The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I have two old cast iron baths which are topped up with horse manure on a regular basis and covered with a piece of old carpet to keep out the frost in winter and keep in the moisture in the summer.They provide me with a constant supply of brandlings and red worms throughout the year.Lobworms I have to dig elsewhere or crawl about on cricket pitches at night gathering them,although I think I am getting too old for that activity! The dry summer has meant I have not been able to get a supply of lobworms and I have even considered buying them,which I have never done before.All my worms are stored in bait boxes in spagnum moss,of which I have a ready supply.

If you want redworms and gilt-tails which are superior to brandlings use leaf litter. For brandlings, kitchen vegetable remains and grass cuttings do the trick. I don't know how to breed lobworms, I just collect them from the lawn on suitable nights. They also come out when you vibrate the ground.
You sometimes see common gulls paddling the ground to get worms to come up.

Thanks to Penninelad and Phil - I'm getting the picture. Do the required species just turn up or is it best to 'seed' the wormery once it has sufficient material? I too have collected a few lobs after dark in my time but it's not so easy these days!

Gentlemen this is a good tip. Once you've gathered your lobworms, keep them in dampened shredded newspaper somewhere nice and cool and dark. Feed with plenty of crushed weatabix. The fattest lobs you've ever seen and the fish love em

I am thinking of breeding some worms as well at the moment. Trolling You tube currently to get the low down.

Riparian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:34 pm Thanks to Penninelad and Phil - I'm getting the picture. Do the required species just turn up or is it best to 'seed' the wormery once it has sufficient material? I too have collected a few lobs after dark in my time but it's not so easy these days!

Just spotted this - Yes they do just turn up but you can seed them.

Out of interest the biggest brandlings I have seen were in a sewage works. Well matured stuff fortunately. I have also dug a type of ragworm in the Humber where Grimsby sewage was discharged into the Humber and again the worms were much bigger than normal. They started treating the sewage properly and the place became less productive, in fact, the worms are in general decline in the Humber because the sewage is treated much better these days.

Banana skins keep worms moist and they thrive on them...my favoured bait for tench? Banana flavoured worms.....

Riparian Have a look on YouTube for Can O Worms

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... wormery+uk

a friend of mine had a poly tunnel for growing tomatoes and discarded a lot of them at the back of the tunnel,under a tree.the brandlings were like lobs and the fish loved them.

Phil Arnott wrote: ↑Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:09 pm If you want redworms and gilt-tails which are superior to brandlings use leaf litter. For brandlings, kitchen vegetable remains and grass cuttings do the trick. I don't know how to breed lobworms, I just collect them from the lawn on suitable nights. They also come out when you vibrate the ground.
You sometimes see common gulls paddling the ground to get worms to come up.

I don’t think it’s possible to breed lobs unfortunately.