Five years of confidence
By Simon Crow
If you’re a regular reader of Carp-Talk then you’re probably well aware that I have been a firm supporter of the Bait & Feed Company for a long while now. I forget exactly how long I’ve been getting my baits rolled and prepared by this first rate company, but I’d hasten a guess that it’s more than five.
Now anyone who knows me, knows how much of a stickler I am with bait. Anything which I use for my fishing has to give me 100% confidence or I’ll not waste my time using it. Having been brought up in an era when the key to successful carp fishing was rolling and preparing your own baits in a way that was specific to yourself, when the birth of rolling companies began to develop, I must confess that I wasn’t too confident of letting someone do it for me. I wasn’t confident that they’d do it to my exact specifications, and then damage to my confidence came when one of the first batches of bait I had rolled for me (by another company no longer trading) wasn‘t what I‘d ordered! However, my faith was somewhat restored when David Coakley informed me that he was going to be turning his hand at rolling baits himself. Having known David since 1996, I knew he was a carp angler of some standing and that only the very best is what he would expect for his own fishing and so only the very best was what he would be supplying.
The Grey Fish at 41lb 12oz from the tricky Brickyards Fishery in Yorkshire
As I say, we’re now five years on from the very first batch of bait I had rolled by David, and during this time I can safely say that not once have I encountered a problem with the service offered by his company. At a guess I’ve probably had more than three tonnes of boilies rolled by them, and each and every time these have been supplied in the first rate way that I want them. There’s no odd shapes that don’t go out in the stick or are difficult to bait up with accurately; I only get the shapes that I ask for. No job has been too small or large for them either, even when it comes to getting baits for overseas trips when I need them air-dried and air-freighted to a particular address. I’ve had baits sent to far off places like Romania and Austria as two examples, and I’ve yet to encounter any problems whatsoever.
I’ve had various baits supplied over the years, mainly Hutchy and Solar gear; my main two being the MC/Addicted combo by Hutchy and in more recent times BYT by Solar. These baits have caught me countless carp, from the easiest of the day ticket waters to some of the hardest venues in the world. If the baits I used weren’t up to scratch, there’d be no way that I would still be working in the carp fishing industry, so I have an awful lot to thank David and his team for!
One of Yorkshire's most famous carp, the Black Fish from Tilery at 36lb
It’s not only boilies that I have had supplied; I also have faith in them preparing my particles and pellets too. Their jumbo tigers are irresistible to carp and I’ve had many a good fish on these. I have base feeds like hemp and Parti-blend supplied as well, including various other seeds and pulses, all of which have been couriered to me within hours of preparation, something which carp anglers need to rely on. Like the boilies, all of the particles have been supplied in re-sealable plastic bags, double lined to ensure safety in transport. So fresh have they been, there’s many a time I’ve received them when they are still warm from having only a few hours earlier been cooked!
There’s lots of choice available to carp anglers today, but take a look in the weekly magazines and you’ll soon discover that many successful anglers report catches on products supplied by the Bait & Feed Company. They’re one of the longest standing members of the rolling world and in a time when so many bait companies come and go, I think their longevity really does speak for itself. |
