Worms: How do you fish them?

[MaggotDrowner]

I fished worm on the river today with no real success. Just perch to about 4 - 8oz.

I have always fished a worm cut in half too. I hook both halves on a big hook or just the one on a smaller hook. I always hook in the side that has been cut.

The theory is that amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) leach out of the worm through the cut and the fish can smell it, which attracts the fish.

[Snape]

LL pictures now rotated!

[LuckyLuca]

Thanks Nigel!

[Pinhead]

I've never had much success fishing with worms - don't know what I was doing wrong. I used to get really cross with all the books and magazine articles telling me what a brilliant bait they are! Too many bootlace eels in most of the waters I fish too!
Give me a nice tin loaf any day!

[AshbyCut]

In "Angling for Coarse Fish" by John Bickerdyke (revised 1959 by Harvey D. Torbett ... pub. Thorson's Publishing Ltd.) there is this tip :-

"... it is better to wind the worm round and round the hook, inserting the point at each turn, than to thread the worm from head to tail. When I threaded the worm the fish used to take it up and then, after mouthing it, feel the hook and leave it; but when I surrounded the hook with a thick lob worm I found the bait was not left so, I suppose, the hook was not felt."

[TheDodger]

However, if you look in Appendix IV of 'Faddist's Baits and Groundbaits book of 1950 there are a number of testimonies as to the fact that fish disregard the sight/feel of the bare hook. Here are brief extracts from longer explanations of the method, context, and results of means of hooking:-

I am convinced that the nakedness of the hook point and shank does not matter a scrap (prominent match angler Dennis W Warr quoted by Marshall-Hardy in 1939)

It is a waste of time to try to hide the hook. I don't even attempt it when I go fishing for carp (T A Waterhouse - then president of the NFA)

whatever bait I use I show the barb (Capt L A Parker)

a bit of hook poking through the bait makes no difference (A Edward Hobbs, author of Trout on the Thames)

leave the bend, and most of the shank exposed...one catches as many chub, if not more than ever (Dr Lewis Smith - Silver Doctor)

I do not consider covering of the hook essential (Victor H Southgate - V.H.S. of the Shropshire Meres)

an exposed hook is no detriment (H Jones - All England Championship winner 1937)

I never bother about hiding the hook (G Bright, All England Championship winner 1938)

I think you get my point (sorry!). I would recommend this bookIncidentally, I bought this book recently, new stock of the 1952 edn still being available cheaply (from d.dobbyn@ntlworld.com yesterdays7 with whom I have no personal or financial connection incidentally).

On the last page of the book is a table of which baits caught the then record fish; this includes the 31lb 4oz carp caught by Mr R D Richards in October 1951 from Bernithan Court Pool, Langavon, on honey paste. No carp secrecy in those days!!

[ExeAngler]

Pol Vitimo or something like that. I used to buy it from Vale Royal Angling in Northwich. Used to use the stuff on Worm and maggots as a dip. Countless times I put the stuff on my hook bait, not having had a bite and got one right away. Not sure if you can still get it. Mine ran out about 4 years ago and I had it for over 10 years.

Great stuff.

[Olly]

In 1950 - the hair rig was still to come!

[Santiago]

Pol Vitimo is also what I use to dangle worms in and would also suddenly start getting bites. But I now find the same result with chilli pickle oil. Works wonders every time!

[MaggotDrowner]

Pol Vitimo or something like that. I used to buy it from Vale Royal Angling in Northwich. Used to use the stuff on Worm and maggots as a dip. Countless times I put the stuff on my hook bait, not having had a bite and got one right away. Not sure if you can still get it. Mine ran out about 4 years ago and I had it for over 10 years.

Great stuff.

That's my little local tackle shop. Are you still local to Northwich?