We spent another idyllic day toasting ourselves on Winchelsea beach yesterday, yet again at low tide we noticed several men pulling little wheeled trailers, they seemed to be pumping something into the sand with hand pressured pumps. We have seen them several times before, but never been near enough to see exactly what they are doing. I thought they may be fishing/foraging for razor clams, but it could be anything. Do any of you learned locals know what they are digging for - and what the method is? What is in the pump thingy? Is it a lucrative money making thing (there is always quite a few of them) or just for personal consumption?
I don't think they are shrimping 'cos they haven't got the plough/net frame, and where I come from(oop north) cockle pickers use rakes.
Just idle curiosity really - but if anyone can shed some light_ _ _ 8)
Hastings Forum
Winchelsea Beach-what are they digging/fishing for?
-
Anonymous1
- Posts: 271
- Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:40 am
Winchelsea Beach-what are they digging/fishing for?
They are sucking up Lug Worm. They used to dig for them which was very hard work. A few years ago some one had the bright idea of sucking them up with hand pumps, much easier. They use the Lug Worm as fishing bait.
Re: Winchelsea Beach-what are they digging/fishing for?
Ah, I see - thank you!
When I was a kid, we used to dig them up - and it is hard work! It was just such a novel thing and I was a little bit wary of approaching any of them in case it was something they shouldn't have been doing and they 'resented' the intrusion.
I have seen shrimpers out there and there are lots of razor clam shells about. When I was little we used to pour salt down their 'blowholes' and catch them as they shot up; we used to winkle madly and my Nana would boil them in sea water until they stopped us from doing it because of some viral thing they had (1970ish).
That was at South Shields, which is where I was born and raised. It is also a sea port and has a fishing fleet. All my family worked on and around the sea, my Nana used to sit at the bench in her kitchen and dress crabs by the 100, for sale in the local fishmongers. I suppose in some ways if I manage the move to Hastings it will be full circle for me.
When I was a kid, we used to dig them up - and it is hard work! It was just such a novel thing and I was a little bit wary of approaching any of them in case it was something they shouldn't have been doing and they 'resented' the intrusion.
I have seen shrimpers out there and there are lots of razor clam shells about. When I was little we used to pour salt down their 'blowholes' and catch them as they shot up; we used to winkle madly and my Nana would boil them in sea water until they stopped us from doing it because of some viral thing they had (1970ish).
That was at South Shields, which is where I was born and raised. It is also a sea port and has a fishing fleet. All my family worked on and around the sea, my Nana used to sit at the bench in her kitchen and dress crabs by the 100, for sale in the local fishmongers. I suppose in some ways if I manage the move to Hastings it will be full circle for me.
Return to “General Hastings Chat & Friendly Banter”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 86 guests