Canned Sweetcorn - Exposed! - Part 1

Hands up, who uses sweetcorn as hook bait and feed?

Okay, you can put them down now. You look a right lot of plonkers staring at the screen with your hands in the air...

Sweetcorn anyone?

Just to prove there are sadder people than train spotters, I have spent today traipsing around all the supermarkets and pound-shops in the area looking for tins of sweetcorn. I got some funny looks from the cashiers, I blamed the missus for having a 'thing' about sweetcorn in Tesco, when the cashier looked at the variety of tins, packs and sizes I had just bought.

The big name (groan) in sweetcorn is Green Giant and they seem to have convinced everyone to pay more than twice as much (or more!) for corn in a tin with their branding on it. Even fishermen seem to be convinced it is better. Not having a clue as to whether this is true or not I decided to go and find out for myself. The upshot of this is I now have a pile of tins in all shapes and sizes as well as various multi-packs. I will look at the huge variety of prices out there and work out how much the drained cost is per 100g to see just how much we are paying for it. Then I will compare the corn itself to see if there is any discernible difference. I will try and keep a fully open mind and just look at the facts to see what is what.

This is a snap-shot in time. All the prices quoted are what I could find today. It does not cover every brand, just the ones I could find in the selection of supermarkets and pound-shops in my local area. The places I buy my sweetcorn from. I deliberately did not include the tackle shop offerings as most of these claim to have 'special' properties and additives, making them something rather different.

Rightly or wrongly, I regard frozen corn as a good lose feed, but only good for hook bait if intending to use the skins only. The freezing and thawing process seems to soften the kernels. Again I have no idea if this is true but I intend to find out, but that is for another day, first I want to sort out this pile of tins. The can missing from the picture above is my current favoured brand, Tesco Everyday Sweetcorn. Looking at the ingredients it has sugar added... Do I need that? I don't know. I might be changing what I use after this exercise...

Green Giant

Green Giant is the brand leader by miles. As a point of interest, the name was originally used for a large green pea that the original company (The Minnesota Valley Canning Company) harvested and canned. If you want to become a corn-nerd you can read all about Green Giant on General Mills' European website HERE. All that is really relevant here is, that for getting on for a century, Green Giant have been successfully marketing tinned vegetables under their brand and making a good job of it. I am sure that most of us have the musical version of the name ringing in our heads from the repetitive television adverts of our youth.

It's fame is down to having a good product and successfully marketing it. That on its own does not mean it is any better than any other sweetcorn, just that we are brainwashed to thinking it is. Whether it is or not, I intend to find out but is it up to three times better than the cheaper brands? The most expensive way to buy it in small cans can work out to a staggering 41p/100g*. The cheapest I could find Green Giant (original) sweetcorn was at Tesco where a three pack of the of the 348g tins (actually 285g when drained) works out at 29p/100g* and a single can at 30p/100g*. Even within the brand there is a vast contrast in price.

There is a further anomaly in the sub-branding; 'Original' compared to 'Salad Crisp' labelling. For the life of me I can see no difference when looking at the labels except the amount you get in the tin when bought from Tesco. Sweetcorn has become a 'snack' product, and a convenient one at that with the now commonplace ring-pulls. Buy a two-pack from Tesco and you will pay 41p/100g* and 36p/100g* if bought as a multi-pack of six!

Only based on what I saw at Tesco, the original seems to be sold as a tinned vegetable in drained weight sizes of 285g and 165g but when it comes to the 'Salad Fresh' the tin size reduces to 150g drained weight. I have studded the tins labelling and the official website for the product and the only difference I can see between the two is its intended use. I will look at this more closely when I open the cans and compare the contents. but I am fairly sure there will be no detectable difference..

Finally, I found Green Giant cans in B&M stores labelled as 'Original' but in the smaller 150g drained weight cans, presumably to meet a price point. It may meet a price point but it is not cheap at 36p/100g*.
 

Beyond the Green Giant...

The marketing of Green Giant must be up there with the great brand names we all know and use as generic descriptions. To most people 'Green Giant' conjures up an image of sweetcorn just as we use 'Hoover' for vacuum cleaner and 'Biro' for ballpoint pen. There are very few other brands that are obvious on the shelf. Even when alternatives are stacked next to Green Giant tins at a fraction of the price, it is the Green Giant display that appears to be depleted. This leaves us with the own brands and the economy ranges, all of which are significantly cheaper, and by a very long way in some cases.

