Crabbing in Rye

Crabbing in Rye. When we stayed at Camber Sands the boys requested that we go crabbing. It is one of their favourite pastimes when on holiday. But when I searched for where to go crabbing Rye I struggled. On a whim, we decided to head to the nature reserve for a walk and see what we could find. Thinking if we didn’t get anywhere with the crabbing then at least there is something else to keep the boys occupied.

How to get to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is a little out of the town. If you take the A259 east it is approximately 1.4miles away. It is clearly signposted but you can use postcode  Harbour Rd, Rye Harbour, Rye TN31 7TX to reach it.  It is possible to walk to the nature reserve from the town but it is along the main road on a footpath. Rather than a quiet picturesque walk.  

Parking at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

There is a large car park mostly uneven which is free on Harbour Road, you can not miss it.  The holiday park is also right next door to it. Also making it free to visit the Nature Reserve. 

What is there to do at Rye Nature Reserve?

We headed right out of the carpark past the little cafe selling ice cream and drinks and into the reserve. The walk takes you past some marshland which is inhibited by various sea birds. We saw some spoonbills with their brightly coloured orange beaks. It is a very beautiful place and definitely worth a walk. We also enjoyed watching the fishing boats on their way in and way out. Coming in they would throw all their fish remains into the water sending flocks of seagulls into a furry. Much to the boy’s amusement.

It would also be a great place to scoot or to fly a kite. As there is a concrete path that leads you all the way down to the pebble beach.  We headed past the Fisherman’s hut and down onto the beach and threw stones into the sea. There is a wall that we thought about crabbing off of.  The water was so clear we could see the bottom but it looked very rocky. I was worried the boys would end up losing their nets. Plus it was quite a big drop and nothing to fix the nets too. 

There is an old pillbox also right on the front. Just like many places up and down the Sussex coast.  It occupied the boys for a while as they climbed in and out. Plus we saw at least one bird hyde although they were closed due to the pandemic. When we visited Rye Nature Reserve Discovery Centre was being built. There are plans for it to open in May 2021. It will showcase the diverse range of wildlife that can be found on the reserve and also includes a cafe and toilets.  The Sussex Wildlife Trust also has a number of walking routes available to download. 

Crabbing at Rye Nature Reserve

After walking around the reserve we headed to Rye harbour which is part of the reserve but in the opposite direction. With the carpark behind you turn left and along the road until you see signs to the harbour.  It is only a couple of hundred yards up. By the time we visited the weather had closed in a bit so we went straight to the jetty. Although there is the RNLI station and various commercial fishing boats to nose at as well.

When we arrived the river Rother that flows into the estuary was running fast as the tide was going out. It was also quite shallow which made me wonder how successful we were going to be. There were a couple of others on the jetty but they had not had much luck. Not to be deterred the boys decided they wanted to have a go anyway (in the rain). So we set down our nets and waited. 

The jetty is not very wide or particularly big so I can imagine in the height of the Summer it could get really busy. However, it fully enclosed with bars making it a good spot for younger children and giving you something to tie nets to. We did manage to catch a couple of small crabs in the half an hour we gave it before the weather really set in. The boys were happy!

The only alternative place you could try for crabbing was on the other side of the estuary (Cambe Sands side). As it looked as though there was a wall where the river joined the sea where you could sit. With Harry and the water running fast the harbour was the best option for us. We could not tell for sure because we were on the other side and there is no way to cross the estuary. But in peak season it may be worth a try. 

Is bacon good for crabbing?

Yes! The smokier and better. We tend to use cooking bacon when possible because it tends to be fattier and thicker. There is no guarantee when it comes to crabbing. But I have found that our crabbing trips tend to be successful when we use bacon. I have used dried mackerel before, which is what you tend to find as bait in the seaside shops that sell nets. But we have not had much luck with this. I am sure the fact we used bacon when crabbing in Rye was the reason we managed to catch some. While others were not having much luck. 

Have you been crabbing recently?

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