Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Short range feeder is a summer blast
Foul- hooking can cause headaches in summer but Steve Gregory has solved the problem by fishing fishing a cleverly- designed device close in
THE pole is widely seen as the only tool you need for short- range angling. Its precision is such a big selling point, enabling you to accurately place a bait over the top of loosefeed.
But the pole certainly has its flaws at this time of year. With every fish in your local venue feeding aggressively, a shoal can rock up in your swim and create chaos by brushing up against your mainline, making the float dip and encouraging a strike which has only one outcome – a foul- hooked fish.
It’s a scenario you could face time and time again and it won’t be long before you start pulling your hair out!
Alterations with rigs and feeding are often attempted to mitigate the problem, but more
often than not the fish fifish remain as excitable as ever and false bites continue.
So what is the solution?
Middy and Miracle Baits man Steve Gregory reckons the answer is much simpler than many people think.
“There is an obsession among most anglers with using only the pole when fishing fififishing up to 13m but there are plenty of occasions when I will fish the feeder really close in,” reveals Steve.
“You can feel ultra- confident that every fish is hooked in the mouth and you definitely can’t feel that way at this time of year when using the pole.”
Pinning it down
The main reason that the feeder works so well at short range is down to rig dynamics.
A pole rig leaves line trailing throughout the whole water column and it’s easy for fish to brush against it when trying to feed.
But presentation on the feeder is completely different, with line pinned to the deck at the business end of the set- up.
“The feeder ensures the hookbait is pinned down and the only line trailing through the water is the mainline. When a fish brushes against this it will show as a little pluck on the rod tip and these are easy to ignore because a proper bite is a unmissable and blindingly obvious when the tip wraps round!”
Steve enjoys targeting big carp on commercials during summer and that means tough tackle is essential. He uses 5.2lb mainline to a 0.18mm hooklength and a size 16 hook. But arguably the most important aspect of the tactic is the feeder itself.
Sawn off success
Feeder fishing has developed at a pace in recent years and there are plenty of different styles of hardware now available. But in Steve’s opinion there is only choice when it comes to bagging big fish in summer.
“The spring activated Middy Sawn- Off Shotgun Feeder is versatile and enables you to release the bait at the pace you choose.
“If you are expecting lots of bites then fill it with a fairly dry groundbait and it will be punched out the moment it hits the bottom, often resulting in an instant response.
“On days when you are waiting a little longer it is better to use a wetter mix that will release more slowly. You can do exactly the same with dampened micro pellets, packing them in with varying amounts of force.”
Rotating hookbaits is also wise, with dead maggots, hard pellets and dumbell boilies all worth consideration.
Line rotation
If you were fishing the pole at short range you would almost certainly have numerous lines on the go and it shouldn’t be any different when using a feeder.
Steve will start the day plopping in the feeder at around 13m and will top up the swim by catapulting 6mm pellets over the top.
“Regularly feeding with a catapult is a quick way of topping up the swim but if you did that when pole fishing you would risk getting plenty of line bites and foul- hooked fish.
“You will still get a few liners on the feeder but it’s very rare to foul- hook anything because you only pick up the rod when the tip really hammers round on a bite.”
The identical loosefeed is also trickled in at 6m with the intention of fishing closer in later during the session.
Steve is in charge at the beautiful Wold View Fisheries in Lincolnshire and it is exactly the sort of place where carp can cause all sorts of problems for pole anglers.
Big weights have been achieved by lots of visitors but they could have had even more fish if they had eradicated the dreaded foul- hookers.
The catapult was soon getting a thorough workout for the long line and as Steve waited for bites while he fed short by hand.
It didn’t take long for the tip to start trembling and when a carp properly took the bait the rod was almost ripped off the rest!
“If that had been on the pole those little taps would have shown as a positive dips on the float and I would have foul- hooked a fish or two. But with the feeder they’re all hooked in the mouth.”
Around 20 quality carp were banked in a few hours, every one nailed in the lips. When foulhooked fish threaten to ruin your day, ignore the pole and watch the feeder instantly boost your results.
“When a carp properly took the bait the rod was almost ripped off the rest!”