Below is a table showing the packs I bought today and their cost. This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide it only represents retailers I have locally, that I can get to easily. As you can see there is plenty of variation. I am sure that when it comes to the branded product, in this case Green Giant, there is nothing to choose between. Tesco's price for the 340g can of Green Giant Original is the same as Lidl. It is also clear that the 150g and 160g cans are intended for 'snacking' and are priced at a much higher price point than the larger cans.

RETAIL OUTLET	BRAND NAME	PACK QTY	NET WEIGHT	DRAINED WEIGHT	SUB BRAND	£0.00p PACK	RING PULL	PENCE /100g
TESCO	GG	2x	160g	140g	S/CRISP	1.15	Y	41
TESCO	GG	6x	160g	140g	S/CRISP	3.00	Y	36
TESCO	GG	1x	198g	165g	ORIGINAL	0.65	Y	39
TESCO	GG	2x	198g	165g	ORIGINAL	1.25	Y	38
TESCO	GG	4x	198g	165g	ORIGINAL	2.00	Y	30
TESCO	GG	1x	340g	285g	ORIGINAL	0.85	Y	30
TESCO	GG	3x	340g	285g	ORIGINAL	2.50	Y	29
TESCO	OB	1x	200g	160g	N/SWEET	0.45	Y	28
TESCO	OB	3x	200g	160g	N/SWEET	1.25	Y	26
TESCO	OB	1x	325g	260g	N/SWEET	0.50	Y	19
TESCO	OB	1x	325g	266g	E/D/VALUE	0.35	N	13
ASDA	GG	1x	198g	165g	ORIGINAL	0.65	Y	39
ASDA	OB	1x	198g	160g	N/SWEET	0.45	Y	28
ASDA	OB	3x	198g	160g	N/SWEET	1.10	Y	23
ASDA	OB	1x	326g	260g	S/PRICE	0.35	N	13
ALDI	OB	1x	326g	285g	S/HARVEST	0.39	Y	14
ALDI	OB	4x	150g	140g	S/HARVEST	1.65	Y	29
LIDL	GG	1x	340g	285g	ORIGINAL	0.85	Y	30
LIDL	OB	1x	300g	285g	FRESHONA	0.35	Y	12
LIDL	OB	3x	150g	140g	FRESHONA	1.19	Y	28
POUNDLAND	GG	2x	160g	140g	ORIGINAL	1.00	Y	36
SAM 99	SP	2x	326g	285g	G/COUNTRY	0.99	Y	17
B&M	GG	2x	160g	140g	ORIGINAL	1.00	Y	36
B&M	B'CHLOR	3x	198g	165	IN WATER	1.00	Y	20

KEY:  GG = Green Giant, OB = Own Brand, SP = Supplies Product

Now, if you are still reading this you are officially a tinned sweetcorn geek. If you want to be elevated to sweetcorn nerd status, look out for part two where I will be comparing the actual corn inside the tins.

You can find Part 2 HERE >>> 

Ralph.

Oakley Road

No, its not as famous as Abbey Road and I don't think it has a zebra crossing, but who cares, when it has a fishery!

The main lake - That'll do me!

I have known about Oakley Road Fishery in Bromley, South East London, for a couple of years, why it has taken me this long to give it a try is beyond me. It is sited on the corner of two busy roads with traffic noise and the bustle of urban living. The church across the road has a clock that chimes the hours and half hours. The funny thing is, and I am sensitive to noise, I did not notice any of it after a few minutes. Parking is easy and as the lake is not very big, all swims are within easy walking distance.

I had taken very little gear, which meant I was going to be float fishing all day. My one concession to the not so necessary is a small bivvy table. This is used to put my bait on and act as a rain shower cover for things like my camera, glasses and groundbait tub. Other than that, my entire kit is detailed in my previous post.

A leisurely start to the day involved getting up at a sensible time, having a spot of breakfast, eggs on toast (I had to try out my new automatic egg poacher!) and a trip to Hemmings Tackle in Beckenham, on the way, to collect a pint of maggots. All this unhurried activity resulted in me arriving at Oakley Road Fishery at about 09:30. I parked right next to the gate and the lake is only a few paces from there. Perfect. To the right are the 'facilities'; a porta-loo and a wooden office. I have to say here that the one thing I did not fancy was the porta-loo, but in all fairness, this is nowhere near as evil as I was expecting, in reality it is perfectly acceptable. I paid my one rod day ticket, £7.00, and set up on the bank, just inside the gate. I could see there were a couple of people fishing just to my left and it seemed like a good place to start.

