Q

Why do I keep losing fish on the Method? GEORGE RUNSWICK, NOTTINGHAM

A

For what seems like a simple tactic, Method feeder fishing can throw up all sorts of problems and hook pulls are common. You will never be able to eliminate them totally, but there are a few things you can do to try to reduce them. When anglers start losing a fish on the feeder, the initial reaction is to put on a bigger hook, to get a better hook-hold. This can be where problems start. If you lose fish this suggests that something is wrong, as the carp aren’t picking up the hookbait confidently. Normally, lost fish are hooked just outside the mouth, a result of them sucking the hookbait in – only to sense something is wrong. At this point they blow it back out again, only for the hook to just nick the skin. The tip still goes round but when you pick up the rod, the fish comes off. So what do you do? First, actually drop down in hook size. If fishing a size 16, change to an 18 as a smaller, lighter hook should mean that the bait will be sucked in more confidently. A longer hair can also work as once the hookbait has been sucked inside the mouth, even when the carp realises it’s mistake and tries to eject it, all it does is hook itself.