The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Well, I had a few minutes digging down the back just now and I have a nice few worms, if I can pluck up the courage and get out and about I am sure a few fish will be pleased.

Reedling wrote: ↑Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:22 pm Well, I had a few minutes digging down the back just now and I have a nice few worms, if I can pluck up the courage and get out and about I am sure a few fish will be pleased.

Blimey,
I like that can! Any chance under what name I should search for one?

Vintage bait tin, OT. I have had this one for many years.

Hi OT. Lots of these about often bashed and dented.Difficulte to beat out.Various sizes were available c1950s. My opinion is that the gauze vented ones look and function best.A nice bit of kit should you find one.Good luck. Tony.

Thanks, I'll have a sneak around. Must be alloy from the looks of it. Pretty nice.

It's a good idea to store your worms in spagnum moss as they will keep fresh a lot longer.Make sure you do not put any broken worms in with the others as the lot will soon perish.

What causes them to perish Mark.

I've had great success storing lobworms in strips of quite damp newspaper with just a little compost in it. Don't use tap water to dampen the newspaper as it has a small amount of chlorine in it and worms dont like it!. Use rainwater or water from the river. I have kept lobworms in good condition for up to 3 months in this medium if they are fridged. This tip was passed on to me by a couple of guys in the Perchfishers group; it really does work. But as Mark has pointed out, the worms need to be in good nick to start with.

I can hear those who have known me for a while thinking "how long before AC drones on about fennel again ?" ... and I hate to let them down.

Old Izaak did advise that worms are "well scoured in moss or fennel" ... and I still grow fennel in my garden and had given my worms at least 3 days in chopped up fennel stalks and leaves in season before use ... and saved the seeds (from the seed heads that I didn't leave for the chaffinches over winter) to do the same in the colder months.

Pre-Covid, I had invested in a coffee style grinder ... and bought fennel seeds to make a 'fennel flour' to add to my cloud ground bait and ... should I choose to use them ... my worms in the coming months. Time will tell if my experiments prove worthwhile.

However ... from my experience of scouring in fennel ... it certainly has it's advantages.

I'll shut up now ... well ... for now !!!

Well I for one wasn't aware of the use of
Fennel so thank you.