Snails, not fishing related.

[emc]

and if you're  wild camping how about this

www.telegraph.co.uk/.../Unwanted-garden-snails-cooked-by-gardener.html

SNAILS IN WILD HERBS
Using a good book, collect seasonal weeds. Wash and chop finely, then
Blanch for 5 mins the wild herbs you can lay your hands on.
I used the following:
Water parsnip (but make sure it is, similar substitutes  could be fatal)
Wild sorrel
Water cress
Nettle tips
A little ribwort plantain.
Sieve , pressing out the water.
Finely chopped ramsons
(if in season, otherwise use onion or garlic with the blanched herbs)
Add all these to melted butter.
Put a snail in each hollow of a snail plate and add as much paste as possible.
Bake for 20 mins.
Serve with cubes of bread and salad.

Probably goes well with rice or noodles!

[Inchlaggan]

What! No Safron? Or Cous Cous?

[Ptinid]

For what it's worth, 'Growing Success' slug killer is pretty good and is ''environmentally friendly'' - which simply means it doesn't have metaldehyde in it (the stuff that kills cats - Sandy take note!). There are other varieties of this around as well, but some contain some nasty salts, so read the label first.

These snails are a nuisance, but can be a valuable food source for birds (look for thrushes' anvils - seen loads this year!). As has been posted they can be successfully harvested and cooked.

There's quite a lot of colour variation around, and I recall someone doing some ecological research on this a couple of years ago, but can't find the reference now.