You can see from this picture the water level is a bit lower than normal. You can also see how close to the road it is but surprisingly this is not an issue. I hardly noticed it was there.

It turned out to be the shallowest part of the lake and with so little rain of late the water level was lower than it is usually. The lake is run-off fed so we need some rain soon. This also means that it is not good to fill it with food the fish may not eat, so bread is banned as are any nuts and particles except properly prepared hemp and corn.

The rules are what you would expect; barbless hooks, hooking mats and landing nets etc. The one rule I was not expecting was no swinging to hand at all. Even the smallest fish must be landed in a net. I must admit I fell foul of this rule and was politely asked to land the fish with a net. Initially I thought I was in trouble because I was swinging a fish that was bigger than I would normally, I apologised. I continued to fish and later while swinging in a fish no longer then an inch and a half, I was reminded of the previous request. I, apologised again and explained that I thought the earlier reference was to swinging larger fish, but no, it meant ALL fish. I have to say the way I was told about my sins was very polite and civil and I have no problem with rules or following them.

Now I had another problem I have not encountered before. The lake is about thee feet below the path from where I was fishing. My rod is 13ft long so in order to land a tiny fish in the net was tricky to say the least. I had taken a cheap telescopic landing net handle and a fine mesh spoon net. This proved hard to negotiate. Next time I will take a decent handle and a smaller free-flow net. I am wondering if one of those small nets that are used to catch fish in ornamental ponds would be the answer here for the very small fish...

That aside, the fishing was great. I had decided to start off with single white maggot on a size 16 hook. 6lb hooklength on 8lb line was the order of the day as there are some big carp and tench about. First out was a nice sized Roach in very nice condition.

First fish out was a decent sized roach

Feeding three or four maggots over the top produced plenty of bites. I soon lost count of how many fish I was catching but it was great fun. Lots of roach, all falling for the single maggot. I changed tactics and tried double maggot and the fish kept coming. Mixed in with the roach were some very nice looking rudd. The stamp of fish was getting bigger, not by much but I was happy with that. If I had been in a match, I would have been building a good weight very quickly.

First rudd of the day

I have always been confused about silvers but the two pictures above really show the differences between the two in the mouth area and eyes. I carried on catching on maggot. I tried my casters that I had turned, but the fish were not any more or less interested in them.

I had a small amount sweet groundbait with me that I wet down in a bait tub and made small nuggets of groundbait, caster and a couple of grains of corn. I fed the swim to my right while I was getting to know the roach and rudd to my left. Changing to a size 14 hook, I lobbed a float and a hook baited with a corn skin over the groundbait I had been slowly feeding to my right. I suppose I had put in about six large marble sized nuggets, over about an hour. First cast produced a very lively bite and for the first time the drag was screaming. My! I thought I had hooked something big. After a few minutes of playing it, I realised this was no monster but a little tench giving it some.

Tench never look happy, even when the sun shines on them!

Off you go Mrs Tench. No not that way!.. I recognise that shadow...

I fished on all day. I even got wet a couple of times as the showers blew over. Apart from the fish I have shown, I caught lots skimmer-bream and even a few small carp. It was a very enjoyable day and one I will repeat soon. The minimal gear approach is good and going back to basics means I was fishing for pleasure and enjoying every moment.

The owner, Steve, arrived around lunch time and proceeded to make everyone there feel welcome. There was no hassle at the end of the day either. I stood there talking to Steve only to realise it was fifteen minutes after the official closing. A lot of work has been carried out on the fishery over the past few years and it shows. 

If you have been aware of this place but have never ventured forth, maybe like me being put off by the traffic noise or the lack of facilities, DON'T BE! You will be missing out on a small oasis in a baron landscape, as far as local day ticket waters are concerned. I will be back and I can see myself spending many a happy hour there. Next time I am going to go after some of the bigger fish in the deeper water. I think feeder tactics will be the way to go, but minimum gear is going to be my approach to this fishery, at least for the foreseeable future.

Ralph.
   

Do I really need...

...to take all that clobber with me?

This is getting really silly!

