YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS...

Recently I saw an angler catch several carp with PVA bags of loosefeed but when I tried to tie some, I struggled to get them all the same size. Is there a technique to make every bag identical? ROB JOYCE, EMAIL

AThe size of your PVA bag will affect how much force you need to put into the cast, so it is important they are all tied to an identical size so that you soon get used to how much ‘punch’ is required when you launch the rig. The best way to do this is to lean on a tool that is widely used by pole anglers to help you measure the same amount of pellets each time – a pole pot (see right). Q I often catch bream well at the start of the session but they vanish quickly. I search around where I have fed but the fish have gone. What am I doing wrong? CRAIG GARTSIDE, EMAIL

ABream are a very cagey species and once a few have been caught directly over the feed the shoal will spook. It is highly unlikely they will completely leave the peg but there is every chance they will move to a distance that enables them to pick off scraps from the bed of bait while staying clear of danger. Sometimes it is necessary to fish as far as 6ft away from where you introduced the loosefeed in order to get more bites. On waters that are heavily affected by tow the fish could be sat even further away than this as the underwater current will be sending food their way off the bed you have created.

Take a small pole pot and fill it with pellets Use the plunger to pack the pellets into the bottom of the mesh Twizzle the PVA to pack the pellets tightly Tie a knot and make sure the bag is tight with no room for the bait to move around Tie another knot just above to form the bottom of the next bag and then cut in between both knots