Crayfish License - River Chelmer

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Crayfish License - River Chelmer

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TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 06 12:17 pm Post subject: Crayfish License - River Chelmer

After reading a few articles on crayfish I decided I wanted to do my bit and do some crayfish trapping. Usually I fish with a line and rod, and after chatting to the helpful people at the fisheries lab they sent out a license pack - very informative.

Unfortunately the bit of river I was dead set on fishing doesn't have an obvious bailiff presence. I've wandered a few times without seeing anyone. So I thought I'd do a bit of research, but I can't find out who owns the stretch of river! It's definately fished because there is a number of small fishing stations yet I've not seen an angler at the times I go awandering. Plenty of fish however!

Any ideas on (or anyone know) how to find this out? The fisheries put me in touch with a guy who told me that he couldn't tell me because of the data information act (I presume he means protection).

Must be a registry _somewhere_ like the land registry!

Seems like a lot of hassle to get pests out of the water :- (

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 06 12:39 pm Post subject:
The owner of the land surrounding the river will often own the riparian (fishing) rights. He may have retained these rights or let them out to a fishing club or syndicate. The land owner should be your first port of call !

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 06 5:13 pm Post subject:
Which bit of the Chelmer is it?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46328
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 06 5:17 pm Post subject:
the local angling shop is a great source of knowledge . take a flask (either sort )

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Tue Jul 11, 06 7:02 am Post subject:
it's just before the main town and clubbing area. I've just found the owner of the carpark I park in owns the rights for his part of the bank so I'll be getting some details tomorrow = ) Finally... progress! O'course there's probably no crays in the chelmer after all this... it's only a few feet deep!

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jul 11, 06 5:18 pm Post subject:
I can find out who owns the bit by the army and navy, where they keep the cows, if you like. My friend made enquiries about grazing her horses there.

skedone

Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 351
Location: essex inbetween a blue bit and a green bit

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 06 5:37 pm Post subject:

if u see a guy called wayne early 30 dark hair short and slightly tubby now looking like a advert for a tackle componey doing lure fishing ask him he knows all of that river and is a BLOODY good lure fisherman i dont have his number now so cant call him but he is your man to talk to he fishes in both areas mention on a daily basis if he can and will tell u were and when every marine animal is in the hole rive lol

p.s he might me cover in diff paints as well he works in a paint spry area

dougal

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

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 06 4:52 pm Post subject:

Specifically regarding Crayfish, it primarily depends on whether your river has a surviving population of native ("white claw") crayfish (which will be justifiably protected) or the larger american Signal Crayfish.

Regarding trapping Signal Crayfish, see:
*this Environment Agency link*
which even gives a phone number for a "crayfish trapping advice pack" (as well as basic info and other links).

This document
https://www.defra.gov.uk/fish/freshwater/pdf/licreq.pdf
lists the postcodes where no license to "keep" signal crayfish is required.
If no license is required, its a good indication that the area is already infested with them.
Seems no keeping license is required for any Chelmsford postcode...
Technically a license is required to "transport" them. But if you were taking a few home and not travelling outside the listed postcodes, I doubt it would be serious.
A license to "keep" is not required for "immediate consumption".
It'd be a good idea to hold them in clean water for a day or two to purge their guts of whatever filth they had been eating recently... and if the water was polluted, I wouldn't want to eat them, because they will tend to sweep up and concentrate the water's contaminants, at least as well as any fish - because of their omnivorous nature and appetite.

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 07 10:24 am Post subject:
Nettie - yes please if you could - I didn't get anywhere with the guy from the car park - doesn't return my calls etc. bought the trap now it is spring and I can start going out without being blown away!

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