Catching Yabbies.

Yabbies!  Yabbies are a small freshwater crayfish that are found in the creeks and rivers of Australia.There are other freshwater lobsters that are a lot larger but harder to find now.There is also a mid way freshwater crayfish called Marron.Yabbies are what we love to get usually in the warm weather in Australia around Christmas time. When there has been some flooding is when the  yabbies "run" Yabbies can lie dormant in mud below the surface for several years in times of drought.We  cook them by boiling in a "billy" or saucepan and they are delicious with shredded lettuce, mayonaise and fresh bread and butter.They can be caught in nets from a boat or the riverbank. The nets are baited with meat or fish heads or you can even use a cake of soap.. A popular method for kids in days gone by has been to dangle a piece of meat on a string on a stick in the water and then when the you see the yabbies in the water( if it is clear enough) approaching the meat you yo have a dab net at ready to scoop them out. Usually you only catch one  at a time in that method. In  a net you may get up to 10 if you are lucky.

The piece of string method