Signal Crayfish

[doorframe]

Hi guys....I've done no research, and have no authority on the subject, but just to say, that the nippers have been prevaillent for at least 15 years on the R. Lee. As a keen pike angler, I've hauled them out on the end of my smelt on so many occasions, and up to close on 1 foot in length, for years now and at the same time noticing a serious decline in the number of indiginous creatures. They're nothing new, and I suspect they're here to stay. Damn shame!

[snapper35]

Had 3 out of the Waveney by hand yesterday. Very tasty. Some huge great ones seen too. Must get a licence and some traps, go well with the prawns and crab I netted in the sea today.

Not killing tomorrow - blackberries and bullaces to be gathered instead.

[Signal Slurper]

Three !?!?!?

A week ago I baited a single trap with a fresh trout and left it for 4 hours in a remote part of the Basingstoke canal . . . and caught 17, all of a good size too!

This isn't a "one up manship" quote - but to re-iterate to anyone thinking that this practice is just for "personal pleasure", that the Heaven's Kitchen and the FWord TV programs statement is true. This is an infestation ! And the Crayfish are effectively alien vermin !

I saw an earlier posting from a member stating that people "don't know enough about the ecology" of these creatures to ensure we aren't doing more damage than good. Whilst I completely understand the reasoning behind this, I would say that, having spent some time on the net researching - the ecology changes as to where the crays are. Their preference is for places with a rocky / submerged log style substrate for them to hide under - if they are not in this environment, they burrrow ! Which is fine for one or two per mile of waterway - but with at least 17 in a single small area of a canal . . . the banks will soon be honeycombed and only thing holding the banks up will be tree roots soon!

Signals grow at an alarming rate - eat fish eggs - burrow into the banks - carry the crayfish "plague" (Aphanomyces astaci) - out compete the smaller native crayfish - and are (obviously) reproducing at great speed. If the only thing that will slow this invasion down is trapping - then so be it !
(BUT DO GET A LICENSE ! THEY ARE FREE AND WILL ENSURE YOU ARE NOT IN AN AREA WHERE YOU COULD HURT ENDANGERED SPECIES!)

This problem is getting so bad that Universities are working on chemicals which will kill them or at least stop them breeding (which I for one will never believe that they ONLY effect one type of waterlife!).


Slurper

[Dan Salter]

[quote=Signal Slurper]Three !?!?!?


Yes but the guy before you caught 3 by hand it seems not in a trap !

[snapper35]

Indeed Dan. First go, with very little space to work in and from a kayak with my nephew at my feet.....

[Rush]

Where around Bristol can crayfish be found?

[cray twin]

Whereabouts on the Waveney, snapper35? I'm also in Lowestoft and a keen kayaker, and interested in catching some crayfish. My mate caught two at Bungay recently, by hand whilst diving, and they cooked up a treat A colleague uses a trap into the Waveney at Beccles from his back garden and catches them regularly for the pot.

[Dan Salter]

As a lot of us first heard about trapping and eating these yummy things from Gordon Ramseys F word programme i want to point out that they are also featuring heavily on the tv series about chef and owner of the POT KILN pub/restaraunt which is the subject of BOTH the "Heavens Kitchen" tv series and also "Heavens Garden".
And if im not mistaken he is the same guy that was trapping them with gordon on the f word? ....chef friends and all that

http://www.potkiln.co.uk/

[snapper35]

Originally Posted by cray twin

Whereabouts on the Waveney, snapper35? I'm also in Lowestoft and a keen kayaker, and interested in catching some crayfish. My mate caught two at Bungay recently, by hand whilst diving, and they cooked up a treat A colleague uses a trap into the Waveney at Beccles from his back garden and catches them regularly for the pot.

Up at Bungay. I fish from my kayak too, and spotted a few crays about this summer - hence I started after them. Sadly I missed the F Word the night they were on.

Do you fish from your kayak? We could maybe meet up on the sea / river sometime.

Oh, and they weren't Signals - they were turkish narrow claw.

[henrya]

notbrazil,

Quote
I personally think they should introduce localised, short-lived native viruses, as they have in Finland, to control. The research I have done has not mentioned any adverse effects on the rivers eco system.
Endquote

Have you got any references to this work? It does not seem to be mentioned in the just-published Atlas of Crayfish in Europe.

henrya