The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Over the past few years I've really learned a lot about how and when to use bread.winter and summer doesn't seem to be a good time,not up here in Scotland any way.ive used it on occasion through summer with only the odd bite and even less in winter.
Now is the time to use it,when the cool September winds start blowing.theres something about September that just feels fishy. fish instinctively know the cool temperature is inevitably going to lead to winter.cool weather makes me feel hungry too,must be the same instinct.i fish mostly for roach with bread and therefor that's the species I understand the most.they need it more than want it at this time of year,just like the bear bulks up on salmon,the roach bulk up on bread,providing the angler uses it.
There really isn't much point in using a small bit on the hook,a big bit is easier for the fish too see and as long as it's presented on the hook correctly it will flutter down enticingly.put it this way,I wouldn't hesitate to use a bit of bread the size of my thumb as long as it's not as fat as my thumb,it's easier for the fish to eat a long thin piece rather than a short chunky piece.as long as the bread is fresh it can stay on the hook for a long time,even to the point of reeling it back in.try an unsliced tiger loaf.when wet,fresh brown bread doesn't go so doughy when water is added,so mix half white half brown for a good bread mash that breaks up better on the bottom.the two most important things about bread is firstly having the confidence to use it,if it worked all year round it would be my only bait of choice.the other important thing is bread will pick out the better quality fishy,that is a fact,.

A few years back I punched out discs of white bread and crust of various sizes and put them in plastic bags and froze them.Some I dusted in spices.The reason for this was to use them on a hair rig singly or in multiples.The crusts were liquidised and bagged up and put in the freezer.I had some great catches on the discs of both chub( two 7lb'ers)and barbel up to 10lb on the Severn,mostly fished with a swim feeder.All I had to do was get the bait and groundbait out of the freezer the night before fishing.For the last few years I have simply bought a fresh crusty loaf and use the bread and crust fresh,normally,during the summer Freelined.Any left over is frozen and used again.

I rate bread but do not use it enough. It has caught me fish when other baits have failed and I had my best Bristol Avon Chub on a big piece of flake on a running ledger. The seems to be a lot of water around me where it does not work, which I find very strange.

There really isn't much point in using a small bit on the hook

Au Contraire Sir... I use liquidised for feed and punched bread as small as 4mm in the winter for some cracking bags of good Roach

Bluelabel wrote:

There really isn't much point in using a small bit on the hook

Au Contraire Sir... I use liquidised for feed and punched bread as small as 4mm in the winter for some cracking bags of good Roach

That's true and I've also had good days on small pieces too bluelabel.what I failed to mention is I feeder fish at this time of year and a big bit works better for it for so many reasons and the fish will readily eat it.i should have mentioned that point.

If you're really into bread as a hook bait then I highly recommend reading LA Parker 'Roach :How to Catch Them ' where he describes in depth how it was used most effectively by Thames roach anglers of the past etc.etc. By using an underwater telescope he even observed just how fish take bread, and found fresh bread to be not the best since the roach don't bite confidently, whereas with pre-soaked wet bread bites are confident and much easier to hit. Now the trick to using wet bread is in the hooking, and the information is all there in his wonderful little book. In the summertime I tried it and found it was true ; especially traditional wet flake (not what one thinks as flake, not the white, it's actually just the brown crust with all white removed).

Liquidised bread in the feeder and a large lump of flake on the hook has worked for me in the past, however I've not used bread for many a season now. I should really give it a go because it's probably so under used as to be attractive to fish now.

Perhaps over the coming weeks I'll take inspiration from you and wet a loaf.

If you want to catch roach the best thing you can so is get hold of a copy of Parkers book Roach and how to catch them. The fish have not changed since his time ad his help and advice is still as sound as it has always been.

Yes, that's exactly what I said!!!!!

I've just bought a copy of this for £3.50. I am very much looking forward to getting some great tips and getting some extra ideas on using this most traditional of baits!