Claws! Crabs, Crayfish and other crustaceans

[Unimexsol]

Last season it was crabs, this season it seems to be crayfish!

 

Last season it was almost impossible to deadbait where I fish as the place was crawling with crabs, I was told that they were Chinese Mitten Crabs but I wouldn't be able to confirm this as I only know how to tell a hermit crab from any other sort!

 

This season there are suddenly hundreds of crayfish. I seem to remember my dad telling me that crayfish were a good sign in a river or lake as they would only live in clean water but this would have been many years ago so I could be wrong. I've heard that there's been an influx of american red signal crayfish, but these crayfish don't look red to me. Are they the uk's indigenous species? Why are they suddenly all over the canal?

 

So which crustacean should I expect next year? And are any of them any good as bait/or to eat?

[waterman1013]

What canal is it Unimexsol?

 

If the crays have small claws they may be native white tailed but if they have large claws they are probably signals, although there are other species in the wild now, having, like the signals, either escaped or been seeded into various waters.

 

Mike

[Unimexsol]

River Lea Navigational Canal. As for claw sizes I don't know what I'm comparing with. I guess that the claw is approx 1/3rd of body length, at a very rough guess.

[Newt]

White Claw

 

Signal

 

A site with photos of a wide variety of crays in case yours wasn't either of those

Click Here

[Mat Hillman]

If it's the lea valley then it's almost certainly going to be signals

 

Mat

[Unimexsol]

Cheers Newt,

 

Definitely White Claw then. Any idea why the sudden population explosion or is it that I've just never noticed them before?

[Unimexsol]

If it's the lea valley then it's almost certainly going to be signals

 

Mat

 

Ok, I'm confused now it is the Lea Valley but they look far more like the picture of the whiteclaw than the signal. Colouring is not red for a start. I'll try and get a picture of one.

[waterman1013]

If it is the Lea, almost certainly signals.

 

The reason for the explosion might be the problems the consortium have had in continuing to trap them on the river. I know they were being trapped and sold by the consortium but that came to and end and I have not seen Adam recently. I'll send him a mail and see what the score is.

 

Where abouts on the lea are you fishing?

 

Mike

[gorton]

If its the Lea valley then they are red signal crayfish, the indigenous species have been wiped.

[Leon Roskilly]

Crayfish in Scotland

 

(Video Report)

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_ne...storyid=5205076

Edited July 22, 2006 by Leon Roskilly