Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Feeder on the pole
Yes, you read that right! Middy’s Russell Shipton explains why this unusual tactic is so effective
NO MATTER how new you are to fishing you probably know that a feeder is used with a rod and reel and that a pole rig incorporates a float. You’d have every right to think that this is one rule that never gets tampered with but Russell Shipton has done what many see as the unthinkable. He has combined the two tactics. The Marukyu and Middy-backed angler was becoming increasingly frustrated with foulhooking fish down the margins and sought a solution. He has now solved this irritating problem by taking the seemingly bizarre step of using a pellet feeder on the pole. You may wonder how on earth this would iron out the problem but when you listen to Russell’s theory it makes an awful lot of sense. “I was foul-hooking so many fish and I was determined to find a way to stop the problem,” explained Russell. “The main problem is that fish brush up against the line and drag the float under and when you strike you hook them in the body. The fish then charge away and invaribly come off seconds later. “Loosefeed going through the water column was also bringing fish off the deck so I wanted a way of getting it all the bait to the bottom in an instant to keep the fish there. “I experimented with a few things but when I tried a pellet feeder on the pole it worked an absolute treat. I haven’t looked back since.”
Unmissable bites
The rig that Russell uses for the approach is extremely simple and doesn’t involve a float. A new Middy ‘The Wedge’ feeder is slid on to the line with a small bead – which the hooklength is attached to – sitting below. “It a case of lowering the feeder and waiting for it to hit the deck. Once it does it is important to maintain tension in order to help you spot the bites.” Each time Russell feels a little tap he will gently lift the pole. The indication could be the fish attacking the loosefeed but if it has taken the hookbait, this subtle movement will set the hook and the elastic will come streaming out. At times, the bites are completely unmissable and the elastic will be on show before you’ve even had time to respond! This is because the fish feel the weight of the feeder and instantly try to bolt away, setting the hook in the process. Having your elastic under-tensioned enables you to have around 6in hanging out of the pole tip. This gives you a cushion whenever you get savage bites and prevents the hook from being ripped out of the mouth due to excessive pressure. A soft elastic that powers up once the battle is in full flow is favoured by Russell who opts for a Middy 8-12 Nanocarbon.
Work the feeder
If you lower in the feeder and leave it in one place you will catch a few fish but you won’t maximise the potential of your peg. There are several variables so it is important to adopt a trial and error mentality. “On some days the fish like the pellets to come out of the feeder in one big clump. You can do this by making sure they are only lightly pressed in and allowing it to hit the bottom at pace. “On other days lifting the feeder 6in every 30 seconds will release a few pellets at a time and that trickle can get the fish going. When this style is best, firmly pack in the pellets so only a few are released each time it is moved. Dampened micro pellets are the best loosefeed and Russell uses two different shades for variety. Maggots and corn work as hookbait, as do banded or simply hooked Marukyu JPZ Pellets. If you are fishing a conventional pole rig then it will only touch the deck in the exact spot you plumbed up with unless you adjust the depth. Move it a metre or so either way and you could be off the bottom, or be overdepth, and that’s likely to hamper your chances. But when using a feeder on the pole the rules are different. “You will be on the bottom no matter where you lower the feeder as long as the length of line from pole tip to hooklength is long enough to cover the depth. Often I fish tight in the margins and every now and then try down the slope where it is maybe 18in deeper and doing that can help find bigger fish that have backed away.” Using a feeder on the pole may sound like a gimmick but Russell has proven it is actually a very valid tactic that will often outscore a standard margin rig.
“You will be on the bottom as long as the line from pole tip to hooklength is long enough to cover the depth”