Is it just me....?

[Santiago]

That's what hook tiers were invented for!! And for extra finesse I use spade ends when the fish are being fussy!

[Wagtail]

Brilliantly funny post Harry

[Rod]

Harry, sorry to say this, but they make plastic versions of all the bait you mentioned, including bread. I used to have your problem especially with casters, never could get the things on the hook without, as you put it squidging them, so now I use a plastic one on the hook, with real ones for loose feed, same with maggots, and my catch rate hasn't altered a bit, I still catch practically nothing,
Being serious,my eyes had gone down hill at an alarming rate, so I tried the fake bait route, and it solved a lot of problems, one being the bloody crayfish nicking the bait, and the other being the lack of dexterity, give it a try.
Rod

[Olly]

Last year was my first (after 40+ years of not) one of using/buying hooks to nylon. When match fishing I could not only see but tie an 18 and a 20 if it came to a push - 2nd or 3rd try though.

Now I use my normal glasses plus a pair of 3x ones for tying hooks/knots/etc within 6in of my eyes, like a pair of magnifying glasses! Cannot see anything else but the hook, about £6.

Using barbless hooks you must also use a small piece of float rubber on the bend - keeps the bait on longer!

I have never caught on fake bread but have done so on corn, maggots and caster. Fake hemp is also good.

I will add that I have failed to catch on an artificial when trotting but done so regularly when ledgering.

[Mick]

Harry, that is the funniest post I've ever read!

[Slumption]

Great post Aitch! Very funny.

On the failing eyesight front:

I was inspired after reading Jim Baxter's waggler book to be a bit more refined in the end tackle department, especially with clear water in my roach swim last weekend. So I'd bought fine line, modern stuff of about a pound breaking strain, and fine wire s18 hooks. Tackled up ready at home but first cast at my swim I wanted to move the dropper an inch and the hook length broke. I only had an hour and a half to fish and after twenty further minutes I still couldn't re-tie my hook (failing eyesight and shaky fingers). Sod that, went back to three pound Maxima and a size 14...

I've bought the same book, its is great....However without reading glasses I struggle to tie anything smaller than a size 16!

[ExeAngler]

Funny and very true.

[Northern_Nomad]

Missed this first round somehow. It did make me smile though.

Nowt wrong with my eyes.....it's just that my arms aren't long enough now

[JAA]

Hempseed must be one of the easiest baits not to hook! I regularly use hemp on the hook but never hook it! The secret is in the cooking and the squeezing. Once cooked overnight in a flask of boiling water, simply pinch a grain between finger and thumb until one sees a small split between the two halves, and then insert the bottom of a fine wire no.16 hook into the gap, and then relax ones grip. No hooking required! But if you must hook hemp then I can recommend the fake plastic variety!

You can get the point of the hook into the bottom of a cooked seed quite easily and turn it round so the point comes out the split.Of course you need to be able to see it to do that...

[Black Prince]

On the maggots I am losing my vision in my right eye thanks to some one crashing into me so have to use my right hand left eye it took some getting used to if I get a maggot with out my glasses on it bursts if I put them on can see what I am doing and hook the through the skin but another thing the speeding young man who probably dosnt give my a thought now gave me is no depth perspective some thing every fisherman needs can't cast to banks islands etc have to use the margins(sorry about the rant)sweet corn bury a size 12hook and for the big Dady of all worms the rag worm get your mate to do it as for luncheon meat and bread one cast it's gone most places I go ban floating baits last night cage feeder for bream red maggots on the hook on the bottom got a 5pound female mallard lost it at the net. mike