Van Den Eynde River Ace

Marcel Van Den Eynde: River Ace Black

Another classic that has stood the test of time, River Ace was specifically designed by Van Den Eynde for the unique challenges of UK river fishing. If you are fishing deep or fast-flowing water and need a bait that stays exactly where it hits the deck, this is the one.

The "River Cousin" of Turbo

Marcel himself described River Ace as the "river cousin" of the famous Turbo. While it shares that popular dark color, fine texture, and slightly sweet aroma, River Ace is significantly stickier and heavier. This makes it the ideal foundation for "balling in" large quantities of heavy particles like hemp and sweetcorn. It creates a nice bed of loose feed that breaks down slowly even in fast flows, perfect for Barbel, Chub, and Bream to graze over.

Mixing & Versatility

Because River Ace is so sticky, it can come into its own for custom river mixes:

• To Speed Up the Breakdown: Combine it with VDE G5 or Supercup. These lighter mixes help the groundbait break open faster while still benefiting from the weight of the River Ace.

• For Bream: Adding a VDE Brasem additive is a classic way to increase the sweetness that Bream love.

My Top Tip: Don’t Rush the Mix

Always take your time when wetting up River Ace. Because of its high binding power, adding too much water too quickly can leave you with a "sticky mess." Add water gradually, and let it stand for 5 minutes before mixing and re-wetting again—this allows time for the water to be fully absorbed. Finally, run the mix through a riddle to get that perfect, heavy-but-workable consistency.

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Quick Specs:

• Texture: Fine

• Binding Power: Very Strong / Sticky

• Target Species: Barbel, Chub, Bream, and large bags of Silvers

• Best For: Deep water and fast-flowing rivers (e.g., The Trent)

• 1 Kilo bag

For more information about my favourite mixes and getting the most out of them why not head alone to My Knowledge Base.