Pellets

[Gandalf]

Hi Gentlemen,

Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older
than life itself it seems I now need to know about these things as they are
the in bait that works. I would prefer not to use a hair rig if possible but
it seems it is the preferred way to fish them.

Oh yes, since when have we had blue maggots and why? The only ones that work
seem to be red for me and my local bream are certainly not patriotic as they
did not touch a red, a white and blue on one hook.

Is it me or does the whole idea of make things simple and natural gone out
of the stain glassed window.

[Derek Moody]

Post by Gandalf
Hi Gentlemen,
Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older

Pellets are compressed meal, oil snd some sort of binder, forced through a
die and sold in bulk. Prices are rising fast due to the recent lurch in
international fuel, feed and grain market prices. Despite this it should be
possible to get a ten ton load delivered for around 25k ukp - (eg about
25p/kilo in bulk.) Pellets are made in a range of sizes depending on the
diameter of the die.

Uses:
Repackaged in portable packets.
With 'posh' label and high price tag:
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* groundbaits.
With 'downmarket' label and medium price tag:
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* groundbaits.

Sold loose from a 25kg sack:
* Large - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* groundbaits.

Once sold they are of no further interest to the tackle trade.

Post by Gandalf
than life itself it seems I now need to know about these things as they are
the in bait that works.

No. They're what the *repackagers tell you* are the in bait that works.

Post by Gandalf
I would prefer not to use a hair rig if possible but
it seems it is the preferred way to fish them.

If you want to create a real stir invent a new way to use them: I suggest
you carefully heat individual Pontefract ('Pomfret') cakes (Licorice sweets)
in a greased teaspoon until they go really sticky then inset the ends of
three or four small pellets and allow to set. Now you have a licorice
enhanced hedgehog of pellets with a tough undercase through which you can
pass a hook. Add a few Pontefract cakes to the prebaiting pellets that you
put out daily for a couple of weeks and fish the new hookbait over them.
When you've caught a couple you can gradually let slip the secret and
finally write the definitive article for the angling press. If you're
sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig and arrange a
bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage as a kit with your
own designer label.

Oh. This -will- work. Chuck enough of anything reasonably edible in front
of a few hungry carp and sooner or later some will take it.

Otoh you could use some of your leisure time in collecting and chopping
worms and slugs - prebait with them and you'll do rather better.

Or find the place where crusts the ducks and swans miss drift and collect
and fish bread in an area that has been prebaited for you for weeks...

Post by Gandalf
Oh yes, since when have we had blue maggots and why? The only ones that work
seem to be red for me and my local bream are certainly not patriotic as they
did not touch a red, a white and blue on one hook.

AIui many of the fish that will take a maggot are colourblind in any case.

Post by Gandalf
Is it me or does the whole idea of make things simple and natural gone out
of the stain glassed window.

It's the cash-rich time-poor syndrome. Those with too little time to fish
properly** or who are too impatient, think they can buy the secrets to
success. The trade are delighted to supply them.

The usual quote is something like: 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the
anglers who are the ones that buy 5% of the tackle. I reckon the true
figures are more likely to be 95%, 5%, and 1% respectively.

I bought a (remaindered) supermarket loaf this evening for 10p - revolting
stuff, -I- wouldn't eat it. I'll take about a third of it fishing in the
morning - should be enough bait for a couple of hours after which it'll be
too bright.

Cheerio,

** Which doesn't mean you fish -more-, just that you fish at the -right
time- which may occur unpredictably.

[Ian Hooksem]

as Derek suggests, pellet is not essential. they feed it to fish in
nurseries (farmed trout, for example, can taste just like pellet!)
It is a convenience product for anglers. To buy cheap you need to buy
large quantities (I have bagfulls 3 years old still in the shed. To buy
in sensible quantities teh price goes up and up.)
Being hard & solid, it slowly breaks down in water to a dusty mulch
within 10-40 minutes, so it is a useful way of getting some attracting
ground bait out, at medium distance. Its available in different sizes,
and the bigger ones need longer to break down in the water - so with a
mixture of sizes, you have an automatic time-release mechanism - even
more convenience because you don't need to top up your ground bait so
often. You can catapault some out around yoru hook.
the big ones (some people call them donkey chokers) can be attached to a
hook with a rubber band, or drilled gently and put on hook.
If you want to go hi tech you can put the lead and trace and baited hook
in a PVA bag and fill it up with pellet - so in theory when the pva
melts, hook line and sinker are in a small area surrounded by freebie
pellet.
In summary, pellet can have a useful role to play, but is not at all, an
essential piece for your armoury.

