Thanks Titus, worm has caught me most of the river species I know locally accept Barbel
and the river Carp but we only get to see them in summer for some reason, no successes yet on the snail at all but I've been holding back till we have had a suitable amount of rain, which is best for both their collection (as with slugs to which I hear is a great chub bait) and quantity which can then hopefully be used to bait areas up with properly or get the fish used to them again in quantity (I'm not convinced its a bait used very often in my neck of the woods).
I can get lob worm in quantity from turning the soil in veg beds over in the garden and reds & tiger from the leafmould piles & compost so I'm learning its quite a handy bait (I've heard& seen Pike tempted by large worm in canals).
I will persevere with Worm/s and Snail for now, continuing still to buy my occassional pellets when I can afford them from my local tackleshop (I have had my own shop before (food) and I know only to well how the rates applied to having a shop in a good location has to be recovered somehow, I can appreciate its a tricky balance to get right but I'm also unemployed so have to think about the cheap or free alternatives now more often) bulk luncheon meat I will defo keep an eye out for.
I still don't see the whole Richard Easom is the devil type thing, is it really not about his successes if that is what he originally set out to achieve? Its his choice of where he wishes to be, I doubt he is bothered by the opinions of others (I'm of the opinion he is starting to look like the Barbel he is catching) so had he been he wouldn't have the skin thick enough to carve out the niche he has, he had to tick all the prerequisites to get to where he has, catching regularly, catching large fish, firstly to get info on where to find them (which was freely given by others first and is available still by more "others") and have a means of promoting his successes (in this case the internet is the preferred choice) using bait and advice from others as a vehicle, its called capitalism on a shoe string, its the exit from fun hobby fishing into the aggressive world of successful bussiness & good financial ethics (now there is an oxymoron).
I lost my business simply because I was to weak amongst my competitors to survive once I got there, simple as that (which is still a blind area for Richard at present as he will have to shift a few units of 3FT to survive, meeting everyone on the way down if he doesn't so to speak) I just think its a bit unfair to hinge all the hate on something that a collection of people who admit they should know better, helped to create in the first place.
Everyone in this country is to some degree, having their best traits used against them, most people are ignorant of that fact, all the while the kettle calls the pot black.
Fair question. The answer is that they don't have to but most often will because its being helpful and this prevails amongst fishermen (a good trait) and I welcome it, appreciate it and must always respect it.
All my (limited) knowledge away from the bank has come via research that has come from someone else, someone who has found stuff out before me and made it available to me by their own choice to for want of me finding it and benefiting from it (free on the bank or bought in the bookshop) I doubt any of it past the basics will be better than my own experiences over time as already mentioned there are to many variables to say for sure you will catch "here" using this rod,line,bait etc unless it can be repeated and shown to be (which most often it cannot be for any extended period on any single water imho which is why its called fishing not catching).
Sometimes for reasons so we can learn and become up to date a lot quicker (books/internet/forums/blogs of in person etc all do this anyway), its how you use that information, Easom has obviously set out to use it to make a lasting income from it, you and I could be doing that also but we choose not to, unless he has promised not to kiss and tell as it were then fair enough but I doubt it, anything else is just a bit of self styled righteousness or plain envy.
Why should we even care? Can you imagine everyone never saying anything apart from pleasantries on the bank like "nice day" "yes nice day" and nothing more than a nod, all suspicious and Orwellian?
Looks like Easom knows Barbel in a certain river in certain swims will take just about anything so uses that information to deliver and promote specific baits which factually he knows are actually likely to catch if thats all you are likely to be casting out there, that looks more like a business niche to me, why should I take that personally unless he has more success using my own information or knowledge than I do myself? His blog isn't purely for promoting his baits either, he can't make you buy them can he?
