Flavoured maggots

[Steve Burke]

Bally, you're even more of a skeptic than I was! Please re-read my post, in particular about switching the flavours around, and you may be convinced about the experiment. Bob Nudd was!

 

I'd add that since then I've done many other experiments that have produced similar results. Full details will have to wait until my next book is published, but a search here on the Forum will throw up one or two examples.

 

I'd add that I have no commercial involvement with Archie other than him providing me flavours to test. But as a writer I could get flavours from elsewhere too. However, I use Archie's because they work so well!

[A Worm OOE]

My experiences particularly with groundbait make me believe that fish most definately do respond to flavours. I do belive however that they are often ascribed more importance than they should be simply because they are so obviuous. Subtle differences in presentation or location are often over-looked and succes or failure attributed to flavours.

I have read much of the Archie Braddock writing and have used his products more or less since he started selling them. I do belive however that the flavours are the Icing on the cake and that they complement his deep understanding of fish behaviour and habitat and that these are far more important than the flavour. I supose that is fairly obvious but you see so many peolpe falling for the must have flavour these days.

 

[ 09. March 2005, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: A Worm On One End........ ]

[andyman]

Let me explain exactly what happened and you can then draw your own conclusions. I wasn't carrying out any experiment, but I was more-or-less sharing the swim with the bloke next to me. The pegs are fairly close together at the particular lake we were fishing. I was using exactly the same rig as the bloke next to me. I actually measured the depth he was fishing at, we both had size 20 hooks to 2lb nylon and the same clear floats, and we both were casting out and then reeling in so that our floats were in the same spot. If it wasn't the Turmeric that made the difference, I don't what else it could have been.

[Steve Burke]

Bally, my apologies. I see now that you were referring to the original post rather than mine.

[andyman]

Further to the above. I have kept koi carp for 16 years and they have grown large and healthy on one particular brand of floating sticks. Occasionally I have tried other types of food but they do not seem so keen on something different. It may just be that carp get used to one type of food when they are in a pond and because they rely mainly on being fed by the pondkeeper, they are wary of anything different going into the water. Now, I would have thought that fish are more used to unflavoured maggots than to flavoured ones, so the question is, why did the roach prefer the turmaric flavoured maggots ? Maybe I should try adding some to my koi sticks.

[Bally]

No worries Steve. I think you posted as I was reading the thread so didn't see your post until after I had posted.

 

As I said, I've been using Archie's flavours (Surprise, Mega and Spicy ranges) for many years. I almost always fish with a mate who doesn't use much flavouring. I wouldn't say that my results were consistently better than my mates. Sometimes I would catch more, other times he would catch more. However, I am definately hooked! I love the smell of ALL of Archies additives and flavours and will continue to use them. Haven't tried Perch Magic yet, but I'll have to keep a look out for it and get some.

 

I think Wormy has it right when he states that knowing about fish behaviour and habitates are more important than flavouring.

 

Andyman, there are a lot of people flavouring maggots these days, and tumeric does seem to be one of the more popular flavours. Maybe the roach in your lake do recognise that smell and that could be way the other bloke was catching more.

[John Ellison]

It's like Archie says, It's the fish and chip shop syndrome. You have fish and chips with salt and vinegar and they are delicious. No salt and vinegar and they are just not the same.

I fished a canal that I've caught roach by the thousand in, but very few perch. I had some Archies 'Perch suprise' and I caught 10. I had not caught ten perch in total in 20 visits.

You go to a carp puddle with the 'wrong' flavour on a match and you'll get slaughtered. It took me a long time to accept that flavours work as well as they do but now, I'm a believer.

Steve, you have mail.

[A Worm OOE]

Andyman

What you describe sound prety conclusive, at the very worst using the Tumeric will give you confidence when you next go there and it sounds like it may well give you an advantge. All I would say is dont get too focused on flavouring you still have to get all the other things rite as well.

[The Bait Master]

I swear by using Turmeric, won't go fishing without it. I always tip at least half a bottle into 2 pints of red maggot and leave over night.

 

It's a brilliant carp attractant, they just love the stuff.

[butiaboy]

whats the best flavour to use on a lake that cantains trout rudd roach carp and tench ?