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf
Hi Gentlemen,
Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older

Pellets are compressed meal, oil snd some sort of binder, forced through a
die and sold in bulk. Prices are rising fast due to the recent lurch in
international fuel, feed and grain market prices. Despite this it should be
possible to get a ten ton load delivered for around 25k ukp - (eg about
25p/kilo in bulk.) Pellets are made in a range of sizes depending on the
diameter of the die.
Repackaged in portable packets.
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* groundbaits.
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* groundbaits.
* Large - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* groundbaits.
Once sold they are of no further interest to the tackle trade.

Post by Gandalf
than life itself it seems I now need to know about these things as they are
the in bait that works.

No. They're what the *repackagers tell you* are the in bait that works.

Post by Gandalf
I would prefer not to use a hair rig if possible but
it seems it is the preferred way to fish them.

If you want to create a real stir invent a new way to use them: I suggest
you carefully heat individual Pontefract ('Pomfret') cakes (Licorice sweets)
in a greased teaspoon until they go really sticky then inset the ends of
three or four small pellets and allow to set. Now you have a licorice
enhanced hedgehog of pellets with a tough undercase through which you can
pass a hook. Add a few Pontefract cakes to the prebaiting pellets that you
put out daily for a couple of weeks and fish the new hookbait over them.
When you've caught a couple you can gradually let slip the secret and
finally write the definitive article for the angling press. If you're
sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig and arrange a
bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage as a kit with your
own designer label.
Oh. This -will- work. Chuck enough of anything reasonably edible in front
of a few hungry carp and sooner or later some will take it.
Otoh you could use some of your leisure time in collecting and chopping
worms and slugs - prebait with them and you'll do rather better.
Or find the place where crusts the ducks and swans miss drift and collect
and fish bread in an area that has been prebaited for you for weeks...

Post by Gandalf
Oh yes, since when have we had blue maggots and why? The only ones that work
seem to be red for me and my local bream are certainly not patriotic as they
did not touch a red, a white and blue on one hook.

AIui many of the fish that will take a maggot are colourblind in any case.

Post by Gandalf
Is it me or does the whole idea of make things simple and natural gone out
of the stain glassed window.

It's the cash-rich time-poor syndrome. Those with too little time to fish
properly** or who are too impatient, think they can buy the secrets to
success. The trade are delighted to supply them.
The usual quote is something like: 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the
anglers who are the ones that buy 5% of the tackle. I reckon the true
figures are more likely to be 95%, 5%, and 1% respectively.
I bought a (remaindered) supermarket loaf this evening for 10p - revolting
stuff, -I- wouldn't eat it. I'll take about a third of it fishing in the
morning - should be enough bait for a couple of hours after which it'll be
too bright.
Cheerio,
** Which doesn't mean you fish -more-, just that you fish at the -right
time- which may occur unpredictably.

[Gandalf]

Many thanks Ian, as you will see in my reply to Derek I have been given some
soft ones to try. They have halibut oil in them which the sales blurb says
is a fish attractant. We will see and as you can tell I am not too
optimistic especially after I know all but red maggots seem to be the thing
at the moment.
--
Gandalf

Post by Ian Hooksem
as Derek suggests, pellet is not essential. they feed it to fish in
nurseries (farmed trout, for example, can taste just like pellet!)
It is a convenience product for anglers. To buy cheap you need to buy
large quantities (I have bagfulls 3 years old still in the shed. To buy in
sensible quantities teh price goes up and up.)
Being hard & solid, it slowly breaks down in water to a dusty mulch within
10-40 minutes, so it is a useful way of getting some attracting ground
bait out, at medium distance. Its available in different sizes, and the
bigger ones need longer to break down in the water - so with a mixture of
sizes, you have an automatic time-release mechanism - even more
convenience because you don't need to top up your ground bait so often.
You can catapault some out around yoru hook.
the big ones (some people call them donkey chokers) can be attached to a
hook with a rubber band, or drilled gently and put on hook.
If you want to go hi tech you can put the lead and trace and baited hook
in a PVA bag and fill it up with pellet - so in theory when the pva melts,
hook line and sinker are in a small area surrounded by freebie pellet.
In summary, pellet can have a useful role to play, but is not at all, an
essential piece for your armoury.

