Tiger Nuts.
This must be mine and many other peoples favourite particle, I think I would feel confident fishing on "tigers" anywhere. They have nothing to do with castrated large cats, but are a part of a plants root. They are a very hard particle that always remind me of very very small potatoes, even after boiling they are still hard so they stay on the hair forever.
They can be bought unprepared from seed merchants and even some pet suppliers and shops. Some tackle shops sell the unprepared nuts, but most now stock the prepared nuts in tins or jars ready for the hook- though it's an expensive, but convenient way of buying them.
To prepare the raw dried tigers, cover them with water and let them soak for about 24 hours, then boil for about half to three quarters of an hour. Let them cool and there is your finished bait, it's that simple. I like to add about 2oz of sugar or 5ml of intense sweetener to the water at the start of the initial soaking process, but it's not essential. I've also read loads about people soaking them in various flavours and expensive additives, in my opinion it's not necessary.
After a few days of having boiled the tigers their water will turn milky and become thick and sticky as the nuts begin to ferment. Don't worry the carp still like these fermented nuts just as much, some say they prefer them like this.
Tiger nuts do not take on smells very easily, if at all and are quite light. They are therefore ideal for fishing over silt etc. They can be cut in half and cork sandwiched in between, or you can fish a cork ball and a tiger nut on the same hair to pop-up the bait.
I've never found the need to put out that many loose fed nuts, about two to three good sized catapult pouch fulls around each hook bait seems ideal. If fishing at distance try them in a pva bag or on a pva stringer.
Peanuts.
Again an excellent particle, some rate them as good as "tigers". For myself they are a bait that I have very great confidence in, but I do rate them slightly behind tigers - just.
Preparation is the same as for tiger nuts, soak for 24 hours and then boil for about half an hour. Again sugar or sweeteners can be added at the same dosage.
Unlike tiger nuts the water will not turn milky after a couple of days, I also do not think they have quite the same shelf-life once prepared.
Like tiger nuts they are very light, so are ideal for fishing over silt and do not take on bottom smells. They can be cut in half and cork sandwiched in between, or you can fish a cork ball and a tiger nut on the same hair to pop-up the bait.
Peanuts are available from pets shops and seed merchants etc. They come in various sizes from small up to jumbo.