Hooked

OK, so crabbing. We started crabbing in Dartmouth two years ago. The first year we caught at least twenty in half an hour. Gosh, I thought crabbing was easy. It seems to have gone downhill since then. Now, I have a plan when it comes to crabbing. I believe that the best palce to go is Bayards Cove. I have to be honest, this is not because I think the best crabs come from there. The real attraction is that there is a pub which allows you to take your drinkks out so while "A" and I set up "J" goes and gets the round in. Then the biggest challenge is not dropping bait in your pint when casting.

So we get to this year. Down to bayards Cove. Usual routine and we start crabbing. But the water is rather shallow as the tide is out. So I decide that we should move on a bit. We get up, walk about 20 yards, sit down, I cast the line and then realise that I forgot to sit back on the handle. We watch the line go sailing out into the Dart. End of day 1.

Of course we buy another line and go crabbing on subsequent days. I am not stupid enough to let go again. But the next time we are sitting happily enjoying ourselves. Things aren't really going well, after ten minutes we have caught nothing. Then there is a sudden gust of wind. And the crabbing bucket and bait take off. I make a lunge for them but I am slowed by the thought of falling into the Dart. Instead the bucket lands in the Dart and floats away. We go and sit on a bench and bemoan the fates of crabbing. About 5 minutes later a man walks towards us. Holding a bucket. A bucket we recognise. He stops and says "I believe this is yours". We thank him and take the bucket which, rather to my surprise, now contains two crabs.