Post by Gandalf
Hi Gentlemen,
Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older

[Gandalf]

I like your humour Derek as it rings so true.

You raised a memory though and I have already done the liquorice thing in
principle anyway. One day whilst walking home along the Thames after a
reasonable fishing trip I saw a couple of nice chub under a tree. I had no
bait left but I did have one sausage sandwich but it was covered in mustard.
Ignoring that I set the rod back up and climbed the tree as it was the only
way to get the bait to the fish and I temped a 4 lb chub of sausage and
mustard. At that point I also wished I had thought ahead a bit more as I was
now fighting both the fish and gravity as I was stuck in the tree. I did
land it without getting wet so allow as well but maybe I should market this
"never fails" chub bait that is 100% successful ( tried it once and it
worked ).

Here is a good one for you Derek, the lake I fish has a rule that one half
of the lake is left free for matches on Fridays which I observe. Most of the
people fish it every week and are mainly OAP's, they do not catch much as
they are worse than kids and make so much noise I can feel the vibrations on
the other side of the lake. Most of them have had chats with me and told me
I am doing it all wrong and I should try to fish how they fish, I may
disagree with their methods but I am polite and carry one catching fish, the
last few times I have landed fish while they are telling me I am doing it
all wrong which went down like a lead balloon. Last Friday I was the other
side of the lake and my methods worked yet again as I landed 10 or so fish
most of which ranged from 2 to 3 lbs, nothing great just an enjoyable days
fishing but I could hear them muttering every time I banked a fish. Other
than catching when they can not I have not done anything wrong, have I? (
well other than feeling smug when one of them started glaring at me when I
was chatting with the owner who I have known for years )

Going again next Friday.

Thanks for the info on the pellets, I took a look at them today and they are
expensive and odd flavours as well. I have to say that a guy in a market
stall put his money where is mouth was as he has given me a small packet of
halibut hook pellets ( sonubaits.com ) and says that if I do not catch with
them I get them free and if I do catch and want more I can pay him for them.
Unusually trusting that me thinks but I will live up to his challenge and
try them for an hour next time. He says they can be used directly on the
hook and they seem soft enough but firm enough to stay on. Time will tell
and at £3 for a 140g packet ( enough for a three or four sessions with light
feeding ) it is not too bad.

Thanks again Derek.
--
Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf
Hi Gentlemen,
Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older

Pellets are compressed meal, oil snd some sort of binder, forced through a
die and sold in bulk. Prices are rising fast due to the recent lurch in
international fuel, feed and grain market prices. Despite this it should be
possible to get a ten ton load delivered for around 25k ukp - (eg about
25p/kilo in bulk.) Pellets are made in a range of sizes depending on the
diameter of the die.
Repackaged in portable packets.
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* groundbaits.
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* groundbaits.
* Large - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* groundbaits.
Once sold they are of no further interest to the tackle trade.

Post by Gandalf
than life itself it seems I now need to know about these things as they are
the in bait that works.

No. They're what the *repackagers tell you* are the in bait that works.

Post by Gandalf
I would prefer not to use a hair rig if possible but
it seems it is the preferred way to fish them.

If you want to create a real stir invent a new way to use them: I suggest
you carefully heat individual Pontefract ('Pomfret') cakes (Licorice sweets)
in a greased teaspoon until they go really sticky then inset the ends of
three or four small pellets and allow to set. Now you have a licorice
enhanced hedgehog of pellets with a tough undercase through which you can
pass a hook. Add a few Pontefract cakes to the prebaiting pellets that you
put out daily for a couple of weeks and fish the new hookbait over them.
When you've caught a couple you can gradually let slip the secret and
finally write the definitive article for the angling press. If you're
sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig and arrange a
bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage as a kit with your
own designer label.
Oh. This -will- work. Chuck enough of anything reasonably edible in front
of a few hungry carp and sooner or later some will take it.
Otoh you could use some of your leisure time in collecting and chopping
worms and slugs - prebait with them and you'll do rather better.
Or find the place where crusts the ducks and swans miss drift and collect
and fish bread in an area that has been prebaited for you for weeks...

