The pupa of the fly is more commonly known to anglers as a caster. At this point in the flies life cycle it proves to be an almost irresistable bait, and one that many match anglers consider to be the best bait bar none. When used corectly it is possible to catch many different species of fish, from the smallest gudgeon to the largest carp. This is what makes casters one of the most popular baits available to any angler.
Price and availability =================
Casters can be purchased from any tackle shop, the cost varies from place to place, but as a general rule expect to pay in the region of £5 per pint. This is a fair price since it takes about five pints of maggots to make three pints of casters. Alternatively you can make your own. If you have read my other review on maggots, and how to breed them, there are only a few more steps to take to produce a far superior bait to any available in the shops.
Turning maggots into casters ========================
If you have followed the instructions in the maggot review you should find yourself with a large quantity of succulent maggots. If you examine these closely you should notice a large black spec underneath the skin. This is the maggots food pouch, it enables the grub to have enough energy to complete its development into a fly. The bigger the
maggot, and the food pouch, the bigger the resulting caster.
It takes a maggot that has just stopped feeding about five days to turn into a caster, this is assuming that the temperature remains between 18' and 20'C ( 65' to 70'F). The development can be slowed down by placing the maggots, in a plastic box, in the fridge for a few days. They should then be riddled to remove any bran. After this you should place them into a clean container with about one inch of fresh bran in the bottom. Now they should be placed in a cool garage. After about a day or so you should be able to see the first of the casters. Now that they are visible you should pour the contents of the container into a riddle that is placed over a large bucket. The maggots that remain will be able to wriggle through the holes in the riddle and into the bucket below, leaving all the casters behind. Any dead maggots should be thrown away. This process should be repeated every eight hours, and the resulting casters must be placed in a container in the fridge.
The colours of the casters will vary, however you can change their colour so that they all look similar quite simply. On the evening before you intend to go fishing you should wrap all your casters in a wet towel inside a bucket. The next morning you will see all the casters have changed colour, to a deep red, this is the most productive colour a caster can be. The only problem now is you should remove any floaters.
Floaters are, as the name suggests, casters that float in water. These have very little use to the angler, so they should be seperated from the other casters before you head off. All you have to do is pour some water into a container so that it's at least six inches deep and slowly introduce your casters. Then either with a small net or your hands remove the casters that float and place them in a container that is clearly marked. The others that had sunk can now be placed into their own container after they have been drained.
Use ====
The hook size that you can use is governed by the size of the caster that you use, but it must be a fine-wire hook since these reduce the chance of the caster bursting when you hook them. The biggest hook that you will probably use is a 14, but more often than not a 16 or 18 hook will be needed. The hook can either be burried inside the caster or lightly nicked through one end. To do this hold the caster between your index finger and your thumb, then introduce the hook through the end. This can now be either pushed inside by rotating the hook, or by pushing the caster around the hookpoint, the tip of the hook should pierce the caster again so that the point protrudes a little way down the shell.
They can be used individually or as many as you like on a larger hook. They can also be used with other hookbaits too. These cocktails can include worms, hemp or even tares. In fact any small bait can be used with them on the hook with great effect.
If you floatfish using casters you should try and put in at least ten casters each time you cast out. On top of this you should attempt to put in a further ten every ten mins or so. This will get the fish competing for the free offerings and keep them in your swim. This will greatly increase your chances of a bumper catch, and that's what every angler wants.
If you intend on fishing at range then you should ensure that the rod that you use is able to cast the distance with ease because the bait is so soft and is easily flicked off on the cast......if it's too vigorous.
Floaters =======
Although floaters have very little to offer the angler in the way of a hookbait (unless you're fishing on-the-drop in the top third of the water) they still have their uses. If you're fishing on an unknown water you should introduce a handfull of these into your swim, then sit back and watch for a few mins, since they float the fish will have to surface to feed on them, this will tell you if there is a large head of roach, or a couple of carp etc. etc. present in your swim.
In conclusion I have found this bait to be very productive on clear waters, wether I've used it on a river, in a lake or even on the canal the fish just love them. They have accounted for many large bags of roach and bream, and when the carp go a bit quiet on boilies changing over to this bait can prove to be a winner. This is one bait that I simply have to take with me regardless of what species I am after. I even use them when I go pike fishing, but not as a bait. I introduce them over the top of a deadbait, they in tern draw in the smaller fish. Then the pike move in to feed on these smaller fish. So as you can see by creating a food chain you increase your chances of landing a decent pike.
I think I've covered all aspects of casters, but if you think I've missed something out please inform me.
Many thanks for reading this review.
Pictures of Casters
Life cycle of a fly
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Cheap to do when done correctly, good results. (-) FEAR FACTOR - You will look silly if you do it without results. Difficult to carry a large amount.
Advantages: cheaper and more effective than commercial groundbaits. Disadvantages: The only disadvantage I find, is that you have to make it your self.
casterman 10.03.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Groundbaits
May 16th, 2006
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