Q & A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPEERTS…

Q What’s the best way to catch F1s when they are sat at various depths beyond pole range?

ARATHER than stay at one depth for the entirety of a session, F1s tend to go up and down in the water column to occupy areas that best suit them. The reason for this is normally angler pressure. One minute they can be 6ins deep, the next, close to the bottom!

This means that the feeder is out of the equation, and a waggler is the best tool for the job. A more traditional approach, as opposed to a modern pellet waggler attack, is likely to work best, with a shotting pattern designed to help you get bites anywhere from just under the surface right down to the deck.

Q The Method feeder seems to be losing its effectiveness on my favourite water. How can I make it work well again?

A FISH can get used to seeing small piles of micro pellets with a bright hookbait on top, and become wary.

To get around this problem, some anglers have started using dampened 4mm pellets around a Method, with an identical hookbait in the bait band. This creates a different appearance to what the carp are used to seeing, giving them more confidence to feed.

HOW TO prepare 4mm pellets for the Method feeder

Q My rig is often left in place for long periods when fishing for barbel on a river, but how can I maintain attraction around my hookbait during that time?

A BAIT glugs and additives are great for drawing fish in, but their pulling power will soon wane.

A gripper lead that is loaded with stodgy pellets in the cavity is a good way to maintain attraction around your hookbait.

Use high-oil pellets that release their scent slowly, packing them in tightly so that they take on a paste-like consistency.

This way, when a fish turns up in the swim there is an element of free food to keep them interested and grubbing around, greatly increasing the chances of them then stumbling across your hookbait.

Q Last winter I targeted big perch on the pole and, although I landed a couple, I lost an awful lot more. How can I improve my conversation rate?

A PERCH have extremely bony mouths and that can cause problems when trying to set the hook.

Use a reasonably thick-wired pattern in size 12 or 14 (depending on the hookbait), as this will allow you to strike firmly, driving the hook home without fear of it bending.

Elastics with a bit of grunt are also important. Although perch don’t fight particularly hard, you need the additional strength to set the hook and a grade 13 Preston Innovat