Post by Gandalf
Oh yes, since when have we had blue maggots and why? The only ones that work
seem to be red for me and my local bream are certainly not patriotic as they
did not touch a red, a white and blue on one hook.

AIui many of the fish that will take a maggot are colourblind in any case.

Post by Gandalf
Is it me or does the whole idea of make things simple and natural gone out
of the stain glassed window.

It's the cash-rich time-poor syndrome. Those with too little time to fish
properly** or who are too impatient, think they can buy the secrets to
success. The trade are delighted to supply them.
The usual quote is something like: 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the
anglers who are the ones that buy 5% of the tackle. I reckon the true
figures are more likely to be 95%, 5%, and 1% respectively.
I bought a (remaindered) supermarket loaf this evening for 10p - revolting
stuff, -I- wouldn't eat it. I'll take about a third of it fishing in the
morning - should be enough bait for a couple of hours after which it'll be
too bright.
Cheerio,
** Which doesn't mean you fish -more-, just that you fish at the -right
time- which may occur unpredictably.
--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

[Derek Moody]

Post by Gandalf
You raised a memory though and I have already done the liquorice thing in
principle anyway. One day whilst walking home along the Thames after a
reasonable fishing trip I saw a couple of nice chub under a tree. I had no
bait left but I did have one sausage sandwich but it was covered in mustard.
Ignoring that I set the rod back up and climbed the tree as it was the only
way to get the bait to the fish and I temped a 4 lb chub of sausage and
mustard. At that point I also wished I had thought ahead a bit more as I was
now fighting both the fish and gravity as I was stuck in the tree. I did
land it without getting wet so allow as well but maybe I should market this
"never fails" chub bait that is 100% successful ( tried it once and it
worked ).

Why do you never have a camera when you need one :-)

Post by Gandalf
Here is a good one for you Derek, the lake I fish has a rule that one half
of the lake is left free for matches on Fridays which I observe. Most of the
people fish it every week and are mainly OAP's, they do not catch much as
they are worse than kids and make so much noise I can feel the vibrations on
the other side of the lake. Most of them have had chats with me and told me
I am doing it all wrong and I should try to fish how they fish, I may
disagree with their methods but I am polite and carry one catching fish, the
last few times I have landed fish while they are telling me I am doing it
all wrong which went down like a lead balloon. Last Friday I was the other
side of the lake and my methods worked yet again as I landed 10 or so fish
most of which ranged from 2 to 3 lbs, nothing great just an enjoyable days
fishing but I could hear them muttering every time I banked a fish. Other
than catching when they can not I have not done anything wrong, have I?

Yes, you've shown them that their lack of fish is not because the water's
rubbish, the light/weather wrong and the fish off the feed. You've taken
away their excuses. They would much prefer it if you were using a new,
highly secret bait - it would supply a new excuse.

Post by Gandalf
( well other than feeling smug when one of them started glaring at me when
I was chatting with the owner who I have known for years )
Going again next Friday.

If you have a similar session allow yourself to be heard muttering that all
those **** carp keep getting in the way of your roach fishing.

Post by Gandalf
Thanks for the info on the pellets, I took a look at them today and they are
expensive and odd flavours as well. I have to say that a guy in a market
stall put his money where is mouth was as he has given me a small packet of
halibut hook pellets ( sonubaits.com ) and says that if I do not catch with
them I get them free and if I do catch and want more I can pay him for them.
Unusually trusting that me thinks but I will live up to his challenge and
try them for an hour next time. He says they can be used directly on the
hook and they seem soft enough but firm enough to stay on. Time will tell
and at £3 for a 140g packet ( enough for a three or four sessions with light
feeding ) it is not too bad.

- that works out about 21k ukp per ton - or to put it another way, he's
charging you three quid for about 4p worth (in bulk) of pellets...

Fyi: With about 4p worth of bread this morning I took 18 fish in just under
two hours, eight of which I kept for eating (slightly OT as I wasn't coarse
fishing) - four of us will eat one each tonight and the others will be
frozen for another day.

Cheerio,

[Gandalf]

Post by Derek Moody
Why do you never have a camera when you need one :-)

It was that long ago Box Brownies were far too expensive and getting the
fish to stay still that long never worked.

