was crawling with them and it appeared they had even caused a towpath area to collapse because of their burrowing into the side.