Catch Carp on the Slow-Sinking Feeder
One of my favourite venues, Watmore Farm Fishery in Surrey is full of carp, gin clear and responds all year round to the pellet waggler, however this venue is deep, over 20ft in places and searching out every inch of its depth is just impossible on the float. As the colder weather sets in the carp tend to drop lower in the water and it takes longer to tempt them up into waggler territory. Many start on the pole for the silver, constantly catapulting 8mm pellets on the waggler line whilst doing so, yet a few hours catching 10lb of silvers then carp later on in the match rarely will win a match here. Heading straight out on the bomb and fishing a slow sinking pellet on a long hook length is an option and once again does score but a tactic that I have had up my sleeve for a while now and one that has kept fellow anglers wondering how I seem to catch consistently throughout a match is the Slow Sinking Feeder.
A deadly method
I’ve come back to Watmore Farm to demonstrate this deadly method and have set up in Peg 7, not the deepest area but one that offers a good fifteen feet at 8mm pellet catapulting range, around twenty-five yards. There are a few carp anglers around and to my knowledge they haven’t had a great deal of luck throughout the night; however a few fish are showing so this is encouraging.
An absolute innovation
My set up consists of a Sphere Pellet Waggler rod teamed up with a Sphere MgTi 940 reel loaded with 0.22mm Cenex Low Stretch Mono. Placed onto the mainline first are a couple of Xitan Oval Super Stopper’s then a Quick Change Swivel which is trapped between yet another Oval Stopper. Onto the Quick Change Swivel is the feeder which is a Xenos J-25 with the Slow Sinking head screwed in. These feeders are brilliant as they allow different weighted heads to be quickly added or in this case the floating head device to be attached. This floating head can be used to target carp on the surface as it floats but it has a small opening and a plug which allows small shot to be added allowing the speed of decent to be adjusted from critically balanced and very slow sinking to a quicker speed of decent dependent of weight added. It’s an absolute innovation in commercial carp feeder fishing as it allows every inch of a swim to be explored. Last to be attached is a size 14 barbless 0.18mm Feeder Method hook-to-nylon which contains a pellet band into which an 8mm slow sinking carp pellet will be added.
My edge revealed, the Slow Sinking Feeder.
A few small split shot will sink the feeder slowly.
First cast and we are away.
"Often the carp will be in midwater at this time of the year."
Feather the line as the feeder hits the surface.
The carp at Watmore Farm Fishery respond well to this method.
Not the biggest, but off to a great start.
How and where they want it
Although the set up is very simple you will still need to play around with the length of the hook link as sometimes they will want the bait close to the descending feeder and at other times well away so it’s important to keep adjusting this to find what’s best. Something else that is paramount is finding at what depth they are intercepting the bait so as soon as the feeder hits the surface I start to count. The feeder today takes a good twenty seconds to hit bottom so there’s no point in leaving it there any longer if most of the bites are coming after say ten seconds. It’s just a case of working where and how they want it then casting accordingly. Effort equals reward and just like the pellet waggler the more you put into a session the more you will catch.
Waiting for the tip to be dragged round
Feeding on a little-and-often basis is paramount and again you will need to find out how many pellets to introduce and how often to do this. In the summer feeding ten pellets every twenty seconds maybe needed, yet in the depth of winter one or two every couple of minute might be best. Today I’m feeding six every thirty seconds and have been doing so since arriving and whilst setting up, some twenty minutes ago. Pinpoint accuracy isn’t needed, you just have to make sure that the catapulted pellets are entering the water in quite a tight area and that you cast the feeder to the same spot. I fill the feeder simply by adding around eight 8mm pellets then plugging, like you would with a spod, with some micro pellet or dampened down groundbait. Once the feeder lands it’s simply a case of placing the rod across my knee and onto the rest and waiting for the tip to be dragged round which has happened on my very first cast!
An hour in and nine carp averaging 6lb have graced my net so you can see how well over 100lb of carp can be caught in a very short space of time and just what an edge this little innovative device has given me.
Colin Sheppard
The Slow-sinking feeder (centre) has an adjustable float instead of a lead.
Locked in position by Oval Super Stoppers but easily adjusted.
Six to eight slow sinkers fired in every thirty seconds.
Colin’s Tackle
Sphere Pellet Waggler rod
Sphere MgTi 940 Reel
Xenos J-25 Slow Sinking Feeder
Feeder Method hook-to-nylon with pellet band – barbless size 14
Hook Length Cenex 0.20mm Hybrid Power Mono
Xitan Medium Super Stopper Oval
Quick Change Swivel
Colin’s Bait
8mm Low oil Carp Pellets
Micro Pellet
This is a brilliant tactic when the carp are sitting in mid-water.
Sphere Silverlite Whip System
First Published in English.
