Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Three feeders to bank on – Sean Cameron
Sean Cameron’s trio guarantees big nets of silvers if you use them in the right way
There is a fine art to selecting the perfect pole rig. Bristle thickness, body shape and stem material are all taken into account when deciding which pattern of float is best for the job in hand. Several different types of rig are often created the night before a session, giving plenty of options to switch to should Plan A fail. Such detailed preparation is bound to give you an advantage on the bank, so why don’t rod-and-line anglers sort their kit in a similarly meticulous manner? There is a belief among many that feeder fishing merely involves flinging it out, sticking the rod on the rests and hoping for the best. This lazy approach can be a recipe for disaster, though, warns Sean Cameron. “It is imperative that you put some thought into the tackle you use when feeder fishing or there is no doubt your results will suffer,” explains the Dynamite Baits-backed star. “Although rod, reel, line and hook choice all influence how many fish you catch, the one item that plays the biggest part in your success rate is the feeder itself. “There are so many different models on the market these days but when it comes to catching roach, perch and bream from natural waters, I have narrowed it down to three that work a treat.”
Winning trio
A lot of feeders are similar in appearance but they are very different in the job that they are designed to do. The biggest variation lies in how they release the bait. “There is a huge misconception that this style of fishing is solely about getting the bait down to the deck quickly because that is where your feeder always ends up,” explains Sean. “On many occasions, however, there will be fish off the bottom and by using the right feeder you can get these fish to take the hookbait as well. “On most days it is a matter of rotating between my feeders according to the number of bites and indications I am getting at that stage of the session.” Sean uses three easily-sourced feeders and believes they each perform best under specific conditions.
Air pressure analysis
Checking a weather app the night before a session is part of every angler’s ritual. Temperature, wind speed and how much rain to expect are always analysed but there is another bit of data that Sean always pays close attention to. “Air pressure plays a massive part in how the fish feed. If it is above 1000mb then a lot of fish will be sat off the bottom. This is because the deeper they sit, the more water they have above them and therefore the more pressure that will be physically pushing down on them.” On days when pressure is high you may struggle in the opening stages to get indications and think the fish are nowhere near your peg. But there is every chance there are lots of silvers sat above your rig, and regularly casting a cage feeder will create a cloud of bait up in the water that eventually tempts them to drop down and feed on the deck. On the flip side, when air pressure is low the fish may be sat on the bottom from the off, and a plastic cage or window feeder could produce instant results.
Bait choices
It’s all well and good mastering how to deliver the bait properly, but pack the wrong stuff inside the feeder and you’re still going to struggle. When a mixture of silver fish are on the cards
Sean likes to cover all his bases to give him a chance of attracting a range of species. “I use three groundbaits combined in equal quantities. Dynamite Baits Silver X Bream has a sweet smell and is packed with attractants, Frenzied Hemp Match Black has many particles and darkens off the blend, while brown crumb bulks it out and adds a fluffy texture,” he says. It’s all about trial and error when it comes to hookbaits but small sections of worm, maggots and pinkies are all worth taking to the bank. Think carefully about how the fish are behaving and by making the right choices you can take your feeder fishing to the next level.