Worms are among the best all-round baits available but, again, are strangely neglected by the majority of canal anglers. Perch love them. So do tench and chub. Both eels and pike will take them, and contrary to popular opinion, some fine roach can be caught with them too. To complete the list, there are few better baits for chub than a big lobworm.
Many different species of worm exist. The canal angler need only concern himself with two kinds, the lobworm and the red worm. Lobworms are most easily found on lawns, tennis-courts, bowling-greens and cricket-pitches at night, when there is some dew on the grass. The period immediately following a heavy rainfall is most productive. I have gathered them in hundreds at such times.
Some anglers use the tail only for roach fishing, but I often use the whole worm and have caught many decent roach, as well as perch and chub. A larger hook than is generally used is advisable. I regard size 10 as the absolute minimum. A size 8 or 6 is better, especially when chub or tench is the quarry.
Red worms are another fine bait. When used in quantity and fished on a smaller hook than that used for lobworms (I use a size 16 wide gape), they will lure tench, perch, bream, chub and roach.
The best places to find them are in rotted-down compost or manure heaps, beneath old sacking and rotted wood, and almost anywhere where the ground is soft and damp. An old disused manure heap is usually a prolific breeding ground for them. The only drawback with these worms is that they are also attractive to minnows. Wherever these nuisance fish can be found in quantity, the lobworm will probably prove the better of the two bait for specimen fish.
Now Stratford-Upon-Avon district council in their wisdom decided to introduce a food waste bin a year ago now at huge expense. The two food caddies were delivered to over 62,000 households, to residents across the District, together with an information booklet , explaining how the new waste collection service works and what you need to do.
Residents were provided with a small 7 litre caddy and a larger 23 litre external food waste bin. The small caddy is designed to be kept in the kitchen for collecting food waste, which can then be transferred into the external food waste bin for collection.
The external food waste bin is designed to be stored outside and has a lockable lid to contain any smells and prevent vermin getting in. The food waste is collected every week which will also help to prevent smells. Prevent smells ? lol within a week, we were thinking, this won't work for us it, the bins looked good mind you just didn't work very well.
Que the established wormey, now I chuck the majority of food waste in there, and boy is it thriving !!! I'm still waiting for that day where the council representative to knock on my door to ask why we are not putting our bin out for emptying, probably too busy working from home or striking, oh well I can only hope.
What I didn't expect was that a ruffe was the first fish at this early start down at bream alley. It gave a decent bite too. After a bream rolled in the middle of the canal and then soon after a metre from my float the next bite I'd hooked in to a hard fighting fish.
It bolted to my right and was trying to get in to some tree roots but I managed to tease it out having to tighten the drag. It then went straight over to the middle with me struggling to keep on top of it using light tackle.
Sadly after two decent runs the size 16 hook pulled leaving me wondering what the bloody hell was that. I suspect a large hybrid (my best here 4lb) as when it came to the surface it was silver. Whatever it was it did me over good and proper it !!!
I struggled for bites for a couple of hours after a moored boat left its moorings close to me but out of the blue the float buried and it was a bream. With an hour to go after another boat had ploughed up the swim the pungent worms led to another bite.
This was hybrid again, I knew straight away, not that big though going 2lb exactly but a welcome sight in a tough session. Another one soon after of similar size and that was my lot. A slow session sadly and with that lost fish and another boat heading towards me, it was time for the off.
Before I go I must mention Buffalo Si and his 14lb Zander he caught on the canal, a PB and another huge Zander to his ever growing collection. He messaged me when I was on route to the bream spot and was well chuffed for him.
He puts in the effort like no other angler I know, bonkers springs to mind, but as they say effort equals reward. 16lb next closed season ? Si will be on it I know that.
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