The first groundbait in the Mr Wriggles/Marsdens Magic Range that I have had the opportunity to try is the ‘Frutti Tench’. The mix appears to be based on a combination of fruit flavours with a fishmeal base, and as these are two of my favourite ingredients when preparing a mix for tench it instantly caught my attention. 
Upon opening the bag I was instantly struck with a ‘nutty’ aroma which will be familiar to anyone who has made there own mixes using crushed hemp. Along with this was the distinctive smell of the fishmeal base which, I am informed consists of ground ‘fish friendly’ pellets and fishmeal powder. There is, as the name implies, also a slight fruity aroma but this seems quite negligible whilst the mix is dry. Close inspection of the dry mix revealed a good mixture of crushed particles.
It was only on mixing with water that the fruit flavours came to the fore. Adding a small amount of water, some flavoured corn and dead maggots during mixing, I achieved a consistency and smell that I am totally convinced will see me tempt some good tench this coming season and will I’m sure, appeal equally to specimen bream. It was the adding of water that seemed to unlock the fruit flavours contained in the dry mix, producing a finished product combining a deep red colouration with a fruity aroma almost good enough to eat.
Another aspect of the mix which I particularly liked, was its appearance in the water. I threw a couple of handfuls into the margins and watched the feed ‘explode’ the contents outwards. This produced a nice fine carpet of crushed particles, which were clearly visible over the more subtle colour of the base mix. The dark appearance of the feed on the lake bed will I’m convinced help to reduce the chance of ‘spooking’ cautious fish in clear water. Although through personal preference I added red maggots and coloured corn to the finished mix I’m sure if used straight from the bag the mix would hold feeding fish for some time without the need of any further additions due to the abundance of crushed particles visible on the bottom.
Obviously the ultimate test on any product such as this will be based on results. As I intend to use this mix over the coming season on a new tench water I am planning to try I will give a long-term user report of this product at a later date.
All the groundbaits in the Mr Wriggles/Marsden’s Magic range can be ordered on-line at the Mr Wriggles web site.
Gary Knowles
