The Week Junior UK – 03 August 2019

24

Do something

The Week Junior•3August 2019

Crabbing

Learn more...

● Acompanycalled Gone

Crabbing hasahelpful video

with tips about crabbing and

looking after crabs. Head over

to tinyurl.com/TWJ-crab-guide

to find out more.

● TheWorld Pier Crabbing

Competition is in Cromer,

Norfolk, on 25 August, and it’s

free to enter.Takealook at

crabandlobsterfestival.co.uk

CanImakeacrabline?

Crab linesatthe seasidemay cost

around £5, but it’sfairlyeasy to

makeyour own. Use strong line or

cord ,not string, that’saround 10

metres long. It will needaweight in

asmall net bag tied to it.Amesh

bag used for laundry tablets will

work, if it’scompletely soap-free.

When’s thebesttime

to go crabbing?

Youcan do it all year,but crabs

don’t usually likewater that’sreally

old, and may hide inrocksormud.

It’susuallyeasier tocatch them

when the tide iscoming in.

HOW, WHAT,

WHERE?

What doIneed?

Acrabline, which isapiece of cord

or fishing line withastone tied to it

to weigh it down orasmall net bag

with the weight attached.You’ll

also need bait andabucket.Anet

on asmall pole would help,too.

ALAMY

·GETTY IMAGES

I

fyou visitapopularcoastal town this summer,you’ll

probably see people fishing for crabs by the edge of the

water.Crabfishing, or crabbing, has beenatradition in the

UK for as long as people have been living by the seasid

Crabbing isreally easy to do and you don’t need m

equipment to be able to do it proper

see the curious creatures close up an

the crabs properly,they won’t be har

The best places to go crabbing ar

and jetties that stick out into the sea

because you will be able toreach de

water.The edge ofaharbourcanals

be agood spot.

When you’reready to start,

takeyour crab line and tieasmall

pieceofbait to the end. Bait is

the food that the crab grips–bi

of rawbacon and fish work w

Lower the line a

crabs live.Youmig eep

afinger on the line so youcanfeel whenacrabpokes at the

bait. Slowly pull the line out of thewater and you may see a

–orperhaps two or three–attached. They usually cling

u pull them out of the sea.

u haveanet onapole, put itcare fully

and put the crab in the bucket. The

st have fresh seawater inside,

e this is their natural habitat. Add

rocksand some seaweed to help

kethe crabs feel morerelaxed.

Don’tkeep morethan 10 crabs in the

ket; release them back into the seaafter

minutes and change thewater every 10

tes. Don’t tip out the crabs fromaheight –

tilt the bucket at thewater’sedge, close to

you caughtthem.

Getreadyforfunattheseaside.Haveagoat...

THEJOYSOF

CRABBINGBY

THESEASIDE

t crabbing

m the pier in

romer,in

orfolk, with my

mily in the

mer.Iput the

bait on the crab

line and lowered it

to the seabed. The crabs pinched

the bait and held onto it while

Ipulled the line up.Itwas great

fun andIcan’t wait to do it again.

Zach

The crabs don’t

get harmed.

STAY SAFE

Becarefulbythe

water

ataharbour,qua

y,pier

or beach. Alway
smakesure
there’s an adult with

you

whenyou’recra

bbing, and

staybehindabarrier.

Piers and jetties area

great placetofish forcrabs.