Tips on Tares

[103841]

I’m sure there are many references here but I’m being a lazy so and so.

Any tips please on the preparation of tares, type and size of suitable hook and most importantly feeding, I’m assuming a combination of hemp.

Does the quality of seed vary? Best suppliers.

 

[nottskev]

Soak overnight first. I add bicarb and sugar, although I'm aware natural colour catches perfectly well. Bring up to simmer slowly, don't boil violently. I test them often, bringing up to simmer then backing off for a bit. It's easy to overcook them or leave them too hard when you first cook them, and I spoiled some batches, but once you've tried a couple of times you'll arrive at your own method and recognise when they're just right.

One good thing - they freeze well, and will survive defrosting and re-freezing once. My local tackle shop cooks in bulk and sells them frozen, and I'll use these if I don't get round to doing my own.

The received wisdom is that tares are a summer bait - but I've caught roach on them all year round on rivers and lakes.

 

[108831]

Opinions will vary,imo tares should not be too soft,simmer until just after when squeezed you can just crush them with your fingers,not ping in two halves,hooks,I use between an 18 and a 12(rarely these days),normally a 16 or 18,hooking(very much opinion based)I hook the split(it is visible through the skin)and leave just a fraction of the point out,I find(different for others)that if too much point is showing bites ease off,quantity and feeding,I would rarely need much more than a pint and a half of hemp feeding between ten and forty grains,I feed three tares a chuck,fish come up in the water readily for hemp,so be watchful,I've caught big bags of roach fishing two feet deep in twelve feet of water...

 

[rayner]

For years now I've done my tares in the oven in a casserole dish. Usual soak overnight in just water.place into hot water in casserole on around mark 2 for how ever long it takes,
Older the seeds the longer they take.
Some folk use a flask, myself I prefer keeping an eye on them. I want the softest tare without the skin splitting.
Hooks for tares, if the fish accept a 14s all the better 16s OR 18s if fish are wary. Hooks for hemp I prefer 18s.
For hooking hemp, if you look at a grain of hemp there's a tiny circle looking dent at the top of the split, trap the grain between your finger and thumb nail, squeeze the grain then push the hook into the split and release the top of the seed will be nipped by the seed shell and hold on.

 

[108831]

One addition,I'm sure when you get going,you will sort out your own preference,I'm one who prefers a natural tare,I'm not copying hemp,I want them eating the tare out of preference,also I sugar them,don't think it makes that much difference,but I do,I don't sugar hemp,I've won matches on many venues with tares,on the Trent,Thames,Ouse mainly,with big weights(30lbs plus)of mainly chub and roach,but barbel,skimmers and tench too,being confident your doing it right is key(even though you may not be)and knowing that if you stick at it,it will happen,many a last hour has produced double figures of quality roach.

 

[wetthrough]

You've just reminded me to take mine out ready for tomorrow. I only do small amounts, 1/4 cup so if you're doing more it might not work - 500ml preheated flask, 1/4 cup Tares, fill with boiling water and leave 24hrs. It probably doesn't need 24hrs as by that time the water's cold anyway. Works without fail for me. 18s/16s light wire Guru hook.

Quality - well I wouldn't have thought there'd be much difference but Tares I've had in the past from Haith's smell quite nice, sort of nutty. This last lot from eBay smell like dog cr*p. I don't have anything else so I'm hoping the fish like dog cr*p. Not sure if it's done to name the eBay seller but if anyone wants to know PM me.

 

[Mark Wintle]

The last lot of tares I got from CC Moore and they're OK. I add an iron tablet and cook about a pint then split into eggcup sized batches for the freezer. I soak them overnight and then simmer - not boil - until done. I prefer small tares for roach though will try the bigger ones. I don't feed tares just hemp and anything from half a pint to 1.5 pints is enough for a short session. They can take a while to work in summer and on my local Stour I've yet to get a response after about the first week of November. They work best on the stretches that see plenty of hemp - on one or two very remote stretches I've yet to get a bite despite feeding some hemp every time. i use a size 16 fine wire hook for tares; I was using Tubertini serie 4 but they're no longer available so now trying barbless Gamakatsu or Drennan wide-gape.

 

[Lark]

I add an iron tablet and cook about a pint then split into eggcup sized batches for the freezer.

That's the first time I've come across someone using iron tablets for tares. I've known many to use them with hemp, although not myself. Very interesting though.
I prepare my tares much the same as most and also split them into small batches. You don't need many for a good session.
I tried the casserole method a couple of times but, personally, I don't think you get control of the critical point the same way as with the simmered method. I also like sugar and bi-carb in mine. It produces a lovely colour and texture I feel.
I've always thought I've done a pretty good job with my preparation of tares over the years.
Unlike hemp preparation, whose consistency seems to have eluded me at various times!

