PAUL GARNER Make a ‘stay on’ paste bait
For big summer bags, this adaptable bait is my No1 choice
“I like a paste with some ‘body’ to it, one that clings well to the hook”
IF YOU want to catch big weights of carp all summer, especially from the margins, then you need to get to grips with paste fishing.
On so many venues that I visit at this time of the year this bait rules the roost, catching some whopping great fish from close quarters. And while margin fishing is where we’re most likely to use paste, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a paste for every situation, from the long pole to even feeder fishing.
IS SOFTER BETTER?
A super-soft paste that almost melts off the hook might be trendy, but is it always the best way to go? Really soft pastes are difficult to fish beyond short range, and even a savage line bite is enough to knock the bait off. I like to use a paste that has some ‘body’ to it, one that clings to the hook well and is just that bit more reliable.
You can buy ready-made and ready-to-mix pastes, and these are a great starting point. They come in a wide range of different consistencies, so you can start off with a tougher bait and over time try softer ones.
I prefer to make up a fresh batch of paste the night before each trip, as this will have the best consistency.
My favourite paste is made from finely-ground micro pellets. Not only does this have the perfect texture for my style of fishing, but it can be
flavoured and coloured easily too. You can buy pre-ground pellets if you don’t possess a coffee grinder.
Pellets already contain some binder, which gives the bait a brilliant texture, clinging well to the hook yet with the surface layers breaking down to give a soft inner. Different pellets will impart a slightly different consistency to the paste. Coarse fish pellets will produce a softer paste than micro pellets, so it’s worth experimenting.
STRINGY PASTE
If you’re new to paste fishing and worried about keeping the bait on the hook, then look no further than stringy, or ‘fibre’, paste. It has a soft texture, but doesn’t break down in the same way as normal paste. Its fibrous nature means that it will stay on the hook almost indefinitely. You can even use this stuff when feeder fishing, it’s that tough!
The secret of stringy paste is gluten – a high-protein component of wheat, corn and rice. You can buy wheat gluten from carp bait suppliers and just 10 per cent added to your paste powder will give the finished bait a stringy consistency.
FEED PELLETS, FISH PASTE
When the water is cool I rely on just the hookbait when paste fishing. Because this softens up in the water the hookbait will come off when you lift the rig out, so you are effectively leaving a nugget of bait behind.
In warmer weather step up the feed by introducing 20 or so 4mm coarse pellets every couple of minutes. The sound of the pellets hitting the water is an added attraction to the fish.