 To paraphrase the bard:

"To take or not to take, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the rods and reels
of outrageous fortune"

Well I don't know about being nobler but suffering because I left something behind is just down right annoying. I have two advantages over a lot of other anglers, I have plenty of space to store tackle and I have the right vehicles to transport huge amounts of it. Both may seem like advantages to those who are less fortunate, but it can all work against you if you let it. If I need a new piece of tackle, the one thing I don't have to worry about is where I an going to store it. Sue, my long-suffering better half, never complains about me taking over parts of the house. We have not had a utility room for well over a year as that has become known as 'the (Your) fishing room'. One of the spare bedrooms is also known as 'your fishing room'. I know this might sound confusing but I have known worse. The boxer, George (Edward) Foreman named all five of his sons George Edward. When asked why, he said so they would all have something in common - now that is what you call confusing.

I digress. Transporting tackle around is no problem either. Between Sue's estate car and my van, no amount of gear is too much to take. This can become silly. I can end up with a van load of gear of which hardly any of it actually gets used. I have been down this road before but I have always looked at it from the perspective of pruning the amount down rather than starting from scratch.

This idea all came about this week as I was messing about turning some left-over maggots into casters. There I am thinking about when I am going to use them when it suddenly hit me I could go light and try a local water I have never fished before, armed with my old Silstar rod, few maggots, casters, a tin of sweetcorn and maybe some bread-punch. Minimal kit with a selection of bait might just be the way to go. I have been minimal fishing before, but that was stripping down from the top. This is different.

With that thought in mind, it is time to make a list of what kit I will need for a short-session of float fishing:

• Rod
• Reel
• Pre-tied hook lengths
• Floats
• Mini tackle box
• Unhooking mat
• Landing net and handle
• Chair 
• Bait
• Catapult
• Sunglasses
• Bank stick and rod rest
• Bucket and Towel
• Tackle bag

Well, that doesn't look like much stuff compared with the piles of gear that usually ends up filling the back of the van, just in case I need it. Okay, I can't think of anything else I will need so let's go through the list in more detail.

Rod. My vintage 13ft Silstar match rod. Taken in its 3-pieces to be assembled and tackled up on the bank.

Reel. Small fixed spool reel, my Greys GF530 will be fine. I expect to be encountering carp at this venue so I will load it with 6lb line and take a spare spool of 8lb just in case.

Pre-tied hook lengths. I seem to have collected a lot of odd packets of hooks-to-nylon with 'lots' I have bought, or bits I have been given. This is an ideal situation to use them up. Using hooks-to-nylon saves taking a bulky selection of rig boxes. Once I have used my existing stock, I will simply tie some more (probably in fewer varieties) and buy one of those cheap wallets, sold on eBay, to hold them in.

Floats. I only need a few floats with me so a small float tube with a selection of wagglers will be more than enough. I will also take some of those silicone quick-change sleeves and a few of the small rubber float stops, tucked into the lid of the tube.

Mini tackle box. It is so easy to take too much stuff in a tackle box but what do I really need? Hook lengths are accounted for so that leaves a a pair of scissors, plummets, disgorgers, a loop tyer, knot picker, bread punches and micro board, carp care antibacterial barrier and a selection of shot. That is about it.

Unhooking mat.  Nothing special, just a good size, three-fold mat is all that is required for the sort of fish we are likely to find in the lake I am planning to visit.

Landing net and handle. A decent fine mesh spoon net will do fine with a lightweight telescopic handle. The one I have is 3m long fully extended, if that is too long, I can always slide the butt section off and use it at a shade under 2m.

Chair. Maybe not totally necessary but it will make the the visit far more relaxing. The question is, do I take my lightweight chair or do I go the full hog and take my posh deluxe accessory chair and risk dozing off? The jury is still out on this one!

Bait. Maggots, of course and I could stop there. But I am going to include casters, corn and bread punch along with a small amount of groundbait to use to feed the swim and then feed small nuggets over the float. No pellets, hemp, meat or anything else I usually tend to have with me.

Catapult. A lightweight catapult is ideal for small venues. Make sure you have spare elastic with you!

Sun Glasses. Polarised sunglasses may not be the most essential item but in my case I use a pair with magnifiers built in so I can see through the glare on the lake and see my hook to bait it up.

Bank stick and rod rest. Yes, just one and a single rod rest. At least that is all I need for the fishing. I will take another one, but that will be fitted with a camera mount.