My second hobby is photography and I always get the best shots when the
camera is missing. I had a kingfisher fly by the other day and although I
had thee camera the bird jsut speeded up the closer the camea got to the
eye. SAme in Zoo's, every bloody animal tunrns it's back to me as I
approach. These is a theme me thinks.

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf
Going again next Friday.

If you have a similar session allow yourself to be heard muttering that all
those **** carp keep getting in the way of your roach fishing.

I would have to shout with all the noise they were making. I will certainly
make a lot more show of the catch, say weight each one shouting the size as
I put them back. It has been suggested I enter their competition which would
be interesting but I want to enjoy my fishing.

Post by Derek Moody
Time will tell

Post by Gandalf
and at £3 for a 140g packet ( enough for a three or four sessions with light
feeding ) it is not too bad.

- that works out about 21k ukp per ton - or to put it another way, he's
charging you three quid for about 4p worth (in bulk) of pellets...
Fyi: With about 4p worth of bread this morning I took 18 fish in just under
two hours, eight of which I kept for eating (slightly OT as I wasn't coarse
fishing) - four of us will eat one each tonight and the others will be
frozen for another day.

Got to be the cost of the oils used to keep them soft, I took a look and
they smell horrid.

So you had a few trout on bread then, not tasted fresh trout for years and
the farmed ones really do live up the joke as they taste so muddy.


Gandalf
----------

[Derek Moody]

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody
Why do you never have a camera when you need one :-)

It was that long ago Box Brownies were far too expensive and getting the
fish to stay still that long never worked.

It's amazing how few anglers have pictures of themselves fishing (as opposed
to holding the pick of the catch) - and pictures with the rod bent into a
decent fish are even rarer.

Post by Gandalf
My second hobby is photography and I always get the best shots when the
camera is missing. I had a kingfisher fly by the other day and although I
had thee camera the bird jsut speeded up the closer the camea got to the
eye. SAme in Zoo's, every bloody animal tunrns it's back to me as I
approach. These is a theme me thinks.

Hmmm. You took stale buns last time you visited?

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf
Going again next Friday.

If you have a similar session allow yourself to be heard muttering that all
those **** carp keep getting in the way of your roach fishing.

I would have to shout with all the noise they were making. I will certainly
make a lot more show of the catch, say weight each one shouting the size as
I put them back. It has been suggested I enter their competition which would
be interesting but I want to enjoy my fishing.

No - you're taking the wrong angle - keep on operating quietly, they'll
still notice. Then let slip that yoy're not satisfied that you're getting
the full potential of the water; which, come to think of it, is probably
true or you'd have moved on to a bigger challenge.

Or you can use the 'two tiddlers' ploy, see:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/method/brag1.html

Post by Gandalf
Got to be the cost of the oils used to keep them soft, I took a look and
they smell horrid.

You smell volatiles - chemicals which dissolve in air - fish smell the ones
that dissolve in water. Something that pongs to you might be scentless to a
fish and vice versa.

Post by Gandalf
So you had a few trout on bread then, not tasted fresh trout for years and
the farmed ones really do live up the joke as they taste so muddy.

I'm lucky to have a stretch of chalk stream close where a busy footpath
makes fly casting too dangerous and duck feeding provides continuous
groundbait. Every now and then a fly fishing purist sneers at the method
but I confuse 'em by talking about flyfishing for coarse and saltwater fish
- and inviting them to try baitfishing for trout - which they mostly find a
lot harder than they thought.

And that'll be the last trouting session for the season - I'll be ready to
start serious coarse fishing once we get enough rain to perk up the rivers.

Cheerio,

[Gandalf]

I like the "two tiddlers" link and, without realising, have used it. You
have a nice site there, very interesting.

I am down with tonsillitis from my grandson so fishing is off and I am grad
I did not go today as it is chucking it down here in Wiltshire. If I am fit
enough I will go and wind up the old brigade again on Friday. I did think of
another way to wind them up today when I saw a Halloween prop of a long pole
with a skull on it, I thought of sticking it in the mud by my swim and
pretending to do some satanic ritual by it using fake blood. Catching big
bream should suffice though.
--
Gandalf

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody
Why do you never have a camera when you need one :-)

It was that long ago Box Brownies were far too expensive and getting the
fish to stay still that long never worked.

[Gandalf]

Ok, I found a flaw in the two tiddlers ploy.

