Buyers’ guide...

Pellet waggler rods

HEN carp are feeding high up in the water the pellet waggler really does take some beating because it presents a slow- falling bait right among the fish. With no weight down the line, the hookbait naturally sinks very slowly, maximising the time it spends in the surface layers.

A good pellet waggler rod needs to have have plenty of whip at the tip for casting lighter floats. The mid- section of the rod should have enough cushioning to take the lunges of a big fish at the net without pulling the hook out, while the bottom end of the butt section should be stiff enough to handle powerful casts and big fish. Ideally, the handle on a pellet waggler rod should be short enough to allow for manoeuvrability around the body. Also, if you can develop the skill to feed with a catapult while holding the rod, the handle needs only to be long enough from the hand to just past the elbow. As reel lines tend to be lightweight from 4lb to 8lb when using pellet waggler tactics the guides should be far enough away from the blank to prevent the line from sticking to the rod and slowing down the cast. You should notice the correct guides on float rods stand away from the blank more than they do on feeder rods.