Pack your bait bag for a session on a commercial fishery and the list will be pretty standard – pellets, corn, meat and groundbait.
Yet, where silverfish are concerned, I’ve found one bait that’s not on that list to be the only thing I need to throw in the back of the van – hemp!
So often seen only as a roach bait for rivers and canals, hemp is the ultimate forgotten bait on commercials, as anglers never use it. This offers the fish something new and, just as on rivers, the seeds have the knack of often picking out the bigger specimens in the shoal.
Here's how I fish it...
Get some giant hemp!
I find that hemp in a tin is too small for the hook so, instead, I’ll source some giant hemp and cook it myself. This gives the fish a much bigger bait that’ll stay on the hook better.
Hook it correctly
I hook hemp by passing the hook through the blunt end, then turning it and wiggling the hook until it pops through the side of the shell. This way, the seed will stay on for ages.
Use long shank hooks
A long shank hook pattern is essential – I use the Sensas 4590 in a size 16. A long shank helps you push the hook through the shell and also stops it moving up the shank.
Keep the feed minimal
Regulating the feed to a dozen grains each time prevents the fish going into a frenzy and darting about all over the place. Instead it settles them, meaning you’ll hit more bites.
Get the blender out
Alongside hemp as feed, I’ll also throw in small balls of liquidised hemp. This stodgy porridge releases plenty of oils and also creates a bit of a cloud in the water.
Beat the tangles
You’ll miss bites when fishing hemp, so you don’t want to be wasting time untangling rigs. I use a tiny 0.1g inline dibber for up-in-the-water fishing, and rarely suffer tangles.
