Cheese Paste made easy!

With the definite onset of winter, we begin to use baits which are generally associated with catching fish in the colder months. Moving away from pellets, meat and worm and using the more traditional baits such as bread, maggots and cheese paste. These baits are also used very effectively during the summer months, but tend to come to prominence during in the colder seasons as they have the potential to pick out the specimen fish, whether your quarry be Chub, sizable Roach or maybe the occasional winter Barbel. However, speaking to one of my friends who often fishes for winter Chub he seemed uncertain on how to make cheese paste. As it is a method I intend to use very shortly in my own fishing trips I thought I’d describe a very cheap and easy way to make bait which is suitable for freezing and will last you for plenty of winter fishing trips to come.

You will need;

This is all you need to make Cheese Paste!

Ingredients

½ x Packet of Jus Roll Short Crust Pastry

1 x Block of Blue Cheese (Stilton or Blue Danish something smelly around 200– 250 grams)

1 x Block of Cheddar (I prefer to use a coloured cheese for visual impact, but plain is equally effective around 100grams)

A pinch of salt

Equipment Needed

A cheese Grater

A mixing bowl

A plastic bag / Tupperware box to place the finished article.

Step 1.

The Just roll pastry comes in 2 halves in a packet. You will only need one half for this so put the unused half in the freezer, then depending on how cold you want your hand to get you can either wait for the pastry to thaw slightly (which makes grating easier) or start grating the frozen pastry directly into the mixing bowl!

Step 2.

Grate both cheeses into the bowl adding a generous pinch of salt.

Step 3.

Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, begin to mix together both cheeses and the grated pastry until everything looks evenly mixed. Then begin to knead the mixture together, the more vigorously you do this the more you start to warm the cheese, and although not making it melt it will stretch and squash the grated pieces causing them to smell quite strongly. Continue in this way until you have a fairly stiff consistency which can be moulded into shape.

Ta-da! You have now made cheese paste, this is a lethal bait in both warm and cold temperature and for less than £5 you will have enough bait to see you through a huge number of fishing sessions to come. If you have not used cheese paste before then I suggest before you think to add anything to the recipe, try it as it is and be surprised at how effective just these few ingredients are. After some trial and error you can tart to add all sorts to it, whether it be liquidised garlic, chilli powder/flakes or as some others have tried, fish sauce (be warned this last combination will truly smell and an air tight container or bag is advised). The lump of paste can then be chopped up, sliced, quartered or stored whole in the freezer or fridge until you need. In my case its placed in the freezer next to the deadbaits! It is also advised that when preparing a new batch, keep aside some of the old stuff and add it to the new, it packs that little extra waft of smell which might mean the difference between catching or not.