The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Hair rigged!!!!! Please refrain from such profanities.....or I'll have to call Matron....

I read those instructions many years ago but never tried to collect them myself. Used them for fishing though having a grandfather who seem to have no trouble getting them. As I remember they were a good bait but not good enough for me to collect my own.

Memories!!
I can remember collecting wasp grubs back in the fifties when i was a nipper. We used to find the nest and then use carbide to flush them out. This was done by spitting on the carbide which then gave off a nasty smell. When most of them had cleared off we would dig them out and use the cake and grubs. I also used to grow my own gentles. As i had a part time job in a butchers I was able to get a nice pigs head which I would leave in the shed until they were blown. They were huge gentles which would be called gozzers now I suppose. Good job I lived in the country then as the smell could be pretty nasty!! My mum was very understanding!
Happy Days!!

I used to be a Pest Control officer back in the 80's and 90's for the local council.

I had a little sideline thing going with my local fishing shop with Keith (Rip) and Jim who used to own the Middlesex Angling centre, Oldfield Lane Greenford.

Everytime i took him down a wasp nest (2 or 3 a week in season) i used to get as many free maggots/floats etc as i wanted !! They used to use them on the local match scene back then with good results. I had a few good chub out on the local River Colne/Frays river but never had anything else, no perch etc.

If you get a wasp nest now please make sure you wash the wasp nests and grubs thoroughly if an insecticide has been used as most of them are VERY toxic to fish.

Happy days !

Clivey

I cant remember the last time i have seen a wasp!

a rag soaked in diesil and set fire to, used to work for me, but a few hours of caution was needed after the smokey fire subsided

No doubt that they are a good bait but I find a visit to the bakers to select a loaf of bread far less hazardous. Fascinating little read though!

Practice with Tup's Indispensables first; mistakes are less likely to be lethal to either angler or animal.

What's one of them then ?

Sorry, I'd missed the intervening posts and was referring to RBT's bulls-bits suggestion.
The "Tups" is a trout fly with a pinkish wool body, the original having been tied using wool from a ram's scrotum (ram = tup in some areas).

What on earth the inventor was up to when he came by the first sample is probably not up for conjecture on this site.