Leeches can be found in various types of lakes, farm ponds and streams. unfortunately they are not nearly as common place as they where many years ago when people would search all over the country looking for them to catch and sell for medical use. Leeches must not be removed from the wild as they are a protected species.

I buy my leeches from Biopharm as they are of a decent size and arrive in top condition ready for fishing. The Leeches arrive in a special Hirudogel™ which is a revolutionary material for keeping leeches healthy. Once unpacked I keep them hidden away in the fridge (away from the Mrs!) until I go fishing.

I have found the best way to transport Leeches is to place them in a small portable fridge which plugs into the 12v power supply in the boot of my car, keeping them in top condition ready for use at the lake. The fridge them acts as a cool box whilst fishing, keeping the Hirudogel nice and cold.

Leech info

HIRUDO MEDICINALIS European Medicinal Leech.
There are 650 known species of leeches.
The leech has 32 brains - 31 more than a human.
Not all leeches are bloodsuckers. Many are predators, which eat earthworms, etc.
The bite of a leech is painless due to its own anaesthetic.
The Hirudo injects an anti-coagulant serum into the victim to prevent the blood clotting.
The leech will gorge itself until it has had its fill and then just fall off.
The leech will gorge itself up to five times its body weight.
After the Hirudo leech drops off the wound it leaves will bleed, on average, for ten hours.

Fishing with Leeches

For many just the expense of buying the Leeches will be enough to put you off using them but the results more than outway the cost. The first batch of Leeches I purchased from Biopharm lasted over six weeks and caught me quite a few cats including two over 30lb. The first time i used them I caught 2 cats on the same Leech then, at the end of the session I returned it to the pot ready to use again on the next trip! the main reason for loosing the Leeches was when a cat charged off with only the Leech clamped in its jaws so, on applying the pressure the Leech snapped in half!

As far as hooking the leech, I have found the best thing to do is mount it direct on the hook by passing the point of the hook through the bigger of the two suckers and then it is best to push a piece of rubber band onto the hook to stop the Leech coming off. The reason for hooking the Leech through the big sucker is because the small sucker is the head and it swims in this direction creating lots of attraction for the catfish to focus on.

more info on next page

Leeches
Biopharm Leeches are the place to purchase your fishing Leeches. Take a look at the website for more information
www.biopharm-leeches.com

Leech info kindly supplied by Biopharm Leeches where you can purchase your fishing Leeches