bursting the maggot

[The Flying Tench]

I went fishing on the river yesterday with maggot and size 18 hooks and found, as I often do, that I nearly always burst the maggot on hooking. A recent thread alerted me to this issue in the context of keeping the hooks sharp. But my hook was fresh from the packet, and presumably sharp. Actually, I found that the maggots usually burst as I pulled them over the barb - which presumably is an argument for barbless hooks (I didn't use them as I have temporarily run out, but I don't always use them on the river anyway).

 

So I'd appreciate any advice from matchmen or experience roach anglers on this. How problematic is it to burst the maggot? Is there any way of hooking which reduces the problem?

[chappers]

Just make sure you don't push the hook through the body of the maggot just nick it through the frilly bit at the top

[bluerinse]

I went fishing on the river yesterday with maggot and size 18 hooks and found, as I often do, that I nearly always burst the maggot on hooking. A recent thread alerted me to this issue in the context of keeping the hooks sharp. But my hook was fresh from the packet, and presumably sharp. Actually, I found that the maggots usually burst as I pulled them over the barb - which presumably is an argument for barbless hooks (I didn't use them as I have temporarily run out, but I don't always use them on the river anyway).

 

So I'd appreciate any advice from matchmen or experience roach anglers on this. How problematic is it to burst the maggot? Is there any way of hooking which reduces the problem?

 

 

The only things I would say is when you hook them, nick them very finely in the lump at the blunt end and they should not burst, the other thing is bursting tends to happen if you hold the maggot to tightly, its best to softly hold the maggot and draw it onto the hook as apposed to pushing the hook into the maggot.

 

Hope this is helpful

[DavyR]

I find that if you grip the maggot at the pointy end and squeeze gently, you can usually get a (sharp) hook neatly through the little frilly bit at the blunt end (apologies for the technical language) without bursting it.

 

No guarantee that a new hook straight from the packet is going to be sharp - I've found Drennan Carp Match to be very good, though.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I offered up the sharp hook solution on the caster thread, only 5 minutes ago. I wonder how much importance some anglers put in using new hooks.

[Guest tigger]

As has already been said if you hook the maggot through it's lip it's less likely to burst but even if it does i've never found it to be a problem maybe the maggots guts seeping out smells good to fish.

[The Flying Tench]

As has already been said if you hook the maggot through it's lip it's less likely to burst but even if it does i've never found it to be a problem maybe the maggots guts seeping out smells good to fish.

 

I've wondered about that myself. I was once told 'you must never fish with a damaged maggot', but in the case of worms we're told you should deliberately cut them. I wonder what others' views on this are?

[John Weddup]

You don't say what hook you were using.

 

When roach fishing I would use a fine wire hook such as a kamasan 511 or tubertini series 2. I never have trouble with burst maggots as long as maggots are not too old and got really hard skins. The added advantage of fine wire hooks is if you are in a stillwater pestered by carp when you want roach if you have balanced your tackle correctly those hooks will straighten allowing carp to go free rather than break you and leave tackle in fish.

 

John

[kleinboet]

As far as bursting the maggot goes, I have never had a problem when fishing, nor does an 18 hook (my eyes dictate not to use smaller!). If the maggot is too badly damaged, I throw it in as a free offering.

The only thing that I have found is that even if the maggot looks 100% on the hook after catching a fish, if you try again without changing it, you wait a loooooong time for a bite!

[The Flying Tench]

As far as bursting the maggot goes, I have never had a problem when fishing, nor does an 18 hook (my eyes dictate not to use smaller!). If the maggot is too badly damaged, I throw it in as a free offering.

The only thing that I have found is that even if the maggot looks 100% on the hook after catching a fish, if you try again without changing it, you wait a loooooong time for a bite!

So I think you're implying that any damaged maggot is bad news fo getting bites?

 

You could well be right, but on reflection it's often suggested that, when the fish are hard to hook, you should hook the maggots in th emiddle or the pointy end. Surely, then, you will inevitably burst the maggot?

 

I take John's point about fine wire hooks. My tackle shop is a bit short at the moment!