The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I’ve found brandling worms to be far better for perch and silver’s, especially bream. A small bunch seem to do a better job than a bigger single worm. What do you prefer?

Brandlings every time, Ian. And small bunches - a Brandling Medusa!
Shame I've lost access to my Dad's household veg waste compost heap, (as opposed to his segregated garden waste compost heap!) the bottom of which was the best possible source for brandlings!
I learnt early on, never to store different varieties of worm in the same container. One will kill the others....and the stink of rotten worm flesh is unbelievable, as you all, doubtless, know!
Mike

The fish in the Thames prefer the brandlings. Denros are a waste of time and money .

I have brandlings in my compost bin and buy dendrobaenas both of which I feed to the fish in my pond. It's very obvious which they prefer. They are reluctant to take the brandlings, but go mad for the dendros. The rudd often take the dendros within a second of them hitting the water and when they've had there fill, the other fish, goldfish, golden tench and crucians get a chance.

Interestingly if the pond fish are reluctant to feed, quite often fishing results are not very good.

Personally, I’ve never found there to be any difference!

Phil

Barbelbonce wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:55 am Brandlings every time, Ian. And small bunches - a Brandling Medusa!
Shame I've lost access to my Dad's household veg waste compost heap, (as opposed to his segregated garden waste compost heap!) the bottom of which was the best possible source for brandlings!
I learnt early on, never to store different varieties of worm in the same container. One will kill the others....and the stink of rotten worm flesh is unbelievable, as you all, doubtless, know!
Mike

“ a brandlings Medusa “, I like that one barbelbonce, but yes I totally agree.
I’ve never mixed a variety of worms BB, but docking grubs ( maybe not spelled correctly ) will defo kill each other. The old timers ( us haha ) would where a shotgun cartridge belt and have a grub in each empty cartridge. They are deadly for sea trout, but back to dendros or brandlings.
The proof of the pudding came to me during an overnight on loch rutton while fishing with two mates. I sat between them and never got a touch apart from an eel. I only asked them in the morning what bait they were using, and it turned out they had a bucket full of manure with brandlings in it.
I left for home before them and one of them moved into my swim. I was driving ten minutes and got a txt to say he had caught a bream. The bream were in my swim all along, but they just didn’t want a single dendro. The next time I went myself with brandlings that weren’t more than an inch long, so I put a bunch on, and sure enough I hooked into a good bream straight away. I lost that fish, it snapped me off, but that was the proof I needed.

Santiago wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:15 pm The fish in the Thames prefer the brandlings. Denros are a waste of time and money .

Agreed Santiago. No matter where I fish, dendros never do well. I will catch the odd fish on them, but compared to brandlings and even lobs, they just do not cut it.

Phil Arnott wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:18 pm I have brandlings in my compost bin and buy dendrobaenas both of which I feed to the fish in my pond. It's very obvious which they prefer. They are reluctant to take the brandlings, but go mad for the dendros. The rudd often take the dendros within a second of them hitting the water and when they've had there fill, the other fish, goldfish, golden tench and crucians get a chance.

Interestingly if the pond fish are reluctant to feed, quite often fishing results are not very good.

I have done well for trout using a big single brandling Phil, but never a dendro. Funny that.

Duckett wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 6:10 pm Personally, I’ve never found there to be any difference!

Phil

For whatever reason, the fish in the lochs up here aren’t keen on dendros Ducket, yet they will happily munch on a big lob or brandlings. I’ve had enough bad days using dendros to never buy them again.

I have found brandling to contain a horrible smelling yellow liquid - from the manure they feed on - so red worms or dendros for me!

We have 5 Species living in the UK.

According to this website we have a lot more - 13? :-.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/research-centres-and-groups/opal/SOIL-4pp-chart.pdf