Here in New England, we’re a fishing people, and nothing epitomizes that more than the sight of lobsters coming up in the traps set by so many big and small fishing outfits.

One of those outfits is the father/son combo of Wayne and Mike Marshall out of the village Brant Rock, which opens up into Cape Cod Bay from Marshfield.

Wayne and Mike were pulling traps on Thursday when they caught glimpse of something very special — a rare blue lobster.

“I have heard of blue lobsters but never caught one. It was quite a surprise to see it,” Wayne said.

As you can see above, the lobster only has one claw, which is not too uncommon. But it’s color is. One one in every two million lobsters is blue. The coloring is caused by a genetic mutation that makes the lobster produce an excessive amount of a certain protein.

There are other rare colored lobsters out there. On August 1, 2006, a Maine lobsterman caught a yellow lobster near the mouth of the Kennebec River. The odds of finding a yellow one are about 1 in 30 million. Also in 2006, another Maine fisherman caught a half and half lobster — with two colors perfectly covering the halves of the lobster’s shell. The odds of finding one of those are one in 50 million.

Wayne said he’s been fishing out of Brant Rock for more than 30 years, mostly catching lobsters. Him and his son operate the 30-foot wooden, Maine-built lobster boat “The Necessity.” They usually haul traps four times a week and sell the catch on the pier.

A couple years ago, the Marshalls caught a rare half yellow lobster.

Their blue lobster is currently being held at the Brand Rock Fish Market, but don’t worry, it’s not destined to become a meal. The Marshalls are looking for a home for it and will be contacting the New England Acquarium this week.

Wayne and Mike also run a t-shirt printing business called Brant Rock Ink, where they print up themed t-shirts for the local fishermen and some fire departments.

If you’re looking for that gift with a “wow!” factor keep reading this article. Amongst the many things businesses pull together for the holiday season- Christmas albums, special edition DVDs, all-inclusive travel deals- it seems amazing that a new company from Maine is outdoing them all.

Catch a Piece of Maine was founded by two brothers,‚ Brendan and‚ John Ready,‚ who after being raised in the lobstering community decided to get their own boat and start catching lobsters‚ after high school. Fortunately for them, their parents encouraged a higher education. After going to universities in Boston and getting degrees in business, they put their newfound knowledge to work.‚ 

They founded a company, Ready Inc., and created a new way to sell lobsters by offering ownership of a lobsterman’s trap to get 13 lobster baskets direct from the fisher for a year.‚ 

“We are a community supported fishing model that is relevant for the Maine lobster industry. In the past 50 years there has been very little change and what we can offer is the quality product with the experiential value,” explained John Ready.

Each basket includes four pound-and-a half lobsters, pound of steamer clams, pound of mussels and four servings of typical Maine desserts like blueberry brownies or whoopee-pies. ‚ The shipments also bring a photo and story of the lobsterman who works the trap; a map of where the trap is located; a personalized note from the lobsterman telling how the fishing went; next day delivery, classic lobster-printed white bibs and, last but not least, a call form the lobsterman himself the night of delivery to ensure costumers are happy with their bounty.‚ 

‚ Aside from canceling third parties, trap holders establish a relationship with those who run their trap and learn what the real lobstering life is about.‚ It may sound like too much razzle-dazzle but this personal treatment is what sets the Ready brothers apart, selling more than two million pounds of lobster annually.

“We have customers who really look forward to receiving their call the night of their delivery. They have dinners on that day and its not strange to be put on speakerphone to join the party, people love being involved, they like to know they form a part of what we do,” said Ready.

Their business model has helped create a feeling of togetherness amongst the lobstermen, something that Ready said is not often found. Not only that, it is creating jobs in an ailing industry and encouraging consumers to continue buying the clawed crustacean. The yearlong share costs $3,000 but there are other options that have become as big sellers as the yearly “subscription.”

“We are here to please you, I just had a call from a woman who said, “ËœI love lobster tails, send me 20 by this date’ and we did. Our consumers like experiential gifts so we have an array of smaller custom made options to never say “Ëœno’ and give them the same experience,” Ready said.

One of those options is the $250 “Lobster Share” pack. ‚ It includes the same four hard shell lobsters, steamer clams, ‚ mussels and Maine made desserts and personalized messages as the shareholders monthly basket does. It also comes with the popular call from the lobsterman‚ who caught your delicious dinner.‚ 

If you don’ know whether or not a person likes lobsters, the business on-line store also offers Catch a Piece of Maine gear gift certificates and a colorful 2009 calendar filed with Maine scenery and lobstermen’s photos.

In a time when the lobster industry is in decline this company has grown at an amazing rate. The difference being in that the brothers use their salesman skills effectively to help revitalize the lobstering community and make a profit along the way.‚ 

“We grew up in this lifestyle, because catching and selling lobsters really is a lifestyle. When we see the men that we looked up to as children struggling to pay bills or make things work we’re not only concerned with making a business successful, we’re concerned for our family,” Ready shared.‚  “This is what other people see too and by getting even a small piece of it they know their gift will be unique and that our community will keep going.”

Whether your holiday list is on a budget or not, the custom packages and apparel from these Mainers are special options to consider. Because, if you think about it, who else can boast after New Years that the “lobsterman called, wanting to make sure you got your lobsters alright” at the office?

Get your own piece of Main by sending an email to Giveaways@BlastMagazine.com with your contact information by January 1st to win the lobstermen’s 2009 calendar!