Bucket and Towel. You may think this is a bit of a luxury but I really like my little collapsible bucket and its matching hand towel.

Tackle bag. Last but not least, a tackle bag to hold all the bits and pieces including the bait.

Well, is that it? I think it may be. Next is to put the theory to the test. I am about to gather all the above together and get ready for a trip tomorrow to what is probably my closest commercial fishery. The silly thing is, I have not visited before. It will be interesting to see how the minimum gear and new venue work out. I am also going to take a more relaxed approach to the day looking to arrive between 09:30 and 10:00, after buying maggots on the way.

Ralph.  

Snap, bang wallop!

Hmmm... Where's the hook?

My first reels were supplied filled with 12lb line and my hook lengths were all tied with size 12,14 and 16 hooks. I had great fun fishing with that gear and I am sure if I had been using lighter line at the time I would not have been able to land my first fish. Since then I have been working towards using lighter tackle. Last time out I discovered the error of using too lighter hooks, having my B911 hooks 'modified' by the inhabitants of Jeff's Lake. Today, I was using stronger B911x hooks, only to have my line break or in one case, have a spade hook pull out of one of my earlier attempts at tying spade hooks to line. This is less likely to happen these days as I have got better at tying hooks. Everything gets better with practice. I have also been using my ZT-Pro hook tying station that not only ties perfect hooklengths every go, but they are produced in a fraction of the time it takes me to tie them by hand.

The whole line/hook/reel/rod balance thing starts to make far more sense as time goes on, but the how, where and what also play a big part in the mix. What may be the correct line for one job may be totally inadequate for another. This may sound obvious but making those choices for the inexperienced is hard without any guidance. Today I discovered several things for myself but also had some help from my match fishing mate Brian. It was Brian that helped me out with getting the groundbait to the correct consistency nearly two years ago, see HERE. Just simple 'adjustments' to my casting technique, pointed out by Brian, made so much difference, things I did not realise I was doing wrong or not doing at all can only be spotted by someone who knows, watching me and actually saying something is wrong. A few hours with someone like Brian can make all the difference and I am most appreciative of his support and advice.

Twelve hours of fishing to come - Great stuff!

The light mornings and evenings are back and although the weather is not what you would call glorious, it is fairly dry and not too cold out of the breeze. The fact that the gates are now open until 19:00 means I can get the best part of twelve hours fishing in. Knowing a venue also helps, having fished here for over two years now. I wanted to try out some techniques and tackle on the lake we hold our friendly matches on, and I know the sunny side of the lake is not where the best pegs are but that is the whole point, if it works here, it will work on any peg. Talking of which, I have had several poor pegs in the draw recently and this week, when I had to pull out at the last minute, I was drawn on peg 3, probably one of the best pegs on the lake. In case you were wondering, the draw is done the night before by the fishery bailiffs, who film the event in case of any dispute. A bit like the FA Cup draw, but with a slightly smaller audience.

I walked into the office to pay my day ticket to a warm welcome and some light hearted banter about only being two days late for the match. Dax, the fishery cat came bounding over and demanded some attention, ignoring Andy who was bemoaning the fact that the cat takes no notice of him. Dax's job is to stop the rodents eating the bait, mind you I am not sure that is very cost effective as all the pellet tubs seem to be filled (emptied?) to the same level, that is just about as far as Dax can reach in from the floor. There is a cat food called 'Dax' that looks like fishing pellets, maybe that is where his name comes from...

I walked out of the office and and that air of calm came over me at the start of another day of piece and quiet. Fishing is still an adventure for me. Most of my life both working and home has been spent pursuing indoor activities. Being here thirty-odd miles away from home and intending to spend the next twelve hours out in the open is brilliant - so long as it doesn't rain, and even if it does, it will not be the end of the world.

First fish on the 'new' old rod - A lively little roach

Enough of that, now down to the fishing. Some time ago, I was given a few older rods to try. I have used one of them several times and had great fun with it. During the past week I have dug out another one. This is a thirteen foot long Silstar 3861 match rod. I fitted it with a small FS reel loaded with 6lb line and a light 3-4lb hook length tied to a Kamasan B911x size 18 spade hook. My plan was to use it to fish for whatever would go for a single maggot. After picking a spot and plumbing the depth I cast out and fed a few live maggots over the top. First out was a small roach, then a very slightly bigger one and then a fish just 4oz below (or maybe 4½ oz below) the record!

