New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-09
THE CURIOUS CRAWFISH.
ESTEEMED A GREAT DELICACY BY THE GER
MANS AND FRENCH IN THIS COUNTRY

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From The Washington Star.
The crawfish. which is considered a great
delicacy among the German and French resi-
dents Of this country, is in many respects
curious creature" remarked u fish dealer to a
star representative. 1t is so tardy in reach
ing maturity that it requires from twelve to
fifteen years to attain its growth which is be-
tween three and five inches. The male crawfish
lives in colonies in holes i'll the river or creek
banks and the female especially while waiting
for her eggs to hatch, prefers to live by herself
The crawfish hunts its prey at night, and
begins the quest as soon as Cusk sets in. Craw-
fish are never found in any numbers and never
of mature size in waters inhabited by cells or
pickerel The eel IS its greatest enemy and de
stroyer The crawish sheds it's shell every year
the male in June and the female in July. They
are then the most tender and delicate OF Great
ures, and especially priced as bait for bass
that hSh will seldom, if ever. take any other
bait than the soft craWfish. For other fish the
tail of the hard craw, with the shell peeled off
the hard, white. sweet flesh. is very tempting
bait, if the angler can get it within reach of the
fish he is hoping to catch before it is seized by
some living crawfish.
The most prolific water for craWfish is said
to be the Miami River, in Ohio. When the fish
erman is after crawtish for bait in that any
other stream he has only to let down a piece of
pork, or beef, or any other kind Of flesh, even
piece of potato or turnip tied to a string In
a moment every craw that get hold Of the
bait with its claws will quickly do so. Then if
the string is pulled up slowly and steadily, not
a craW will let loose of the bait until it is
landed on the bank or in the boat. The fish
erman Wrenches the tail from the body and
casts the latter away. So tenacious of life are
crawfish that it is common sight to see scores
of these mutilated bodies crawling about the
river banks and returning to the water. where
they will live for hours. The craWs that
captured in this way all hard shells
The soft shells delicate that it would
not be possible for them TO cling with their
claws to line. They are caught by turning
over stones on the bottom of the river. where
they hide during the season in which they
shedders. Anglers who want them for bait
food not the only foes that invade the hid
ing places of the soft shell crawfish Bass
Stantly hunt them. turning over the stones to
uncover them with much skill the fisher
man That such enormous quantities of
craWfish survive the shedding in the
Miami River is of the wonders of pisca-
tOrial life.
Although the crawfsh will survive for hours
and sometimes day or more the mutiatiOn to
which fishermen subject it,. ii will soon die if
laid on it's back and kept there. If placed in
that position it works violently with it's of
feet and it's claws. which seems to soon exhaust
for q week out of water if kept in
foreigners, who consider this crustacean deli
cacy, have a superstition that they not
good to eat in the months containing the letter
r. unlike the belief of the majority of Amer
leans that oysters only good in such months.
1t is declared be d fact by growers and ship
pers of crawfish that if a thunderstorm arises
while they in transit they will die in
stantly."