At this time of year, countless carp anglers reach for the maggots in the hope of picking up a winter fish, and it’s little wonder; their track record speaks for itself. A little bit of movement can make all the difference on a cold winter’s day, and a few maggots fished on their own or tipped on a bait can work really well.
That said, the vast majority of anglers use them straight as they come from the tackle shop, with just a little bit of maize-meal added, and those that do are really missing a trick. I always spice up my maggots, no matter what time of year, but in the winter they really come into their own.
It’s really easy to do; just take your chosen powdered additive and tip it into the tub with your maggots and give it a good mix in. For best results, you then need to leave them overnight. The maggots will then take on all of the powder and when you open the tub up in the morning you’ll be amazed at the smell. The maggots will actually ingest the powder, so it does not just wash off when they hit the water – it’s actually throughout their wriggly little bodies and will continue to disperse for as long as they are in the water.
You can use all kinds of powdered spices and additives, and half of the fun is experimenting. My personal favourites are curry powder, garam masala, paprika, Chinese five spice, and allspice. You can buy all these and hundreds more from your local supermarket in jars and refill packets, but for the best choice and the finest quality I always find it pays to drop into my local health food shop where I can pick up 30g packs for 50p each – half of what you would expect to pay in the supermarket. Even better is to buy them in the eBay spice section. There are hundreds of top quality spice merchants and you will, quite literally, be spoilt for choice! As a rough guide, a 30g pack is enough to do five or six pints of maggots.
Just recently, I fished maggots seasoned with my winter favourite; curry powder. There was two inches of snow on the ground, half the lake was frozen and the air temperature never got above minus-five all day, yet the ever faithful spiced maggots did the business and produced a bite.
People often talk about edges in carp fishing, which for me is just common sense – it’s about making sure everything you present to the carp is done so to the best of its ability. Maggots on their own are great, but maggots with added spice are just so much better, so it’s something I always do, no matter what the conditions.
Julian Grattidge
February 2013
{Editor’s Note: spiced maggots work for just about any freshwater fish, too. If you’re out on the river after chub, bream, roach, perch or whatever, give the tip above a try. Even fish them against a tub of plain maggots to see which does best!}