Only a few ounces below the record...

Don't get too excited we are talking gudgeon here. The UK record for gudgeon is a staggering 5 oz. I don't think I have caught anything bigger than ½ oz, but they are feisty little fish and one of my favourite species. The fishing continues and the fish were getting bigger and more varied. Perch and skimmers also fell foul of the small hook hidden by the maggot. Then, all of a sudden there was a tug and a violent bend of the rod to prelude a flying float being launched from the depths by what must have been an F1 doing a runner! Hook held this time but the hook length was not up to a F1's sudden flight.

Just as the silvers were starting to get bigger, the F1s stole the show

I was not expecting to find an F1 just yet but they will go for anything, it seems and once they are there, nothing else seems to stand a chance. At this point I decided to give it a rest and moved to the Method feeder rod and my Two Dog groundbait. As usual the fish were falling over themselves to join me on the bank. I tried a few different hook-baits including pellet, corn and multiple maggot all producing bites but it was the trusty Bacon Grill that really gets 'em biting - almost immediately and sometimes even on the way down. It can get a bit boring just hauling them out, although it always amuses me how many people fish this lake and hardly catch anything. After a while I can feel the others watching me and the mutterings of "He's got another one!"

A pair of Robins eating maggots!

The nice thing about a day like today is there is plenty of time to look around at the wildlife. Robins are a constant companion at Beaver, like they seem to be at most fisheries, and I enjoy spending a few minutes enjoying their company and feeding them a few maggots. Mrs M. seems to only have a couple of ducklings this year. Perhaps she is having a bit of a rest after running around all last spring and summer chasing a brood of twelve!

Mrs M. and her twins

The fish were starting to look like they might come up in the water so I decided to give my new toy another try. I had used the Sodafloat last time out but had found that some of my experimental bait was not 'unloading' as well as I would have liked. This, as I said, is not the fault of the float but my under estimation of how viscous the fill needed to be. This time I had plans to use all sorts of particles and maggots. I started off using corn and once I got the hook-to-float length right (about 24 inches) I was pulling them out on every chuck. Brian had arrived by now and we discussed the ins and outs of this newfangled feeder float and both agreed it had some merit.

Brian had to leave to get some work done on his van and Just as he did, I lost my new toy. It was time to learn another lesson. Fishing for F1's on a feeder float is fine until they get excited and then the rate of capture increases dramatically. So does the ferocity of the take and the speed at which I was trying to get back out there. I cast out rapidly without readjusting the drag. The float hit the water and it was immediately snatched away with such force the the mainline snapped. The float was attached to the line using a pellet waggler adapter so it will stay with the fish until it snags and then it will just slide off the remains of the line or as I suspect, the fish will just shed the hook in the reads and the float will spend the rest of its days tangled in the reeds.

Lesson learnt, time to re-load some heavier line on the reel for this work. I know I had left the drag tight but even though I had the rod in my hand I did not have time to react. If I had been using heaver line I am sure I would have landed that fish. Although I had another Sodafloat with me, I was not going to risk getting cracked off again so that was the end of my experimenting for another session.

Fishing just off the tip of my vintage Silstar rod with a very visible float

By now the fish were feeding up in the water. By fish I mean the F1s. A few maggots thrown into the lake was producing a flurry of activity on the surface. I went back to my vintage rod and attached a stronger hook length. I know roughly what the depth is in the spot I was fishing and I set my hook to float length at about what I thought to be two thirds depth. Using a bagging float with a large bulbous top gave me something to spot in the flurry of activity that was following every cast. Cast might be a bit of an exaggeration as I was now fishing only a few feet beyond the rod tip.

The F1s are a decent size now in Jeff's Lake

One after the other I was catching fish by leaving the drag set very light and letting the fish bolt off applying light finger pressure to the reel to slow the fish, while steadily increasing the drag. This seemed to work well and I was landing every bite on Guru OM1 size 16 and 6lb hooklength. The shape of the OM1 seems to be almost impossible for the fish to eject. once it has sucked it in it will not cone out without hooking the fish perfectly. Great hook for this fast and furious fishing.

All too soon it was time to pack up and go home. A great day for fish, a great day for some good company and a great day for learning something new. The remains of my bait, apart from the maggots, was fed to the ducks as nothing goes to waste. The maggots are destined for 'processing' into casters, but that is another story I will report on next week...                   

Ralph.