Meat in or out?

[Richard Barrett]

There is no doubt meat still catches a lot of Barbel and Chub. I just wondered if anyone fishes it in the bait anymore? When I float-fish I always fish it in the meat, that allows me to fish it along the bottom. It still gets caught up at times, but not as often as on a hair. I've never found a problem with hook-ups inside the meat. It also seems to take a lot more Chub inside than out. Be nice to hear what others have to say, are you in or out?

 

[Terry Harman]

I take it you mean the hook ?.... if so out I don’t want to spend ages getting a bait in a prime position then get pestered by 1/2lb chub

 

[Terry Simner]

95% of the time when ledgering with meat I fish with hook in, and I caught very few chub last year by fishing so (Severn). When I float fish with meat I fish with 'hook in' 100% of the time. I do catch unwanted chub this way, but I strongly suspect it would be the same if I was fishing it on a hair. On the float bites are always going to be more of a "should I? Shouldn't I? Snatch!"

 

[Jon Frisby]

In when float fishing, in when rolling, hair when static.

 

[Ian Grant]

I rarely use meat nowadays, but if you mean by meat - Luncheon, then if i was going to then yes the hook would be in the meat, if the meat was hard enough then i'd stick with the hair rig, it's one of the advantages of having both options, Soft meat on the hook, hard meat on a hair. Edit .... and if you are fishing directly into weed then the advantages of the hook being buried are obvious !

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Half in half out for me.
A Very old picture of my curry fried spam with my typical way of presenting it

I love the fact that on a hair rig with the enterprise stops you can fling it for miles and get loads of casts out of one bit.
it never flies off.
I also like to keep the hook point exposed.
but I also like some the advantages of hooks being buried.
ie it doesn’t matter what size lump or hook You use it’s always gonna end up in its trap and with the point exposed you hang onto it’s self hooking properties.
worked for me for many years now.
I don’t use it that often but there is always some on me to try out in a deep hole when the river is pushing through.