I had a man come and chat whilst I was fishing and the conversation went, as
usual, to how I was doing. I was about to do the "two small ones" ploy when
my rod left the rest which was odd as it was only a half pound bream.

When I pulled it out the water I improvised on you ploy and said that this
was all that was about, just small ones which is true compared to what I had
been catching the last few times out.

The guy looked like a bit of proper angler but then says "Wow, you get lots
that size " at which point the two tiddlers idea sort of floated out of my
ear. Turns out he was one of the regular match anglers I upset last week.
However he took great interest in my set up and when I left a took a look in
on him and guess how he was fishing.

That was all I caught all morning so as I was not feeling too good I came
home and will go again on Friday, I have decided to modify the two tiddlers
ploy to "How big do the gudgeon get in here" followed by a village idiot
type laugh. Hey why be subtle.<VBG>
--
Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody
Why do you never have a camera when you need one :-)

It was that long ago Box Brownies were far too expensive and getting the
fish to stay still that long never worked.

It's amazing how few anglers have pictures of themselves fishing (as opposed
to holding the pick of the catch) - and pictures with the rod bent into a
decent fish are even rarer.

Post by Gandalf
My second hobby is photography and I always get the best shots when the
camera is missing. I had a kingfisher fly by the other day and although I
had thee camera the bird jsut speeded up the closer the camea got to the
eye. SAme in Zoo's, every bloody animal tunrns it's back to me as I
approach. These is a theme me thinks.

Hmmm. You took stale buns last time you visited?

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody

Post by Gandalf
Going again next Friday.

If you have a similar session allow yourself to be heard muttering that all
those **** carp keep getting in the way of your roach fishing.

I would have to shout with all the noise they were making. I will certainly
make a lot more show of the catch, say weight each one shouting the size as
I put them back. It has been suggested I enter their competition which would
be interesting but I want to enjoy my fishing.

No - you're taking the wrong angle - keep on operating quietly, they'll
still notice. Then let slip that yoy're not satisfied that you're getting
the full potential of the water; which, come to think of it, is probably
true or you'd have moved on to a bigger challenge.
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/method/brag1.html

Post by Gandalf
Got to be the cost of the oils used to keep them soft, I took a look and
they smell horrid.

You smell volatiles - chemicals which dissolve in air - fish smell the ones
that dissolve in water. Something that pongs to you might be scentless to a
fish and vice versa.

Post by Gandalf
So you had a few trout on bread then, not tasted fresh trout for years and
the farmed ones really do live up the joke as they taste so muddy.

I'm lucky to have a stretch of chalk stream close where a busy footpath
makes fly casting too dangerous and duck feeding provides continuous
groundbait. Every now and then a fly fishing purist sneers at the method
but I confuse 'em by talking about flyfishing for coarse and saltwater fish
- and inviting them to try baitfishing for trout - which they mostly find a
lot harder than they thought.
And that'll be the last trouting session for the season - I'll be ready to
start serious coarse fishing once we get enough rain to perk up the rivers.
Cheerio,
--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

[Derek Moody]

Post by Gandalf
Ok, I found a flaw in the two tiddlers ploy.
I had a man come and chat whilst I was fishing and the conversation went, as
usual, to how I was doing. I was about to do the "two small ones" ploy when
my rod left the rest which was odd as it was only a half pound bream.
When I pulled it out the water I improvised on you ploy and said that this
was all that was about, just small ones which is true compared to what I had
been catching the last few times out.

AIui every passer by assumes that all anglers lie. You are merely conforming
to their expectations but adjusting the truth in a different direction to
the one they expect.

Post by Gandalf
The guy looked like a bit of proper angler but then says "Wow, you get lots
that size " at which point the two tiddlers idea sort of floated out of my

To which you reply, "Oh, I don't count those."

Post by Gandalf
ear. Turns out he was one of the regular match anglers I upset last week.
However he took great interest in my set up and when I left a took a look in
on him and guess how he was fishing.
That was all I caught all morning so as I was not feeling too good I came
home and will go again on Friday, I have decided to modify the two tiddlers
ploy to "How big do the gudgeon get in here" followed by a village idiot
type laugh. Hey why be subtle.<VBG>

If it works for you...

Post by Gandalf

Post by Derek Moody
I'll be ready to
start serious coarse fishing once we get enough rain to perk up the rivers.