Quite a lot of the fishing that we do as Team Browning Hotrods is for silverfish on the rivers and drains of East Anglia. This was, in part, the inspiration behind the Sphere Silverlite System Whip, but through the testing and development of this brilliant pole, it has become so much more.
The aim was to produce a pole that could handle a wide range of different tasks, without compromising on any of them. Rather than limit it to traditional whip fishing, there is so much more to modern silverfish fishing that it needed to be more versatile than this to deserve the title ‘best in class’. Available in 8m and 10m systems, the Silverlite is a super-slim pole, without compromising on strength or stiffness. Compared to a normal short pole it is a joy to fish with, being so slim just so much more responsive it’s easy to throw around and cuts through the air cleanly, especially when you are faced with a strong cross-wind.
The top-three kits are telescopic, as you would expect, but the rest of the sections are take-apart, allowing you to fish either to hand, or with a shorter line, depending upon the conditions. The ten metre section is also parallel, allowing more sections to be added if required.
The pole is fitted with a flick-tip as standard, which is designed to be used at its full length -ideal for smaller fish or it can be cut back to stiffen it up for bigger fish. Cut it back by about 10cm and this kit is the same length as the hollow kits.
The 8m and 10m packages also come supplied with hollow top-three’s which can be used with a short length of fine elastic, the number 1 section can be bushed as it is for elastics up to a 5 – for this we elasticity the top two sections. Remove the no.1 section and they can also be fitted with a large bush and solid elastic for ‘crunching’ bigger silvers – just elasticating the number 2 section is ideal for that but reducing the length of elastic to about 14” provides a great cushion for crunching fish to hand without having to net everything.
Big weights are possible fishing short on the right peg, often with good-stamp roach, so this pole is not your average delicate whip. The ends of the sections have a reinforcement wrap to add strength and to help avoid chipping. In addition, a further area of woven carbon reinforcement has been added about 45cm above the end of the sections 4 and upwards as this is an area that receives a lot of pressure when swinging fish.
The 8m system comes supplied with a short reversible dolly butt Pole Protector that fits the number 7 and 8m sections and make it more comfortable when fishing to hand, whilst the 10m system also benefits from a Pole Protector that fits the 9m and 10m sections ideal for shipping up banks and through hedges when used as a short pole. These Pole Protectors also have integral EVA bungs to help prevent damage when shipping back,
Supplied in a dedicated smart hard case, the Sphere Silverlite Whip System really does cover so many bases when fishing for silvers that I think it is a must-have for anyone that spends any amount of time fishing like this. They have been selling like hotcakes, so grab one while you can!
Kye Jerrom
Being take-apart this whip is ideal for both long and short line tactics.
Dolly Butts come as part of the package.
The sections are reinforced in key areas to avoid damage.
"The Silverlite Whip is incredibly slim even at 10m."
Both hollow and solid tips are supplied in the kits.
The 10m Silverlite System Whip comes supplied in this dedicated protective carryall.
Black Magic S-Line 8 Kit Roost
Originally Published in English.
Keeping your spare rods and top kits safe on the bank is especially important if you fish canals and other venues that see a lot of ‘traffic’, whether that be walkers, cyclists or boaters. Throw in windy weather and this can be a recipe for disaster if you are not organised.
The Black Magic S-Line 8 Kit Roost is perfect for storing all of the set-ups that I need on the canal, without being so wide that it interferes with passers by on narrow towpaths. In fact, the 70cm width is ideal for all but the narrowest canal banks.
The four adjustable legs also mean that it can cope with steeply sloping banks, with the pointed ends enabling me to anchor the roost securely. I can also hang my net bag from the central hook to really hold it down should the wind be a problem.
Rather than round cut-aways in the foam, the L-shaped design of the kit holders is a lot more secure, just try and face them away from the wind and there is very little chance of even a light top kit from being blow around.
I like these roots so much that I often use two of them to hold my spare kits and rods. The design is excellent, they fold up quite small and weigh very little, making them ideal for all anglers, but especially on canals and river banks.
Tight lines!
Dave Ward
I use this roost to hold both top kits and rods securely.
Position the roost to the side so that everything is to hand.
The extending legs are great for uneven banks.
"The shaped foam holds kits really securely."
Mini Pole Cups
Originally Published in English.
These Mini Cups suit my winter canal fishing perfectly as they are light weight, easy to use and are brilliant when I only want to feed a few chopped worm and casters, maggots or a small ball of liquidised bread. Each cup has wide rear slots allowing them to be effortlessly slipped onto large diameter tip sections. They also come with removable caps which eliminates any spillage when shipping out to maximum distance. Every second counts in a match and these cups are so light and small they can be left on whilst fishing allowing the swim fed on a little and often basis without having to reach for a cupping kit.
Available in three sizes, small and medium (sold as a pair) and large (sold singly).
Jamie Burt
The precision slots won’t damage top kits.
Fit the cap to eliminate spills.
