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JELLY PELLETS By Ergo
These are a very versatile and easy to make and use bait.
The birth of the jelly pellet came about when someone was experimenting and poured some hot liquid jelly over expander pellets. The pellets soaked up the jelly, expanded and as they cooled, they set.
Now we turn to How. What is needed are 4 or 6mm expander pellets, Sensas or Ringers are preferred by yours truly; some Betaine; flavouring and colouring, from the cake making section of the supermarket (Try Strawberry, Vanilla or Almond, and while your in there, curry powder, chocolate powder, even aniseed anything else that takes you fancy); and finally some gelatine powder. I would also recommend that you purchase a pellet pump (Not essential but very useful).
Boil a kettle and pour in half a pint of hot water to the pellet pump or a glass bowl. If you are using chocolate or curry powder dissolve this in the hot water first, add the liquid flavouring and any colouring, red often works well; then add the Gelatine and Betaine. Finally put the pellets into the pump, so that the liquid level rises to just below the top of the base. If you are using a bowl leave enough space for the pellets to expand. Put the lid on the pump, and pump out the air, then shake the pump. Leave to allow the pellets to expand, until nearly all of the liquid has been taken up. Periodically shake the pump to separate the pellets. If you are using a bowl, when the pellets are soft, squeeze the air out of them with your hands. As the pellets cool and start to set, stir them to separate them.
When the pellets have cooled the 4mm pellets will be around 6mm in size and the 6 mm ones will be almost 10mm. They can now be placed in containers ready for use. You can even store them in plastic bags and freeze them until you need them. Just take as many as you need for the session, refreezing any that you bring back.
These pellets can be quickly hooked onto a wide gape size 16 hook, or a 14 for the larger size pellets. They can be cast with confidence, or lowered on a pole into your swim. The pellets do toughen up after freezing which helps to keep them together. I often take plain pellets, strawberry, almond, and as the temperature starts to warm up curry flavours with me. I would recommend that they be fished over a bed of hemp. Loose feed a few every minute or so.
I have had great success using these pellets and wish you the same.
Edited by Paul Orford A quality article from Ergo. He definitely knows what he's talking about so why not give his Jelly pellet recipe a go and let us know how you get on.
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