Pulses and Seeds
You can use virtually any item that is digestible to lure fish. Hemp has been used for years and years, and I can well remember seeing the anglers on the Lea when I was young holding a whopping great lump of bamboo, and fishing with hemp. My earliest memories of pole fishing. How those old timers would envy the modern day angler his fantastically long and lightweight modern day poles. In them days you had to have muscles that would do an arm wrestling champion proud. I purchase my chick peas, maple peas and hemp etc from Haith’s. I simply soak them in water for 24 hours, and then bring to the boil and simmer gently for about twenty minutes. DO NOT throw this water away when you have finished with it, as it makes a good liquid for mixing up your ground bait. Remember that you can simply freeze the liquid and use it at a later date. I had some good success last year at the lake when I used pearl barley on the hook, and also as loose offerings. What I liked about it was that it stayed on the hook well, and you can catch two or three fish on the same grain.
11-10-2001. I have changed the way that I prepare seeds and pulses. I have a large stainless steel flask, and into this I quarter fill it with the seeds etc. I then pour in boiling water up to the half way mark, and leave overnight. The next day you will have seeds etc ready for use. You can add whatever flavour or colour to the flask when you put the water in. This will give the seeds plenty of time to absorb flavour or colour. Doreen thinks that this way is far better than making a mess in the kitchen.