traditional fishing bait

[Gary Bills]

I've caught a few carp on cheesy Wotsits, off the top. A size ten hook is about right, and I hook each one like a "grub," through the head. You can't cast far with a Wotsit, so it's close range stalking stuff, and the Wotsit - while giving off a cheesy scent trail, tends to dissolve pretty quickly. You probably need a take within three or four minutes, but the takes - if they happen - are pretty positive.
As Lechmere has indicated, I'm currently experimenting with double cream as an additive. You can smear it on prawns, on bread flake - on anything in fact, and it sends a nice milky slick through the water. We all known that carp like milky stuff.
Anyway, - double cream can be expensive, so I look for "buy one get one free deals", to justify the additional cost for the additive.

[Snape]

I've caught a few carp on cheesy Wotsits, off the top. A size ten hook is about right, and I hook each one like a "grub," through the head. You can't cast far with a Wotsit, so it's close range stalking stuff, and the Wotsit - while giving off a cheesy scent trail, tends to dissolve pretty quickly. You probably need a take within three or four minutes, but the takes - if they happen - are pretty positive.
As Lechmere has indicated, I'm currently experimenting with double cream as an additive. You can smear it on prawns, on bread flake - on anything in fact, and it sends a nice milky slick through the water. We all known that carp like milky stuff.
Anyway, - double cream can be expensive, so I look for "buy one get one free deals", to justify the additional cost for the additive.

As an alternative to double cream try condensed milk. Nice and sweet as well and it acts as an emulsifying agent and so as a carrier for oils.

[Gary Bills]

I've caught a few carp on cheesy Wotsits, off the top. A size ten hook is about right, and I hook each one like a "grub," through the head. You can't cast far with a Wotsit, so it's close range stalking stuff, and the Wotsit - while giving off a cheesy scent trail, tends to dissolve pretty quickly. You probably need a take within three or four minutes, but the takes - if they happen - are pretty positive.
As Lechmere has indicated, I'm currently experimenting with double cream as an additive. You can smear it on prawns, on bread flake - on anything in fact, and it sends a nice milky slick through the water. We all known that carp like milky stuff.
Anyway, - double cream can be expensive, so I look for "buy one get one free deals", to justify the additional cost for the additive.

As an alternative to double cream try condensed milk. Nice and sweet as well and it acts as an emulsifying agent and so as a carrier for oils.

Cheaper, certainly, Snape - but I like double cream because a portion tends to remain on the bait, because it is naturally thicker. At my last session at The Other Pool, I noticed that a small "slick" of cream rose just before the sight bob shot away - so it can even alert one to carp interest. It reminded me of my pike fishing days, when we would inject dead baits with pilchard oil etc. A slick above the bait was sometimes the very first indication of a take.

[Snape]

A good point. I felt at Redmire fish were picking up the bait but not moving off. If the slick was generate by the fish sucking in the bait it would indicate a pick up and then you could strike!

[Gary Bills]

A good point. I felt at Redmire fish were picking up the bait but not moving off. If the slick was generate by the fish sucking in the bait it would indicate a pick up and then you could strike!

Worth a try! The bait would have to be a single, to avoid error - but with a slick being thrown out, a single bait is not such a problem...or a very small sight bob could be used, and the slick and the slightest movement of the bob should be enough for a confident strike. Another advantage of double cream is that it can be used to critically balance a bait - make a bait sink more slowly - which, I imagine at Redmire, could be a real advantage, - preventing a bait from sinking into silt or bottom weed.

[Dave Burr]

I recall reading about anglers fishing the outflow from a large factory that produced milk based product and the outflow was indeed 'milky'. They used cotton wool or foam soaked in milk to catch all manner of fish.

I once had a carp on a lump of sausage roll and am determined (when I can sight fish) to get a carp, barbel or chub on a piece of liquorice either natural or the raspberry flavoured bits - but I'll probably eat my bait supply.

[Gary Bills]

I recall reading about anglers fishing the outflow from a large factory that produced milk based product and the outflow was indeed 'milky'. They used cotton wool or foam soaked in milk to catch all manner of fish.

I once had a carp on a lump of sausage roll and am determined (when I can sight fish) to get a carp, barbel or chub on a piece of liquorice either natural or the raspberry flavoured bits - but I'll probably eat my bait supply.

Hmmm, yes - that's the problem with tasty baits for fish! :D

[GarryProcter]

I know I'm not alone in having caught a fish on a bare hook. It started out with a bait on it, but my cast was slightly too hard, and the hit the tree trunk that was spanning the river Dane in the swim I was fishing (freelining luncheon meat on a size 6), the luncheon meat cannoned off the trunk and ended up on the far bank. My hook just dropped into the river, and before I knew it a chub materialized from nowhere and snaffled it. Not sure who was the more astonished, me or the chub. I didn't try the cast again, but quit while I was ahead!

[Kevanf1]

my local market trader fruit and veg man reacons cherrys are a good bait for chub and i know the chub at bewdley outside the chip shop love chips

Ironbridge Gorge Victorian Museum. There is a canal that runs through it at the back. Plenty of chub to be seen especially if the visitors are sitting by the side eating chips. The chub love them.

[Kevanf1]

I have not done so myself but didn't Izaak recommend a cherry for chub fishing? I have also seen elderberries offered as a bait especially along canals where elder trees grow.

I think my most exotic bait would be my own cheese paste. Which of course is not really anything new; except it was for me. I only discovered the efficacy of cheesepaste last year on a local canal. Prior to this I had not had any 'faith' in it so could bring myself to use it. When I did I quite literally had a bite and feisty little roach within seconds of my first cast. Most pleasing