A days Crayfishing (pics)

[bushcraftbob]

Me and a couple of friends today went Crayfishing today on the river Windrush. It was a bumper haul, we used about 12 different traps and must have easily had a couple of hundred by the end of the day. Here is my trap:

I use a sweet tin punched full of holes to hold the bait (rotten kippers!).

I took about 20 home to cook and cooked them on my Hobo stove in the garden:

It took about half an hour or so to boil the water!

My share of the haul:

One of the bigger ones:

They were delicious!
cheers

 

[JonathanD]

Look at those puppies. Not had any food yet and I doubt my slow cooked pork chops will be anywhere near as good as those.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Gees he's a stonker, good haul.

 

[MrEd]

wicked, i caught some and cooked and ate them, but i was slightly ill lol - i have no idea why though i have eaten them before but they tasted so good with a touch of butter and a few glasses of wine. oh wait maybe thats why i puked lol, still they tasted excellent going in!

 

[JonathanD]

The one in the last pic could be a lobster, he is huge. Bet he tasted damned fine. Now go clear up the rest of the river and get well fat in the process

 

[bushcraftbob]

He was not the biggest we caught, my mate bagseyed a right old bruiser! The claws were easily a centimetre or two longer than this bad boy I've heard reports of some crackers coming out of the Thames and local stillwaters. I have not got round to cooking any on an open fire yet this year, they seem to taste nicer cooking them like that for some reason.

 

[JonathanD]

I have not got round to cooking any on an open fire yet this year, they seem to taste nicer cooking them like that for some reason.

As does everything. Looking at my pork chops now and feeling humungous disapointment.

 

[JIMMY2EGGS]

These look Awesome a lot red'r than the ones i've caught before. ( Quite blue/grey)

 

[JonathanD]

These look Awesome a lot red'r than the ones i've caught before. ( Quite blue/grey)

That's cos they've been cooked. All crustaceans turn bright red or pink when they are cooked.

 

[brancho]

That's cos they've been cooked. All crustaceans turn bright red or pink when they are cooked.

well all I had was pizza I think I would rather have crayfish myself

 

[JonathanD]

well all I had was pizza I think I would rather have crayfish myself

Crayfish pizza, now that'd be something.

 

[TomBartlett]

As invasive pests go, they look pretty delicious!

 

[Ruvio]

I love getting em out of the river in our garden. Phoned up about a license for it, and the fella essentially told me that, while its illegal to fish for them without a license, its even more illegal not to kill them once theyre out of the water...so go for it.

I ended up getting one in the long run, but i set up a trap a week and get about 30 out. It's made a nice change this summer from sunday dinners. They don't quite do at this time of year for me.

Never had one anywhere near as big as that bad boy though, he's a giant!

 

[MrEd]

am i right in saying that once you have caught them you have to kill them even if you catch to many to eat, as its illegal to return the to the waterways as they are a pest?

 

[Mesquite]

am i right in saying that once you have caught them you have to kill them even if you catch to many to eat, as its illegal to return the to the waterways as they are a pest?

That's correct. Same rule applies to grey squirrels as well.

 

[axemangler]

They taste better if you cut the spinal chord, break the middle section of the tail and remove the gut channel, give them a good clean, chop a couple of small shallots fine add a couple of garlic cloves and a slug of dry white wine and cook as you would normally...remove from the liqueur and reduce it to half its volume, add a knob of butter to form a silky looking sauce and then put the Crayfish back in the pan and coat by turning....I like to dip them in garlic mayo and dry up the sauce with nuggets of crispy bread......yum yum.

I have also found that purging them in a dustbin with slow running water for a couple of days helps to reduce the earthy taste of the flesh....I know this is not possible when you are out foraging and want a quick meal.

Ronnie sunshines sells the folding traps for £4.99 each...I have just ordered two of these for some planned summer fun.

 

[Nagual]

That's correct. Same rule applies to grey squirrels as well.

Damn, them grey beasties are in the waterways to these days? Pesky varmits..

 

[bushcraftbob]

axemangler that sounds immense - will have to give that a try some time. Has anyone triied catching Signal's in the Winter? My mate reckons you can catch them all year round but a bit dibious myself.

 

[Mesquite]

Damn, them grey beasties are in the waterways to these days? Pesky varmits..

I knew someone would pick up on that after I posted that reply, I just couldn't be a4$ed to edit it

 

[Ruvio]

Yeah mate, theres that many you can catch em any time. Except when it ices over, i think they go into a semi hibernation