M

MFU - Maritime Fishermen's Union
A Maritime organization representing inshore fish harvesters made up of MFU Locals throughout the Maritimes.

Macroinvertebrate
Invertebrates visible to the naked eye, such as insect larvae and crayfish.

Maintainable Yield
"The largest catch that can be maintained from the population, at whatever level of stock size, over an indefinite period. It will be identical to the sustainable yield for populations below the level giving the MSY, and equal to the MSY for populations at or above this level""."

Maggot binder
A sticky white powder used to bind maggots into a ball so that you can catapult them accurately over long distances.

Maggot riddle
A riddle designed to separate dead skins and freshly turned casters from large maggots. It is also useful for sieving freshly mixed groundbait to remove any lumps.

Maggots
Large maggots, the larvae of bluebottles, are the most commonly used bait in coarse fishing. They can be bought in their natural white colour or dyed a variety of colours.

Maize meal
Maize meal is a good medium in which to keep and clean maggots and pinkies, and is a useful groundbait additive, especially when you want a heavy mix.

Mandibular
Pertaining to the lower jaw.

Marker float
A large, easily seen float, fixed on the line above a heavy weight and cast in with a spare rod when fishing at long range on still waters, to act as a marker when casting and feeding.

Marker shot
A small shot incorporated into an overdepth float rig and positioned on the line to mark the exact depth.

Marshmallows
Often used as a floating bait for carp.

Mashed bread
Stale bread soaked in a bucket of water to use as groundbait when fishing with flake or crust on the hook, especially on rivers in winter for roach and chub.

Maxillae or maxillaries
The upper jaw, the upper jaw bones.

Maximum Sustainable Yield
The largest average catch or yield that can continuously be taken from a stock under existing environmental conditions. (For species with fluctuating recruitment, the maximum might be obtained by taking fewer fish in some years than in others.) Also called; maximum equilibrium catch ; maximum sustained yield; sustainable catch.

Mealworms
Small, wiry grubs that can be an effective hookbait, especially for roach.

Medium-wire hook
Hooks made from medium-gauge wire are stronger than fine-wire hooks but not as strong as forged hooks; they are good all-round hooks.

Mending the line
This keeps a float trotting in a straight line. The angler momentarily traps the line against the spool with a finger as it peels off the reel, and flicks the rod tip to keep the line behind the float.

Mental
Pertaining to the chin or mentum.

Mesotrophic
The middle stage of a lake's geological aging process; these lakes are usually fertile, warm to cool bodies

Metabolism
The rate at which a fish's biological functions occur; i.e., breathing, digestion

Method
See 'The Method'.

Method swimfeeder
An adapted frame swimfeeder incorporating heavy, shock-absorbing pole elastic, for fishing the Method.

Microbarbed hook
A hook with a tiny barb to minimize damage to the mouth of a fish and to baits such as maggots.

Microbung
A small plastic bung that fits inside the top section of a pole and to which the elastic is attached, when only the top section of pole is elasticated.

Midi boilies
Boilies between mini and standard boilies in size - usually around 10mm (2/5in) in diameter.

Migrant
Life stage of anadromous and resident fish species which moves from one locale, habitat or system (river or ocean) to another.

Migrating
Moving from one area of residence to another.

Milt
The sperm of fishes.

Minced meat
Minced beef used as loosefeed or with groundbait when fishing slivers of steak on the hook for chub.

Mini boilies
Small boilies of about 6mm-10mm (1/5-2/5 in) in diameter.

Minnow
A shoal fish found in running water but rarely exceeding 7.5cm (3in) in length. Minnows are regarded as a nuisance by most anglers, but make effective livebaits or deadbaits for perch, eels and chub.

Minnow trap
A device made from a bottle that is baited with bread and lowered into the water on a string to catch minnows.

Mirror carp
A variety of common carp with only a few large scales.

Mixed stock
A stock whose individuals originated from commingled native and non-native parents; or a previously native stock that has undergone substantial genetic alteration.

Mixers
Pet food mixers which make excellent floating baits for carp.

Molasses
A sweet, sticky groundbait additive that is especially attractive to bream.

Mole hill soil
A groundbait binder popular with match anglers, especially when used with bloodworm and joker and with chopped worm.

Monkey climber
A bite indicator used when legering. It incorporates a bobbin that slides up and down a metal spike.

Monofilament
Single-strand nylon, the material from which ordinary fishing line is made.

Morphology The body shape of a species

Mortality
The number of fish lost or the rate of loss.

Movements
Locational shift of fish from one area to another, usually on a daily or seasonal basis

Mudfeet
Plastic or metal discs placed under the legs of a platform or seat box to stop it sinking into soft mud.

Multiplier reel
A type of reel that incorporates a revolving spool, and is most often used when spinning or trolling for pike.

Multistrand line
A hooklength material comprising numerous soft, fine strands that separate in water, making it very hard to see. It is designed to fool wary fish such as big carp.

Myomeres
The muscle segments.