Where to trap crayfish in the southwest?

[craigsalter]

Hi I hope I am posting this in the right section of the forums

As a little task I have set myself, I am going to make a crayfish trap using my bushcraft skills and catch myself a delicous snack. Now the problem I have is where to do it?

I live in Taunton is somerset I am hoping that someone here can advise me on where there is a good river to do this, one with the american signal crayfish NOT our endangered whiteclaw crayfish is essential. And all the better if one can be found that runs through a patch of woodland where I can gather the materials and cook the crayfish without being disturbed or fined!

Thanks

 

[spamel]

By rights, you need a licence to catch them with a pot. It's free, look up DEFRA's webiste, but to get the licence, you need permission of the owner of the puiece of water you wish to put your pots in! I believe you also need to use different pots for different waterways, although i could be wrong there. I looked into it before coming back to UK but haven't gone any further with it. On the flip side, a chicken leg tied to some string and then a rag also tied on is supposedly a very effective way of catching them. As it isn't hooked, it probably (although i can't say it definitely isn't!) a handline, and it isn't a pot either. It may be a possible way of getting a meal for yourself, although if I'm wrong I'd like to be put right.

 

[craigsalter]

By rights, you need a licence to catch them with a pot. It's free, look up DEFRA's webiste, but to get the licence, you need permission of the owner of the puiece of water you wish to put your pots in! I believe you also need to use different pots for different waterways, although i could be wrong there. I looked into it before coming back to UK but haven't gone any further with it. On the flip side, a chicken leg tied to some string and then a rag also tied on is supposedly a very effective way of catching them. As it isn't hooked, it probably (although i can't say it definitely isn't!) a handline, and it isn't a pot either. It may be a possible way of getting a meal for yourself, although if I'm wrong I'd like to be put right.

Yeah you are right about needing a licence I am aware of that and fully intend to apply for one once a location is found and the owner consulted (which I need to do anyway in order to light a fire to cook them)

Any fishing tackle needs to be disinfected when using it between different waterways to stop the spred of either the signal crayfish eggs, or the fungal infection they carry from contaminating other waterways and destroying the white-clawed crayfish which is our natural and very much endangered species

 

[firecrest]

YOu can catch them most places now. I just used a fishing net in the dark.

 

[Mesquite]

When we were down at Verulamium lakes with the granddaughter last weekend I counted at least 6 large specimens wandering along the bottom of the river. I'm sure theres plenty more but I don't think they'd appreciate leaving traps for them

I might have a word with the landowner where I go to see if he'd mind me trapping in the river and look into getting a licence. Has anyone got any plans for wire mesh traps?

 

[craigsalter]

When we were down at Verulamium lakes with the granddaughter last weekend I counted at least 6 large specimens wandering along the bottom of the river. I'm sure theres plenty more but I don't think they'd appreciate leaving traps for them

I might have a word with the landowner where I go to see if he'd mind me trapping in the river and look into getting a licence. Has anyone got any plans for wire mesh traps?

No I don't have any plans for a mesh trap, I intend to make one from whatever is to hand and whatever I can make out of it when I find somewhere to trap them

I am sure that there will be some somewhere though, try google images?

 

[woodstock]

I might have a word with the landowner where I go to see if he'd mind me trapping in the river and look into getting a licence. Has anyone got any plans for wire mesh traps?[/QUOTE]



If you have a look on ebay they have collapsible traps for about a fiver if you remind me I'll bring 1 along to the meet..