DIY smelts

C

Chris Bishop

Guest
Years ago some of the old boys used to catch smelts to use as bait. They had some way of nabbing 'em as they came up the Ouse to spawn, apparently.

I've also read of people fly fishing for them - greedy little blighters.
And when they were surface feeding on the river, you could smell 'em, apparently.

Anyone got any ideas..? Could you catch 'em off the docks with a pole and maggots..?
 
D

David Will

Guest
If they are anything like Shad tiny spinners might work.Judging by the size of the knashers on Smelt I am sure they must be predators.
 
R

Rob Brownfield

Guest
Chris..I think the biggest problem u will have is finding the blighters! Once found, i reckon they would hit any bait u threw at them. I have had them thaw out only to see small fish in there gobs...even other smaller smelt...maybe treat them like smaller Perch and fish tiny livebaits (minnows)..hey..u could get the british record!!
 
C

Chris Bishop

Guest
They come up the river under my office window and people net them further up.
 
D

Denis Goulding

Guest
They run some rivers here in Ireland but only at night and on big tides,they run for 2 week's,if the water is heavy u won't even see them never mind net them(using landing nets)...Have any of u fished for shad,caught my first this year and an x fishingmagicer fergal scully had a specimen this year on a tassy blue and silver...
Talk to u soon..
Regards,
Denis..
 
C

Chris Bishop

Guest
I read about fly fishing for them in this old book. They reckoned these old boys used to do it on the quays in King's Lynn. They reckoned it needed a big tide, full moon etc and when they ran up the river you could literally smell 'em.

Anyway, price of the things I thought it would be highly worth a bash, maybe with little spoons or something, as they're obviously predatory judging by their dentistry.

I also read about the old Fen boys using live smelts somewhere, so it must be possible to catch 'em.
 
G

Gary Knowles

Guest
Chris - definitely predators and highly cannibalistic. a few years ago I ordered a stone of smelt from a local fishmonger. When they arrived at least a tenth of them had another smelt lodged in their throat - sometimes both fish were of a similar size ! !
 
C

Chris Bishop

Guest
What you saying Gary - so voracious even I could catch 'em..?
 
G

Gary Knowles

Guest
Eerrrr - I'll pass on answering that if you dont mind mate !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top