Pemb Wrighting –

32-37 Pellet feeders

IMAGINE how deadly a rig it would be if you could combine the ease of use of a cage feeder with the hooking properties of a Method feeder. Enter the pellet feeder...

Pellet feeder pluses

The unique scoop shape of a pellet feeder makes them extremely user-friendly because your bait preparation doesn’t need to be as precise as with a Method feeder. “Because the pellet feeder has a hood, it means that you don’t need to push in the loosefeed as hard,” said Pemb. “This has two distinct advantages. Firstly, in deep water or for long casts, the hood protects the bait.

“Secondly, because you don’t have to push in the loosefeed so firmly, you can fish with soft hookbaits such as expander pellets or corn without worrying that you’ve squashed it.” A further advantage over Method feeders is that the fish can only approach the feed from one direction and have to encounter the hookbait first. A final benefit is that, although designed to be fished with micro or 4mm pellets as loosefeed, a whole host of other baits can be used too. “I quite often chop and change the baits throughout a session,” assured Pemb. “Corn, maggots, hard pellets, a mixture of soft and hard pellets, liquidised bread or even chopped worms can all be used. All you have to do is cap it off with a little groundbait to hold the loosefeed in place.”

Pellet feeder tackle

Pemb uses an 11ft feeder rod and 6lb mainline. His hooklink

is 4in of Guru N-Gauge 0.11mm (3lb), attached to a small but very strong Super MWG hook. The payload is a mix of 2mm and 4mm hard pellets in 90:10 ratio, soaked to soften them.

How to fish it

“Pellet feeder fishing is similar to fishing the pole at distance. The feeder is like a pole pot, because you are only dripfeeding a little bit of bait at a time, looking for a fish on every cast,” he said. If he gets regular bites, Pemb will cast more often and put out more bait. If bites are slow he will cast every 10 minutes, to try to make things happen or, if he feels the fish want more, he will increase feeder size.