..and I got in a grayling session in the interim. 10 fish, best just on
2 1/2 lb if you squinted at the scale from an angle and the rest (bar two
little ones) around the 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb mark.

Cheerio,

[Steve Walker]

If you're sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig
and arrange a bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage
as a kit with your own designer label.

Very funny, Derek, and very true. Obviously much of their popularity and
effectiveness is owed to the fact that they are used by anglers who fish
commercial venues overstocked with small farmed carp; the pellet is the
natural food of the commercial carp, as far as the fish are concerned.

I must confess, however, that I have found that they have their uses. I
loose feed with them, or add them to groundbait, when fishing for tench.
They seem to be very effective at drawing fish into the swim and
inducing them to feed. Likewise, I loose feed with them for barbel, and
when stalking in clear shallow water I've seen barbel move into the swim
very quickly once the pellets have been fed. Good in the very small
sizes in conjunction with hemp, as both sink quickly, tend to stay put
and don't particularly attract minnows.

I sometimes use the soft pellets (more like a pellet-flavoured boily,
I'd say) as hookbait, but I'm far more likely to fish a nice fat
lobworm. The thing I do like about pellets is that they keep more or
less indefinitely, so I always have a bag of them and a small tub of
soft hook pellets in my rucksack. Handy for spur-of-the-moment fishing,
when the tackle shop is closed. I keep tins of sweetcorn and luncheon
meat in stock for the same reason.

[Gandalf]

"The thing I do like about pellets is that they keep more or
less indefinitely, so I always have a bag of them and a small tub of
soft hook pellets in my rucksack. Handy for spur-of-the-moment fishing,
when the tackle shop is closed. I keep tins of sweet corn and luncheon
meat in stock for the same reason."

A good idea, I do the sweet corn and bread standby for the impulsive session
but the soft pellet may have a use that way. You mentioned that they were
good for tench, my record for tench over the last three years is abysmal
with only one 3 lb in all that time. Bit late in the season now but any
advice on pellets other than just as groundbait.
--
Gandalf

Post by Steve Walker

If you're sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig
and arrange a bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage as
a kit with your own designer label.

Very funny, Derek, and very true. Obviously much of their popularity and
effectiveness is owed to the fact that they are used by anglers who fish
commercial venues overstocked with small farmed carp; the pellet is the
natural food of the commercial carp, as far as the fish are concerned.
I must confess, however, that I have found that they have their uses. I
loose feed with them, or add them to groundbait, when fishing for tench.
They seem to be very effective at drawing fish into the swim and inducing
them to feed. Likewise, I loose feed with them for barbel, and when
stalking in clear shallow water I've seen barbel move into the swim very
quickly once the pellets have been fed. Good in the very small sizes in
conjunction with hemp, as both sink quickly, tend to stay put and don't
particularly attract minnows.
I sometimes use the soft pellets (more like a pellet-flavoured boily, I'd
say) as hookbait, but I'm far more likely to fish a nice fat lobworm. The
thing I do like about pellets is that they keep more or less indefinitely,
so I always have a bag of them and a small tub of soft hook pellets in my
rucksack. Handy for spur-of-the-moment fishing, when the tackle shop is
closed. I keep tins of sweetcorn and luncheon meat in stock for the same
reason.
--
Steve Walker

[Steve Walker]

You mentioned that they were good for tench, my record for tench over
the last three years is abysmal with only one 3 lb in all that time.
Bit late in the season now but any advice on pellets other than just as
groundbait.

First thing is to find somewhere with some decent tench! You say you're
in Wiltshire, though, so there are plenty of waters around you holding
good tench. I'm a member of South Cerney AA ( http://www.scac.org.uk )
which has a number of good tench waters. It has two small waters at
Wickwater available on day ticket, one of which is a "carp puddle" and
of no interest to me, the other of which is more of a heavily stocked
general coarse fishery, and a bit more interesting. I prefer to fish the
more "natural" pits, but this small day ticket water is fairly easy and
contains a good average size of tench; perhaps 5lbs or so. The general
coarse water is shown top left in this photograph:

http://www.scac.org.uk/public/lakes/wick1and2/wick1&2.html

The location of the lakes is shown here:

http://www.scac.org.uk/public/lakes/lakeswin.swf

Before I joined the club I used to buy day tickets from the clubhouse at
Ham Pool, but it may be possible to buy them on the bank or from local
tackle shops, I don't know.

