Some sea anglers would argue that you need fresh bait if you really want to catch fish. Colourful, bizarre artificial lures simply don’t work. What kind of fish would be easily fooled by a piece of rubber or plastic? Artificial lures, they argue, aren’t so much about catching fish as they are about catching the fisherman, getting him to part with his money on yet another expensive and useless trinket for the fishing box.

Against that argument you’ll find other fishermen who point out that artificial lures don’t smell, they don’t make a mess on board, they don’t go off and they are available for use at anytime. With artificial lures you can fish when you want with no digging or pre-planning required.

But do they work?

They can do, and some are actually outstanding. A line of six hooks dressed with feathers are deadly bait for mackerel. Attach a half pound lead weight and count to ten as you let the line run out freely. Now ‘jiggle’ the line to make the feathers move up and down in the water column. If there are mackerel down there you’ll find them, if not - move on.

Mackerel, of course, are perfect bait for many other fish, so here is the solution to the ‘real versus artificial’ debate. Hunt for mackerel for the first hour or so of your trip. Store some for cooking at home and use the rest as bait for larger specimens. There’s no waste, no lost time and the expense is minimal.

Mackerel feathers are available in most angling shops and they come in a variety of colours. Multi-coloured lines are known as Jersey’s. Lines of white feathers are often called Guernsey’s. Keep some on board.

By: David Greenwood