On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 11:05:33 -0000, "Bill"
wrote:


"Michael Musgrave" wrote in
message ...
I am thinking on buying a bait pump, as I want to try and get my own worms.
There are less and less bait diggers out there as they tend to get more
money digging holes on building sites. What is best - large or small bore.
Any suggestions on how to use it would be great. Or will I be wasting my
money and effort?

Very rarely see professional bait diggers using pumps, ought this say
something.........?


Depends what they're digging for.
If blow lug or rag then a spade/fork is by far the best, the type of
fork depending on the terrain.
For black lug I think I only know one professional who doesn't use
one.

Many advantages including:
ease of use (once the techniques been mastered)
ability to gather lug in wet sand (virtually impossible with a spade)
more environmentally friendly than a spade/fork.- This aspect is being
pushed more and more by environmental groups, and I wouldn't be in the
least surprised if it was to become the only allowed method in certain
areas.

As to type then most of the diggers I know go for a slim diameter
pump. They're a bit harder to master, but much less back breaking than
the standard Alvey.
One digger I know uses a purpose built pump that's not much over an
inch diameter. Last time I saw him he'd just pumped over a hundred
worms on a medium tide and hadn't even broken sweat.
That level of expertise doesn't come without effort though.

Cheers
Ian D