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I have found that the Alar salar flavour works but not the Search 4. However I have had more success on Trigga and el cheepo Monster Crab shelf lifes. But most success of all has come from halips glugged in salmon oil.
I wouldn't again bother buying expensive base mixes as I have discovered that a cheap homemade semolina and fishmeal with a bit of five pints powdered milk bit of marmite bit of curry powder some molasses drop of salmon oil bit of brewers yeast etc, works just as well.
I now spend my hard earned, on flavours rather than base mixes.
Next investment will be oily chicken flavour to use with my homemade base mix.
If you believe that expensive base mixes work best then go ahead.
But ask yourself why the ingredients are never listed on the packets. Could it be that they are mostly semolina fishmeal etc etc
I might be an old cynic but find it hard to believe that a barbel has any thought processes which enable it to distinguish any more than, YUM YUM this smells like food and I know from experience that it is not dangerous to eat.
They don't know how much CSL or Betaine or how many different types of fishmeal or seaweed there are in a mix or that if they eat their spinach they will grow up to be big strong boys and girls or that if they eat their crusts their scales will curl.
They may be able to associate the shape of your bait with danger or perhaps the colour far too many barbel have been witnessed exiting a swim rapidly if it contains bright yellow sweetcorn for this to be just a coincidence and i am also fairly certain that certain flavours do become blown. However they will have their day again when Boris's memory becomes dim.
I like a T bone because it tastes and smells good and gets my juices going. I eat salad because I am intelligent enough to know it's good for me. lets face it lettuce tastes like c**p.
The most intelligent animal I have kept is the pig, far cleverer than any dog I have ever owned. My old pig never turned her nose up at anything which smelled or tasted right. She would never eat onions or tomatoes even tho I kept telling her they were good for her cos of all the vitamin C.
She never once bothered to ask me what it was she was eating, anything she didn't like the taste or smell of was left in the trough. If dogs knew what really went into their tin of food would they eat it? Would they care?
Would your dog eat prunes if it was constipated?
Why do you have to disguise worming tablets in a bit of meat?
Dont credit human intelligence into other species they really ain't that clever.
If they like the smell or taste and dont associate it with danger they will eat it.
A bit like me really I like a vindaloo but I know I will suffer for it the next morning but I eat it all the same cos I like the taste and will worry about the ring of fire tomorrow.
If you read the adverts behind some of these new boilie recipes you'd think that the fish have a degree in nutrition.
They are only fish!
Don't become a bait tart!
Concentrate on location and watercraft.
Bill

Gary the recipies are very much as I said. I ain't very scientific about it, just go for a basic 50/50 mix and add in a bit of flavour and smell, marmite, yeast, molasses, garlic powder. bit of this bit of that. my problem is I can never remember what I put in them exactly.
I formulated mine from readily available recipies on carping sites on t'internet.
All this rubbish about texture drives me bonkers crunchy boilies indeed. The fish don't know they're crunchy until they're in their gob by then it's too late. can a fish tell a bait is crunchy by anything else than the smell?
Ever walked past a chip shop and your mouth began to water cos of the smell?
Best bought boilies I have ever used have been the old Trigga and the Monster Crab. I still use the Trigga because I can't work out what the flavour is. If I knew what the smell/flavour was I would use my own base mix and just buy the flavour.
The only trouble with Trigga is that the chub home in on it before the barbel can get there. I had my one and only Dove carp on Trigga as well.
Yet I rarely hear Trigga being mentioned as being an effective bait on this forum. Perhaps they are unfashionable?
I do know that when the fish are not feeding Trigga, pellet, homemade recipies don't work but I don't blame the bait I blame myself for wrong swim wrong time etc. maybe even wrong moonphase?
Bill