Crayfish! (River Lea)

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Rather handy living next to the river...:o

We have noticed a few families fishing for crayfish over the last week or so, and so I instructed SWMBO to obtain a couple of lines and a net, so we could join in the fun.

First foray yesterday arvo saw at least fifteen in an hour, with just two lines and a few bits of bacon, which we gave to the other fishermen along the bank, as we had no way of storing them...

Today, seven in around fifty minutes, which are currently purging in fresh water in the kitchen.

Which makes me wonder how many of these things there are infiltrating our rivers! seriously, there must be billions of the Brown clawed American Crayfish in the Lea alone. Everybody os hoiking them out by the dozen or more, mostly to eat, some, I suspect, are being flogged to local restaurants.

We first saw this a year or so ago up near Sonning, when a local boater had a tender full (400?) of the things, all destined to be sold to eateries in the vicinity for £1 a throw apparently...

It's illegal to chuck them back in, and easy to see why when you see how easy it is to catch them.

The local Chinese (Restaurant?) children were using a simple piece of string, with a net bag of Mackerel, and were pulling out sixty an hour with ease. These were ten year olds....LOL

What a great way to wast a couple of hours! :D
 
They're an absolute nuisance and are killing the native crayfish with a plague introduced by the invasion of the American species.

The use of anything that may transport this disease requires cleaning or destroying. Two culprits for this spread are canoeists and anglers who don't wash their canoes/nets etc.

One infected crayfish can wipe out a complete river population of native crays.
 
Interesting

Not heard anything about this round here on Medway ,wonder if these things are already here or merely on their way.
 
Be careful when catching crayfish as the native Whiteclawed Crayfish is a protected species and must be returned to the water alive.

The American variety must be humanely killed.
 
So to sum up.

Unwelcome species..........
Crayfish
Rowers
Speeders.
Big FU sports boats with 10000hp engines.
Tin Slugs


Anything missing ?
 
Unwelcome species..........
Crayfish
Rowers
Speeders.
Big FU sports boats with 10000hp engines.
Tin Slugs


Anything missing ?

Fishermen?
Sailing Dinghies?
Swimmers?

Not really but that should pretty much include anyone else that uses the river.
 
Right, purged for 24 hours in clean water, cooked for 5 minutes, cracked open and tasted fine.

The edible bodies are very small compared to the huge exoskeletal original, but the claws taste fab!

A bit bland, so Chilli, Lime and Garlic required (Yes! I did hook the little black poop bits out!) and perhaps a little less cooking required next time, it was nearly 6 minutes in fact, more through fear...:(

Refinement needed, as long as I'm alive in the morning...:D
 
Right, purged for 24 hours in clean water, cooked for 5 minutes, cracked open and tasted fine.

The edible bodies are very small compared to the huge exoskeletal original, but the claws taste fab!

A bit bland, so Chilli, Lime and Garlic required (Yes! I did hook the little black poop bits out!) and perhaps a little less cooking required next time, it was nearly 6 minutes in fact, more through fear...:(

Refinement needed, as long as I'm alive in the morning...:D

I'lve learnt that the best way to learn is to eat the mistakes.

If I were near you I'd be eating for free
 
"Refinement needed, as long as I'm alive in the morning"


Just out of interest do your next of kin.......sorry does anybody else in the family know where you keep the boat keys. :)
 
Right, purged for 24 hours in clean water, cooked for 5 minutes, cracked open and tasted fine.

The edible bodies are very small compared to the huge exoskeletal original, but the claws taste fab!

A bit bland, so Chilli, Lime and Garlic required (Yes! I did hook the little black poop bits out!) and perhaps a little less cooking required next time, it was nearly 6 minutes in fact, more through fear...:(

Refinement needed, as long as I'm alive in the morning...:D
Poor Claire!
 
They sell them at my local seafood van (yes I am London/Essex born and bred and proud of it) Ruddy delicious. They are similar when shelled to prawns but a bit chewy and not salty.
With a bit of marketing we could turn the american signal crayfish and the other alien species into endangered status. May take the pressure off the eels. (Oof......Yummy).

Anybody eaten grey squirrel lately? :)

Regards.


Alan.
 
what about swans ! Bloody things with thier big flappy wings and long necks . :mad:

I made the mistake of giving one a bit of croissant when I was sitting in the cockpit having breakfast months ago. They have remarkably good memories - he comes across on the scrounge any time we are eating out there now.
 
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