"Baal" wrote in message
om...
Ken, please enlighten me.....

I am an ardent carper but wish to move from boilies, pastes etc to more
traditional baits. Therefore the trusty worm intrigues me but they (like
most bait) are expensive to buy.

Even feel like trying a new par-boiled potato and revisiting the 1960s
carpers hey-days...lol!

But seriously, what did you mean about the worms?

Compost heaps produce Brandling and Redworms. The really big Lobworms or
"Night Crawlers" as the yanks call then cost about 10p. each.

You need to go out at night when it has been raining so that the grass will
be very wet. You also need a night when there is not much wind as this makes
the worms cold and not very obliging.
The worms are both Male and Female but, they don't mess with thenselves. So
on a wet night they come out of the grass and look for a mate and when found
they "twist around" each other. If you are very lucky the worm will fully
remove itself from its hole but, most will still have the flat end firmly
fixed in the ground.
What you need to do is grip gently the worm above where it enters the ground
and hold on applying a little outward pulling pressure. Soon the worm will
loosen its grip and you can then pull it from its hole. Now drop it in a
bucket containing shredded paper and garden moss and continue until you have
a hundred or so!

When you first start Lobworm collecting you will not see them but after a
while you will be able to tell them from the grass. Then you will start to
scare them off as you go to pick them up.. it does get better with a little
practice.. honest!

Don't go armed with a torch... it puts them down!

Find a large patch of well mowed short grass. One of my favourite places is
an Industrial estate with verges only about 4 feet wide but quite long and
the road lighting is constant and adequate. If you have a good lawn of your
own and dont have a water meter, then get the "Hose pipe" out on the lawn
about 2 hours before dark and watch the buggers creep out after dark!

The productive times for the worms are from about the end of March or
earlier if the temperature rises. Dont forget the want "warm and wet".

Hope that is of help and don't be put of by your eary failures... it
happened to us all!

Ken Ward, Bolton. (Ex Eel angler and worm catcher).