keeping squatts

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nicky

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I read recently that it's best to keep squatts in sand does anyone know the reason for this?
 
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Evan

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toughens the skins off ? like using brick dust on maggots ?
 
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nicky

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Why would you want to do that it's not as if they dont stay on the hook?
 
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Evan

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To be honest I have no idea whatsoever ! Never bothered with either sand or brick dust myself, just use 'em straight from the tackle shop to maggot box to river 'n hook. Just read about brick dust in an old match fishing book or article yonks ago in the mists of time. Or was it worms ? Certainly to toughen up the skin of something or other to make it harder for the fish to nick off the hook....
 
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Alan Tyler

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Brick dust will kill worms off in a hurry; you toughen ("scour", in the old books) them up in sphagnum moss.
Squatts are supplied in foundry sand, but I've no idea why!



I've just checked in Benny Ashurst's book; he gives quite a lot of info. Lancashire breeders used foundry sand because they had foundries; any damp sand will do. On the day, seive them off and put into a little dry or barely dampened groundbait. As for feeding with them, he says he could ball in half a gallon in just seven pounds of groundbait, because they can't break the ball up in mid-air like standard hook maggots can.
 
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Maggot

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I put a slice of white bread soaked in milk in with my squatts the night before a match. The squatts actually feed on the milk soaked bread and they are softer and fatter in the morning and the fish love them.
This is an old tip used by generations of well known match anglers.
and it works.
 
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Laurie Harper

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I've always understood that keeping squatts in damp fine foundry sand is to prevent them from floating, which they do if kept in maize/sawdust. As they are so small and light, they can easily float when loose fed, which means, to quote Bob Nudd, that you get every duck on the canal in your peg...
 
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