RIVER BLOCKEND PELLET FEEDER RIG

A BLOCKEND feeder lets you put a stream of bait in tight spots that can’t be accessed with a waggler. This tactic has caught thousands of chub all over the UK.

In recent years pellets have come to the fore, especially in coloured water and on rivers that see a lot of barbel anglers using the bait.

What makes the difference between a few fish and a netful is what you put through the feeder and the length of tail and weight of the feeder itself. Chub won’t take baits that are poorly presented.

Oily halibut pellets offer more attraction in coloured water than a plain carp-style pellet. Start with an 8mm bait, going up to a 12mm if small fish are a problem. Cram in micros, 4mm and a few 6mm offerings.

Pick a feeder that’s slightly lighter than needed and then add extra weight in the form of stick-on leads or a length of lead strip.

Hooklengths can vary from 12ins up to 4ft. Start at around 2ft, but if bites are coming but no fish are hooked, shorten it by 3ins-4ins at a time. If you get knocks but nothing develops, lengthen the hooklink bit by bit.