Not luncheon meat ...

[Pallenpool]

Even with Garlic used as an additive - Eels if present will nibble away - if the baits were of a small size they would have them. A recent trip to the Wye proved this once again. As said in my previous post definitely use larger baits, this is the best deterrent I know of at least this way it gives you a very good visual indicator as to what’s going on subsurface. As OMR has pointed out an Eel feeding on your baits is unmistakable - look for the nibble marks, they are very evident.

[Peter Wilde]

Thanks all, very useful and interesting. I will definitely have to try that garlic tip as I don't like vampires either!

Strangely, having put up this question but before getting the answers, I was out this morning and did get a chub on my unflavoured meat, but this time no sign of any eels! Maybe just asking the question made them shy ... River is now very low and clear, quite hard going, we could do with a lot more rain here in the SE.