 

[john step]

This is probably sacrilege.........I have used hemp and tares for yonks and appreciate their roach catching abilities.
However this summer I have started catching good roach on 4mm banded pellets from two of my local lakes in quantities and qualities that I can with tares.

I will still use tares but I was surprised to find the pellets fished by feeding them and one on the band was that good for roach.

 

[peter crabtree]

Sod that faffing about I use these and they're fine..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Tare..._0?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=HNQNQWXDYTMPY2W9K9F5

 

[flightliner]

A flask top full of tares and an iron tablet (ferrous sulphate at the chemists) left overnight will give you nice tares of a suitable hooking consistency that appear like black shiney pearls.
Debatable weather they are as effective or not as plain brown ones but I enjoy using them .
I was chatting to Bob Roberts yesterday about the joys of fishing hemp n tares where we both agreed it was the essence of summer fishing on a river with a stick float.
I'm on the Trent tomorrow, can't wait but with rain forecast it could be wise to take some other gear for an alternative approach if it's very heavy.

 

[Molehill]

I was about to start a thread on "tips for tares", but found you beat me to it and most of my questions are answered - great.
I have only started using them, but found in preparation that despite adding bicarb it doesn't seem to change the colour of the cooked tare at all, certainly nothing like black. Am I missing something?
Had a few goes at cooking and starting to get them right, I think. Certainly overcooked the first time, then undercooked etc. I have them quite solid so that the hook pushes through easy but doesn't split the seed, they don't come off on each cast, ok? Think mine were a fraction too hard but worried about overcooking each time!

Wasn't sure on hook sizes but you have answered my questions, I can probably go smaller as been tending to go bigger due to missed bites and worried about the tare obscuring the hook point. So far just used a few times on stillwaters but hope to hit the Severn next week.

 

[103841]

A flask top full of tares and an iron tablet (ferrous sulphate at the chemists) left overnight will give you nice tares of a suitable hooking consistency that appear like black shiney pearls.

Can you elaborate on that method Flight? Do you mean filling flask and left in boiling water overnight?

 

[theartist]

this is probably sacrilege.........i have used hemp and tares for yonks and appreciate their roach catching abilities.
However this summer i have started catching good roach on 4mm banded pellets from two of my local lakes in quantities and qualities that i can with tares.

I will still use tares but i was surprised to find the pellets fished by feeding them and one on the band was that good for roach.

Ssssshhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[flightliner]

Can you elaborate on that method Flight? Do you mean filling flask and left in boiling water overnight?

S63, I simply fill my flask top (cup) on my 1litre flask, place the tares inside it with one iron tablet and Finnish the process by filling the flask with boiling water and leaving overnight.
When hooking my tare I look for one that has a little flat spot on its spherical surface and insert my hook from the round edge for it to protrude off the flat spot giving me lots of the vital hooking potential exposed.
I'm not too sniffy about fish seeing it as if they are coming up in the water to intercept the loose feed they are "flashing" at them in something like a frenzy with no time given for close inspection.
I'll be doing it later today but for the first time (for me) if I get them coming with confidence I'm going to stop using them and switch to scalded pellets---- I have a feeling !

 

[108831]

You want to go to the doctor then Mick...

 

[Mark Wintle]

I'm trying to cook a few tares overnight in a flask today just as an experiment.

Re pellets, I've had roach on them on the Stour but their attractiveness to big chub means that my roaching gear is compromised and I'd need to fish much heavier; that said I do intend to have a go with pellets on the float soon but will fish heavier with fluorocarbon traces.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Well the tares turned out fine even though I only 'cooked' them for 18 hours in a 0.6L flask. On the plus side all cooked well , slightly firm and they didn't expand as much as usual through the cooking in a saucepan method. On the downside the flask had a nasty residue in the bottom and I need to find a dishmop that will clean it! Either that or source a cheap big flask just for cooking tares....

 

[103841]

I’ve done exactly the same as Mark , I added sugar only but they are still a natural colour. Will try them this afternoon on the estate lake.

 

[Molehill]

This is a really handy method to know, especially when I am on a trip in my camper van. I can produce fresh cooked tares as required for the following day and don't need to boil them up on the stove - wasting gas.
I guess the flask method also works with hemp? I used to use it all the time for wheat years ago.