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Preparing Particles
Particles can be dangerous if not prepared
correctly. Undercooked particles can kill
carp, and care should be taken in their
preparation. Here we give a brief overview
of how it's done. If you are still not sure,
seek advice from an expert - see bottom
of page, or buy them ready prepared.
Hempseed
Hempseed is a small black
seed. It needs preparing, as it is hard
in its natural state. There are many different
preferred methods of preparing it, the way
I prefer is as follows: -
Tip the dry hemp into a container with a
lid, cover with cold water and seal the
lid. Leave over night. They will swell up
slightly at this stage so make sure your
container has sufficient room. Now move
the hemp and water into a pan and bring
to the boil. When boiling, reduce heat and
simmer for about 15 minutes. If you would
prefer, use a pressure cooker, this has
the advantage of retaining more of the natural
smells. Keep an eye on the bait, ensure
it is softening but not breaking up.
Ensure the hemp is covered with water at
all times. When boiled, return the hemp
and water to the bucket and leave to stand
for a few hours, preferably overnight. It
is now ready to use or freeze.
Chickpeas, Black Eyed Beans and similar
Some particles may be coloured and flavoured.
This works well on Chickpeas and Black eyed
Beans. To prepare these soak overnight as
with Hempseed but in the water add flavour
and colouring. Quantity of each will vary
depending on the amount of bait in the container
and the quantity of water added. Careful
not to overdo it! After soaking, bring to
the boil and simmer for 10 -15 minutes in
the same water they where soaking in. Then
treat as per Hempseed.
Tiger Nuts
Tiger nuts are hard brown nuts with a very
rough texture. There effectiveness on some
waters can be brilliant, especially if the
carp are accustomed to Tiger nuts. Prepare
them as follows:
As Tiger nuts are so hard, they must be soaked
for at least 24 hours and then boiled for
30 mins. If you leave the prepared Tiger nuts
for 2-3 days after boiling they will start
to ferment and this seems to help. The water
will turn milky due to all the sugars in the
nuts. Some anglers like to flavour them, follow
the guidelines above if you do.
Peanuts
This particle has been banned on many waters.
This was due to bad publicity following
many carp deaths some years back when a
batch of bacteria infected nuts were introduced
to waters in vast quantities. They are also
lacking in some proteins and vitamins, and
if carp begin to feed to exclusively on
them, they will suffer health problems.
However, if used sensibly, they can make
a very good carp bait. Make sure that you
only purchase the human grade type as the
ones intended for bird tables may be of
a poorer quality and contain a toxic fungus.
The safest way to decide is to think "would
I eat these" If the answer is no, then
why should the carp. This is actually a
rule I apply to a lot of my baits, including
boilies. Chocolate malt are my favourite,
but watch out for the scopex dipped ones!
Peanuts must be prepared by soaking for
24 hours and then boiling for 15 - 20 minutes.
You can add flavours as above if you wish.
Maize
Groats
Pellets
No preparation required here, they are used
dry or made into a paste. To do this, take
some pellets and add a small amount of water
into which has been mixed an egg. This will
make the paste tacky and assist in keeping
it on the hook, otherwise the paste will dissolve
very quickly. Flavouring can also be added
to the liquid if required. Now mould the paste
into a ball. Keep moist by storing in an airtight
container. To flavour pellets in their particle
form, place them in a large polythene bag
and add a little water and flavouring. Not
too much or they will start to dissolve. Inflate
the bag by blowing into it and tie the top.
Now shake the whole thing to spread the flavouring
amongst the pellets. Allow to stand for half
an hour or more and they are ready to use.
Remember if water has been added to the pellets,
you can't use them in PVA bags! The same method
can be used for flavouring dog biscuits.
If you need more help or want to experiment
with other particles then contact Brian
Jarret at Hinders of Swindon. He is in my
opinion the countries expert on particles,
and Hinders have a huge range of best quality
particles for sale. They will tell you how
to prepare them properly, how to store them
and how to fish with them.
Hinders Particle, Tackle & Bivvy Centre
Manor Garden Centre Cheney Manor Ind. Est.
Swindon Wiltshire SN2 2QJ
Tel 01793 333900
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