Now, many of you will recall, a creamy, malty, comforting bedtime drink…some might not (I am showing my age) …But thank goodness it is still available on our shelves somewhere between coffee, tea, hot chocolate and goodness knows what else.
The odd thing is, using Horlicks has now cropped up in angling conversation; not once with Warren’s tip…but my local tackle store (pre-lockdown 2) in the West Country, when the chap behind the counter suggested the very same when I asked for Sticky-Mag, “a sticky what?!” you might well say.
Sticky-Mag , was glue like “stuff” that binds those adorable maggots together in a bundle that will , when thrown out into your swim , drop through the water, down to the bottom - but as it does, so, disintegrate and allow the tiny wriggling white (or Pink, Red, bronze!) things to tumble around the lower depths where the winter fish tend to be. I was assured that was “so yesterday”.
Use Horlicks the chap behind the counter suggested. “What? The bed-time malty drink Horlicks?” I said slightly confused.
So here it is again…Horlicks. And Warren has yet another use.
A good tip for our Junior Anglers who need to keep their costs down.
Method feeder fishing is a skill that has become really popular in recent years (hiding the hook bait in ground bait contained in a cage (feeder)); but one problem the anglers can encounter, is getting the pellet mix right so that the pellets don’t break-up on casting out to the spot in your swim and come off the method feeder before they should.
A good way to get around this and the one that I use, is to use a little Horlicks in the pellet mix.
Horlicks is made up of Wheat Flour and malted wheat, which gives a nice malty smell and flavouring and acts as a binder (a glue) to the method mix.
I simply Sprinkle the Horlicks into a bowl of micro wetted pellets: I then give the pellets a good mix - by hand,- then leave for around 10 minutes. The mix will now develop more stickiness which will help to keep the mix together and vitally, keep the pellets on the method feeder when it is cast and then hits the lake bed.
Just to say, that we were fishing the Horlicks method today at one of our favourite venues, Grove Farm: and I am delighted to report that one of our school students had the biggest fish of the day - a good double figure Carp (see pics below).
Regards - and happy fishing
Warren White
Fishing for Schools Coach