Luncheon meat.

[Robert Cartmell]

Hi,hope it's not a silly question ,but iv only this year started fishing for barbel after fishing mainly for pike for the last 2o years,it's fair to say I'm hooked on the barbel!
Has anybody any tips in how to keep luncheon meat on the hook/hair?especially on a big cast?
Thankyou Rob

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Enterprise meat mates.
Brilliant little things that are excellent for hair rigged meat
Won’t fly off even with a big cast.

Enterprise Meat Mate - Barbel Fishing World

Enterprise Meat Mate - perfect for hair rigging luncheon meat when fishing meat for barbel.

barbel.co.uk

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Oh and a decent meat helps out too.
Plumrose and tulip brands are my two favorites for being able to withstand the most.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

When I fish meat, it’s directly on the hook. Using the quick change swivels means my hook length can be detached and the loop pulled through the meat down to the hook, this damages the meat far less and provides a more durable bait.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

When I fish meat, it’s directly on the hook. Using the quick change swivels means my hook length can be detached and the loop pulled through the meat down to the hook, this damages the meat far less and provides a more durable bait.

I do both. Depends how I’m fishing it.

 

[Clive Kenyon]

The traditional method is to put a small piece of grass stem under the bend of the hook to stop it pulling through. That has worked for me for decades. But I went through a phase of hair rigging the meat using Rawlplugs. Having caught three 3lb plus chub on the same piece of meat I can vouch for its durability.

 

[Robert Cartmell]

Thanks for the reply gents
Rob

 

[Stuart Linton]

 

[Bill Walford]

I like that Stuart, thanks for sharing

 

[Rhys Perry]

It's really not necessary to hair rig it, but I'd go for chopped ham & pork as it's tougher

 

[Clive Kenyon]

It is also more dense. Some meat has lots of fatty pieces in it causing the density to be less. OK for trundling meat, but when tethered to a lead it can lead to unwanted movement of the bait and any loose offerings floating off downstream.

 

[John Allan]

+1 for the hair rigged rawl plugs.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Static on the hair
Moving on the hook.

 

[Chris Belcher]

Exactly the method I use - have a selection of punched diameters / lengths all meshed up and soaking in glug. I'm that tight that they can even be re-used / re-glugged at the end of a sesh

 

[Darren Hawen]

Exactly the method I use - have a selection of punched diameters / lengths all meshed up and soaking in glug. I'm that tight that they can even be re-used / re-glugged at the end of a sesh

Great idea, also helps keep the hookbait cray/eel proof.

 

[Michael Radford]

Exactly the method I use - have a selection of punched diameters / lengths all meshed up and soaking in glug. I'm that tight that they can even be re-used / re-glugged at the end of a sesh

I have both but rarely use the meshed I caught 1 fish on it once I think its a confidence thing do you find meshed is any less effective than un meshed and obviously has some advantages.

 

[Chris Belcher]

I have both but rarely use the meshed I caught 1 fish on it once I think its a confidence thing do you find meshed is any less effective than un meshed and obviously has some advantages.

Not really sure in the bigger scheme of things as I'm not a big meat user anyway (preferring to use naturals / pellets / boilies over meat) however when used (mainly as a switch out hookbait or as a stinky flood hookbait) I've caught just as many (more chub than barbel) on hair rigged meshed as I have done with a big, direct to hook lump . . .

Being an OCD carp angler I'm always paranoid about what's actually 'fishing' and the potential for a bare hook with meat direct (although in river fishing this is arguably negated by much more frequent recasting) so the peace of mind is also why I prefer the meshed method (a bit like always using plastic maggots on the hook with lives - you're always 'fishing') . . . its convenience (stored indefinitely in a glug pot) and re-usability are additional pluses!

 

[Ben Marr]

Not sure I'd be that keen on potentially introducing yet more plastic into the river.

 

[David Craine]

Give the meat a bit of a fry up in some spicy oils etc, it gives it a tougher skin and the Barbel seem to like it. I fry up the meat in larger chunks then cut them in half so the flavours leach out . I pull the hooklength through the meat so the hook is into the fried crust , insert said bit of grass, or plant stem. Robert is your mums brother .

David

 

[Derek Funcks]

It's really not necessary to hair rig it, but I'd go for chopped ham & pork as it's tougher

Large round tins of PEK chopped pork ( 300 gram ), currently on offer in Morrisons, £1.20 a tin. Very similar texture to spam.