Take a piece of string, a bit of bacon rind and a rock...

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Take a piece of string, a bit of bacon rind and a rock...
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Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:18 pm Post subject: Take a piece of string, a bit of bacon rind and a rock...

And you've got a relaxing afternoon catching a pest from our waters

Spent a few hours with some bacon rind tied to the end of a bit of string, with friends in the sunshine, and came back with 39 signal crayfish out of the Basingstoke Canal in Farnborough that'll make a nice dinner (or starter, we'll see).

Turns out we should have had a permit, but we spoke to a nice chap at the Environment Agency, and he was more than happy that we were catching them, but said for next time, probably best to sort out a permit.

Anyway, very pleased with ourselves, getting rid of a pest and catching some tasty free food while we're at it

Here's some piccies:

(yes, Paul has a feeler in his mouth)

They're now in several plastic boxes full of clean water in the garden, cats were a bit interested, we've covered them now

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:31 pm Post subject:
Nice nips

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:34 pm Post subject:
Our friend, Porl, an absolute loon

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:38 pm Post subject:
39 !! Thats an excellent haul... Pray tell, how did you pick your spot? Convenience for a good pub, shaded or sheltered water, shallowness/depth or what? ?? Train us! And nice that you found a nice man from the EA...

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:40 pm Post subject:
Nice catch, remember don't over boil them.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 7:56 pm Post subject:

We found that the edge of shade/sunlight on the water was the best spot, but under the bridge was pretty good too, in full shade

The water wasn't very deep where we were catching them, between 1 and 2 metres I suppose, and we were catching most of them from about 1 to 1.5 metres out.

We were just lobbing the string (garden twine actually) with bacon rind on the end, with a stone tied a little way away from it so it sank, into the water.

Regards the location, near or even under a bridge, or shade, where the water is more still, seemed to be a good location. We started off over the other side, away from the bridge where the canal is quite wide, and caught nothing (in sun or shade).

And regards the EA chap, he came over to ask to see our permits, but I'm over-bearingly friendly sometimes, and I think it took him back a bit, and I was asking him lots of questions about the signal crayfish population in the canal, said I thought they were a big pest and that we were doing them a favour.

He agreed that they are and we were, and I think I made him feel like such an arse for telling us we needed permits that he said he would turn a blind eye for today, but to sort something out for next time, and that he hadn't see us, ok?

Will look into how we go about getting a permit and how much they are, he said we'd find the info on their website.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 8:00 pm Post subject:

pricey wrote:

Nice catch, remember don't over boil them.

I've never cooked them before, what do you recommend? How long, or just when they go nice and red?

Do you recommend salted water? Somebody passing us today told us to soak them in salted water overnight, and somebody else has advised us to cook them in salted water.

We were wondering about BBQing them too. We're leaving them in the water they're now in overnight anyway, so recipes and suggestions for cooking are more than welcome!

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 8:20 pm Post subject:
down in louisiana they boil them alive in salted water till they are a sort of a flamingo pink colour....then they just tip the lot on to a covered picnic table and everybody digs in god knows how many we caught but they filled a couple of onion bags

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 07 11:51 pm Post subject:
They are freshwater so no salt. 5 Min's max in boiling water, if you are going to do them on the BBQ Then 1 Min in the water 8-10 on the barbie. I do them lots, and make some dipping sauces up for them to Enjoy You don't have to keep them in water, just covered with a damp cloth in a bucket. 48 hours Max though and don't cook any dead one's.

happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 10:21 am Post subject:
Right, we're going to BBQ them later. Dips, check. I'm thinking a chilli butter might go down well too. Tis Fee here, btw

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 1:14 pm Post subject:
Mmmmm. I may be able to get hold of some. A friend of ours has a waterfall in his front garden. He has caught crayfish in the small pool at the bottom. Pricey??? Nice pics by the way Fee

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 1:40 pm Post subject:
Few people coming round at 3, I've made a chilli, fennel, lemon balm and lime butter and I'm about to make a bacon mayo type dip too. We should have 8 each (well, I'll have 7), nice little starter methinks. Will be doing as pricey says, boil for one minute then BBQ for 8 - 10. Can't wait now! Hope I like them.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 2:06 pm Post subject:
Just simply boil a few as a comparison.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 2:23 pm Post subject:

pricey wrote:

They are freshwater so no salt. ...

I'm presuming that refers to the holding (rather than the cooking) water.

I'm not sure how long they are supposed to be held - so as to purge their guts of whatever they've been finding to eat, (they aren't exactly fussy).

Should one remove the dark gut, if eating promptly?

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 07 4:21 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

Should one remove the dark gut, if eating promptly?

I would suggest so.

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