Absolutely spot on, John!
Not the easiest or quickest bait to get the roach to feed on but once you have them going a very productive bait for better fish. Yes, they have to be cooked just right, yes they need to be hooked just right and yes some folk will find them too fiddly (see above for a name!) but well worth the effort.
You do need to be patient, give them a proper workout, and you may well wait some time for your first bite BUT worth the wait!
In the cooking process I have a hook at the pot to keep trying them for softness and even them I will take a small bag out to check them out before finally bagging for the freezer. As John says, the freezing of them softens them slightly and they are at their best after a couple of trips to the freezer. They have that lovely nutty smell as well....
I fish hemp a great deal which can catch you just (a lot) of smaller roach (not always!) and it is then I bring the tares out whilst continuing to feed the hemp. In the past I have forced myself to take just hemp and tares for a short 2/3 hour session and concentrated on fishing them with various types of float and shotting patterns, at every depth regardless of actual water depth.
Well worth the few hours of thrashing them to death and results can be spectacular!
On one lake I fish I have become known as 'hemp man' by some pals BUT what they don't realise is that 'tares man' might be more accurate on many days!
No, success will rarely be instantaneous but if you have a good but hard roach water on your card they are THE bait when all else fails.....................
At one time I think Dynamite Baits used to sell them ready cooked in tins which saved on the hassle but I haven't seen them for ages.
ps Oh, and have a look at wide gap, fine wire hooks for the job. Any old hook will just not cut the mustard!!
