fish farms

[The Flying Tench]

I read that the most popular bait on commercial fisheries (I think it meant for carp) is pellet because that is what they are reared on. But presumably this applies to all stocked fish, not just on commercials? And what about other species? Does anyone know what they feed roach, bream etc on?

[philocalist]

Just the same - pellets :-)

[Vagabond]

Trout too, although the exact composition of the pellets may vary, and no doubt there were/are "trade secret" recipes alleged to grow your fish faster and/or bigger than the next man's.

 

I remember there was (and probably still is) a great interest in "pellet flies" when the angling press were obsessed by the weight of the (triploid) rainbow "record". The news spread of giant fish lurking beneath rearing cages, feeding on the surplus pellets falling out of the cage bottoms. Each morning the local reservoir would see a race from the lodge to the fish-rearing cages, and anglers fishing with artificial pellets (some dunked in fish/shellfish oil - perhaps to help them sink more slowly ) as near the cages as the regulations would allow, and sometimes even nearer than that !

 

It was very near (or past) the boundary of what IMHO was "fair angling", and was one of the many reasons I decided there were more interesting fish to pursue than triploids. What other anglers do is up to them, but as I fish only to please myself, I am free to choose what methods I will or will not employ.

 

Although I have used pellets when bait-fishing for coarse fish, I much prefer using worm, maggot, bread derivatives or a natural bait, such as caddis grub. Somehow I get more satisfaction from catching on these traditional baits than from using something out of a packet. If I deviate from that scenario, it is usually by using some sort of shellfish bait, cockles, mussels, pieces of whelk, etc (fresh, not pickled !). I have resolved to experiment with meat/fish flavoured pastes this season - think various pates, black pudding etc. Like catching on self-tied flies, catching on one's own baits adds to the enjoyment

 

No doubt my PBs would be higher if hair-rigged halibut pellets were my usual bait, and I even have an unopened bag of them in the car boot, but they have remained so for a couple of seasons. As I say, I fish to please my whimsical self.

[Rusty]

Certainly trout have been reared on pellets for years. I was into fly fishing during the 'triploid era' and never used to take any fish home (usually against the rules) because they always tasted of pellet. If they were used for rearing other species too I don't believe they were widely in use as a hookbait at that time, mid eighties I think.

[Neil Smart]

Well said,and sums up really how I fell but rather better than I could describe. I do use pellets, the occasional boilie, because I too get seduced by the hype that is the bait industry. I fish rivers, and can you imagine on June 16 when the rivers are again bombarded with all sorts of expensive manufactured baits after the fish have been doing well just on nature's larder.

Besides natural baits are so more effective, and there is not a fish that swims that won't take a worm.

[chesters1]

Hmmm could vegan anglers use animal based pellets or are there vegan kosher pellets out there ? If so i bet theyre expensive for just lettuce and nuts?

I have retried more than once the old 70's. Bait of grinding up trout pellets and mixing them with eggs and using the old way but i guess fish only have eyes for the more expensive cuts nowadays

[gozzer]

Hmmm could vegan anglers use animal based pellets or are there vegan kosher pellets out there ? If so i bet theyre expensive for just lettuce and nuts?

I have retried more than once the old 70's. Bait of grinding up trout pellets and mixing them with eggs and using the old way but i guess fish only have eyes for the more expensive cuts nowadays

Don't forget the 'Halalibut' pellets for the more exotic species Chesters.

 

John

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks for replies. It's interesting that, while pellet is certainly a popular bait for carp and trout (pellet flies) you don't hear much about it for other lake fish. I have tried both sweetcorn and 6mm hooker pellets for roach on both river and lake, and have found sweetcorn a bit more effective. Maybe it's because a lot of the roach are not original stockies? Though, even for carp, I get the impression that boilies (which they weren't reared on) are as popular as pellets, and the only reason boilies are used rather than ordinary bread is to deter small fish.

Edited May 21, 2016 by The Flying Tench

[Vagabond]

never used to take any fish home (usually against the rules) because they always tasted of pellet.

I am talking about the days of "put and take" - the rules then were that you had to take your catch away. The only way I would eat rainbows is if they are smoked. Small (ie 2lb to about 5 lb) are filleted and skinned and then I hot smoked the fillets in my old ABU smoker.

 

Larger rainbows (ie 6 lb to 20 lb plus) I used to send for cold smoking. Just gut the fish, and (this is important) trim off the belly sides which in the bigger fish are full of fat. If you don't, the smoker will slice them up with the rest of the fish, charge you for the extra weight, and you will find that rainbow belly, even if smoked, is inedible. The one drawback is that having the fish cold smoked is bloody expensive, although still much cheaper than buying smoked trout or salmon.

 

My smoker was good, and the smoked rainbow would come back nicely sliced in several little packets. Alas, with the demise** of most of the triploid fisheries, he went out of business. If I were 50 years younger, I would build my own smokehouse, as lots of other things can be cold-smoked with advantage. Can't be bothered now, but I would recommend it for anyone with the land for it. and young enough to have several years use of it ahead.

 

**I remember Norma doing a back-of-the-envelope costing on triploid fisheries, deciding they could not possibly make a living long-term, and advising me to fill the freezers (yes we had two big ones then) whilst I could, as it would not last. She was right.

[Tigger]

Well said,and sums up really how I fell but rather better than I could describe. I do use pellets, the occasional boilie, because I too get seduced by the hype that is the bait industry. I fish rivers, and can you imagine on June 16 when the rivers are again bombarded with all sorts of expensive manufactured baits after the fish have been doing well just on nature's larder.

Besides natural baits are so more effective, and there is not a fish that swims that won't take a worm.

 

Hi Neil, do you fish the same rivers as Rabbit ?