In the UK over recent years there seems to have been a lot of controversy and, in many instances, misapprehension about the use of particle baits. We now find ourselves in the position that a large percentage of UK waters totally ban the use of particles. When I refer to particles I mean of course seeds, nuts, pulses etc.
Even though the word particle means ‘extremely small piece or amount’ according to Collin’s English Dictionary, I don’t intend to discuss mini boilies, chopped up baits or other small baits.
Particles can of course be dangerous if they’re not prepared correctly, and this I would imagine is the main reason for the controversy. Undoubtedly, undercooked particles have killed carp, this being the result of sheer ignorance on the part of the person preparing the bait.
The second main reason was the peanut problem some years ago when, if I recall correctly, hundreds of tonnes of peanuts were infected by a mould virus which was undetectable to the human eye, and was fatal if consumed in quantity by the carp. I haven’t heard of any recent problems with the quality of peanuts, so I guess the problem is now history.
Obviously it’s important to insist on the best quality particles available. But how you tell quality, I don’t know. I imagine that going to a reputable particle supplier, such as Hinders of Swindon, would be a good start.
It must also be stressed that sacks of particles need to be stored correctly in a totally dry, cool environment otherwise you’ll bring a serious quality problem on yourself!
Before going on and talking more specifically about particle fishing in France, I think it would be a good idea to briefly discuss the basics of particle preparation. Dehydrated particles require soaking in water, normally overnight, or for at least say 12 hours. Most swell up to at least double their size, so you’ll need to consider this when selecting bucket size and level of water in it. It’s also worth adding a flavour to the liquid at this point so that the bait absorbs it during the soaking process. Colour, if required, can also be added at this stage.
Once you’ve soaked your baits, they require cooking, generally using one of two methods: in a normal cooking pot or in a pressure cooker. Personally, I prefer the pressure cooker as it doesn’t allow so much of the natural smells etc. to escape. As a rule of thumb 15 minutes to half an hour in boiling water will do the trick, but you’ll need to keep an eye on them so that they don’t get too soft, or remain too hard.
After this, particles should be drained and either put in cool water ready to use, put back in the water used to boil them once it has cooled, frozen, or allowed to ferment for use.
Fermentation occurs if you leave the particles for a few days, normally a maximum of three. The dictionary tells me this is the process whereby sugar turns to alcohol. I read somewhere else that it’s the starches that turn to sugar. Either way, once the bucket of particles smells sickly and becomes milky, they’re at their best. If your bucket becomes vinegary and very acidic, like you’ve overdone it, start again!
Tiger nuts and maize are excellent examples of good fermented baits. With maize I’ve had some excellent catches in France when other normal particles haven’t produced.
Some particles, such as oat groats, only require minimal preparation, such as soaking, but you must check before making any assumptions.
OK, now we’ve established that quality and correct preparation of particles is of paramount importance, let’s go to the point – particle fishing in Europe.
Most waters outside of the UK have no bans on the use of particle baits; some of the smaller, ‘purpose run’ lakes in France do though, so it’s worth checking with the owners. I don’t fish these overstocked places so I can’t really comment. This article is specifically aimed at bigger, lesser-known waters, but I guess the principles are the same.
With so many particles on the market nowadays where do you begin to start? Good question.
I normally start out by finding out as much as possible about the place I’m going to fish. I’m not referring here to the scenery, but to the make-up of the lake-bed. Has the lake got a muddy, soft bottom? Is it a pit with a hard bottom? By finding out you can begin to short-list an appropriate particle.
Obviously, many people have favourites, in which they’re 100% confident. Indeed, my own favourite is oat groats, and I always take a sack in the car when going on any session in Europe, regardless of venue. If you’ve got a favourite, fine, use it, but why not try another on one of the other rods? You could be surprised, and maybe find a new favourite!
On lakes with soft, muddy bottoms particles with a flattish side, such as black-eyed beans, maize, pinto beans, lupins or tiger nuts will settle softly on the bottom and can be easily taken by our friend, Mr. Carp.
A hard bottom is ideal for the denser particles, such as soya beans, maples or chickpeas, where sinking out of sight isn’t a problem.
With weedy, silty type bottoms, I prefer to use very small particles, such as oat groats, hemp, pearl barley and the now famous Hinders ‘Partiblend’, which all sit on the weed nicely and don’t sink out of sight. Of course, your rig must take that into account, so we’ll look at that shortly.
Cost is an important factor also. Particles such as tiger nuts are obviously far more expensive than a sack of maize, so you’ll have to look at this when making your choice.
As most waters in Europe allow the use of boats, getting your particles out to your marked spot is not as much of a problem as it is in the UK. I fish a lot of very big waters, which require fishing at huge range, so there’s no way that spodding or ‘bait rockets’ as they now tend to be called, would be feasible. Mind you, it’s useful to have this bit of kit in your tackle box.
When dropping particles from a boat, if I’m using a reasonable quantity, I use an old piece of drainpipe and simply prefill it and tip it vertically when in position so that the baits drop accurately into the precise location. When using a small quantity of bait, I either drop it in by hand from the boat or use a PVA bag in weedy/silty conditions because it’ll tend to pull your hookbaits into the weed or silt.
Rigs. As I’ve stated in previous
articles, I like to keep rigs as simple as possible when fishing in France. Whilst waters in Europe, especially France, are now receiving far more pressure than in years gone by, I still consider simple rigs work effectively.
When fishing with particles, I prefer to use pop ups or, indeed fish a pop up boilie over a light scattering of particles. I’m not too bothered about critical balancing; I’ve tried both critical balancing and anchoring baits to the bottom, and both seem to give similar results. One thing though which I’m sure is always overlooked when critically balancing baits is that colder water is denser than warm water, creating slightly more buoyancy. In other words the deeper you go, the more buoyant it gets, so if you’ve balanced your bait in a bucket by your bivvy it won’t act the same in 20ft of water. Think about it…
To summarise: think carefully about which particle you’re going to take to Europe with you. For the record, a 30/70 mixture of pinhead oatmeal and groats is my personal favourite, and of course tiger nuts!
I hope this article has been of interest, maybe some use, and has given you some food for thought.
Good Luck.
Chris ‘Essex Man’ Woodrow
