In article , Gandalf
wrote:
Hi Gentlemen,

Can anyone give me the low down on types and use of pellets. Being older

Pellets are compressed meal, oil snd some sort of binder, forced through a
die and sold in bulk. Prices are rising fast due to the recent lurch in
international fuel, feed and grain market prices. Despite this it should be
possible to get a ten ton load delivered for around 25k ukp - (eg about
25p/kilo in bulk.) Pellets are made in a range of sizes depending on the
diameter of the die.

Uses:
Repackaged in portable packets.
With 'posh' label and high price tag:
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *special* groundbaits.
With 'downmarket' label and medium price tag:
* Large - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to unthinking anglers as *cheap* *special* groundbaits.

Sold loose from a 25kg sack:
* Large - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* hookbaits.
* Small - sold to gullible aficionados as *extra-cheap* *special* groundbaits.

Once sold they are of no further interest to the tackle trade.

than life itself it seems I now need to know about these things as they are
the in bait that works.

No. They're what the *repackagers tell you* are the in bait that works.

I would prefer not to use a hair rig if possible but
it seems it is the preferred way to fish them.

If you want to create a real stir invent a new way to use them: I suggest
you carefully heat individual Pontefract ('Pomfret') cakes (Licorice sweets)
in a greased teaspoon until they go really sticky then inset the ends of
three or four small pellets and allow to set. Now you have a licorice
enhanced hedgehog of pellets with a tough undercase through which you can
pass a hook. Add a few Pontefract cakes to the prebaiting pellets that you
put out daily for a couple of weeks and fish the new hookbait over them.
When you've caught a couple you can gradually let slip the secret and
finally write the definitive article for the angling press. If you're
sensible you'll patent a self-heating spoon and assembly jig and arrange a
bulk supply of Pontefract cakes which you can repackage as a kit with your
own designer label.

Oh. This -will- work. Chuck enough of anything reasonably edible in front
of a few hungry carp and sooner or later some will take it.

Otoh you could use some of your leisure time in collecting and chopping
worms and slugs - prebait with them and you'll do rather better.

Or find the place where crusts the ducks and swans miss drift and collect
and fish bread in an area that has been prebaited for you for weeks...

Oh yes, since when have we had blue maggots and why? The only ones that work
seem to be red for me and my local bream are certainly not patriotic as they
did not touch a red, a white and blue on one hook.

AIui many of the fish that will take a maggot are colourblind in any case.

Is it me or does the whole idea of make things simple and natural gone out
of the stain glassed window.

It's the cash-rich time-poor syndrome. Those with too little time to fish
properly** or who are too impatient, think they can buy the secrets to
success. The trade are delighted to supply them.

The usual quote is something like: 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the
anglers who are the ones that buy 5% of the tackle. I reckon the true
figures are more likely to be 95%, 5%, and 1% respectively.

I bought a (remaindered) supermarket loaf this evening for 10p - revolting
stuff, -I- wouldn't eat it. I'll take about a third of it fishing in the
morning - should be enough bait for a couple of hours after which it'll be
too bright.

Cheerio,

** Which doesn't mean you fish -more-, just that you fish at the -right
time- which may occur unpredictably.

--
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Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
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