I've stopped tench fishing for the year now, however I expect it is
still possible to catch some. I prefer to float fish for tench. It's not
always the most efficient way of catching them, but if we were into
efficiency we would buy a seine net. I would adopt a scaled down
approach. The water will be clearer now, so my summer tackle of 6lb
mainline to 6lb low diameter hook length and a #6 or #8 would be too
heavy. I should think more of a heavy match setup, with a 3lb low
diameter hooklength and a #16 or #14. You still need some power to get
the fish out, and anywhere near snags a good tench will make mincemeat
of 1lb bottoms and #20 hooks.

I probably wouldn't use pellets at all now that the water temperatures
are lower and the fish less hungry. I'd start by loose feeding maggots
and fishing a couple of maggots on the hook. I'd probably put a little
hemp in. If bothered by small fish, I'd change hookbait to a medium
sized worm, or a couple of grains of sweetcorn. Bread is great for
tench, but on waters like Wick the roach and rudd will have it off the
hook before it sees the bottom.

[Gandalf]

Hi Steve,

I used to fish South Cerney and all over that area as a youth. Good waters
for almost all fish species back then but it seems they have grown a few
houses around most of the lakes I used to fish.

I have access to three lakes, all hold tench to moderate size of about 5lbs.
The one lake that is my usual lake for ease of getting to and around holds a
good number of tench as many other anglers seem to catch them. They have
told me all sorts of tricks and tips but I none have worked for me apart
from the one tench which was had on feeder with a red powdery groundbait and
two maggots on a #16. I use 4 lb main line and 3 lb hook length. That very
system is what has bagged me some reasonable bream lately from the same
lake.

I have not had a lot of luck with warm as each time I have been plagued by
small pike, actually landed a few of them.

Location was a thing as the one was had off the edge of a little island but
I have tried all the spots where I have found tench in the past like the
edge of reeds and close to lily pads. All the typical tench type swims but
there are not many such features on this lake.

As you say, we are past the tench season really and any deliberate tench
will have been hard fought for or simply lucky if they happen to be feeding
with the bream.

I will have to do the concerted effort early next summer.

Many thanks for the advice.
--
Gandalf

You mentioned that they were good for tench, my record for tench over the
last three years is abysmal with only one 3 lb in all that time. Bit late
in the season now but any advice on pellets other than just as groundbait.

First thing is to find somewhere with some decent tench! You say you're in
Wiltshire, though, so there are plenty of waters around you holding good
tench. I'm a member of South Cerney AA ( http://www.scac.org.uk ) which
has a number of good tench waters. It has two small waters at Wickwater
available on day ticket, one of which is a "carp puddle" and of no
interest to me, the other of which is more of a heavily stocked general
coarse fishery, and a bit more interesting. I prefer to fish the more
"natural" pits, but this small day ticket water is fairly easy and
contains a good average size of tench; perhaps 5lbs or so. The general
http://www.scac.org.uk/public/lakes/wick1and2/wick1&2.html
http://www.scac.org.uk/public/lakes/lakeswin.swf
Before I joined the club I used to buy day tickets from the clubhouse at
Ham Pool, but it may be possible to buy them on the bank or from local
tackle shops, I don't know.
I've stopped tench fishing for the year now, however I expect it is still
possible to catch some. I prefer to float fish for tench. It's not always
the most efficient way of catching them, but if we were into efficiency we
would buy a seine net. I would adopt a scaled down approach. The water
will be clearer now, so my summer tackle of 6lb mainline to 6lb low
diameter hook length and a #6 or #8 would be too heavy. I should think
more of a heavy match setup, with a 3lb low diameter hooklength and a #16
or #14. You still need some power to get the fish out, and anywhere near
snags a good tench will make mincemeat of 1lb bottoms and #20 hooks.
I probably wouldn't use pellets at all now that the water temperatures are
lower and the fish less hungry. I'd start by loose feeding maggots and
fishing a couple of maggots on the hook. I'd probably put a little hemp
in. If bothered by small fish, I'd change hookbait to a medium sized worm,
or a couple of grains of sweetcorn. Bread is great for tench, but on
waters like Wick the roach and rudd will have it off the hook before it
sees the bottom.
--
Steve Walker