Cap removed for feeding down the edge.
"The small size means these cups can be left in place."
Different sizes for different applications.
The caps can be removed to adjust the amount and speed that feed is released.
Catch Roach on Pinkies
First Published in English.
If there’s two baits that I wouldn’t leave home without when targeting roach in the colder months on a venue that’s crystal clear then it has to be bread punch and pinkies. Today both are with me as I’m heading to a beautiful venue called Waggoners Wells, controlled by Grayshott Angling Club situated on the Surrey/Hampshire border. The Middle Lake here is deep, gin clear and contains loads of quality roach, great for punch which will be my first line of attack and if things don’t go to plan, then good old pinkies over a dark groundbait will come into play.
Back-up plan
I’m fishing off the dam where the water quickly shelves away to around nine feet at 10m and to say things aren’t going to plan after a couple of hours is an understatement as the roach are just not responding to the bread punch, a rarity here. It’s time to introduce a couple of balls of Champion’s Method Black Roach, a dark mix which is ideal for clear water, and within are a few pinkies, fed on a new line slightly to my right. This is left for around thirty-minutes whilst I persist on the punch line but although I do believe the roach will feed eventually on this line, I don’t have the luxury of staying all day and need to make it happen sooner rather than later.
Staggered shirt button
The rig I’ve made up for the pinkie line is created using Cenex 0.08mm and 0.14mm Classic Mono, a great all round line and hook length for pole rigs. A hook that I have recently started to use for most of my roach/skimmer fishing is the Sphere Ultra lite. It’s an extremely light and sharp hook with a fine gauge but still very strong and in this situation have opted for a size 18 onto which two pinkies will be impaled. I’ve decided to cock the 1g pole float using a staggered shirt button, starting at half depth with the first of twelve no9 soft shot which are spaced out so they get slightly further apart as they near the hook. This gives the hookbait a much more natural descend through the lower levels and have decided to fish at dead depth to start off with. Two important components when float fishing are a large plummet to initially find the depth of the swim and the other the use of soft split shot, as if the fish come up in the water and I need to adjust my shotting pattern I can easily move the shot on the line without causing any damage. The pole I’m using is a Xitan Z16 pole and as I’m not using this fully extended have pushed over the butt end one of the new Xitan EVA Pole Caps, the reason being, as although I’m using a roller, at the rear of me are some bushes and this cap simply protects the section and stops any annoying dirt or grit getting into the end section. I’ve also opted for the thinnest Microbore Poe Elastic available, the lime green 1.3mm and with a Pole Elastic Alignment Bush inside the topkit creates the smoothest elastic you could ever ask for, something very important when fishing for hard mouthed roach.
Fluoro pinkies, a must-have bait in the winter.
Black Roach, great in crystal clear water.
Start off with a small amount of groundbait and pinkies.
Switching the roach on
The roach are just not responding to the punch so it’s time to test the pinkie line and although bites aren’t instant finally one comes, yet it’s not my intended quarry but a small perch but at least it’s a bite. Fortunately this line just gets better and better as the session continues and by feeding a small ball of groundbait every twenty minutes plus a few pinkies fed through a pole cup every put in, keeps the bites coming and eventually the roach switch on. I have to admit that if the roach were in an obliging mood and responded to the punch straight away then I would have easily put together 25lb plus of sizable roach which usually average 10oz and do go to well over a pound but for some reason it just hasn’t happen today, however with 15lb of roach and perch taken in the last three hours, how can I be disappointed!
Stereotyped approach
Fishing in winter can be very unpredictable and this session just goes to show that if I had been stereotyped in my approach and come with just one bait, bread punch that nine times out of ten produces, would have on this occasion headed home with just a handful of fish, as I did from time to time try the punch line and although bites did finally come they were few and far between. Always have a back-up plan as one day you will need it!
Ken Russell
Light and sharp, just what’s needed when targeting shy biting roach.
Classic Mono, great for pole rigs.
Microbore elastic offers major advantages over conventional elastics.
"Pinkies are such an effective winter bait"
Ken’s Tackle
Xitan Z16 L Advance Pole
Cenex 0.08m and 0.14 Classic Mono
Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite size 18 hook
Xitan Microbore 1.30mm Elastic
1g float
No 9 Soft Shot
Ken’s Bait
Champion’s Feeder Black Roach
Fluoro Pinkies
A brilliant result on a winters day.
CK Competition Nets
First Published in English.
Landing nets have a tough life, and finding one that does everything that you ask of it can be tricky. For my river fishing I use the medium CK Competition Net from Browning, as it is pretty close to perfection for my style of fishing.
The Metal frame is really strong and the mesh is double thickness around it, making it really long lasting and not easily damaged. The frame is fixed really securely into the nylon spreader block, ensuring that there are no weak points that will let you down.
The mesh itself is a nice, soft 8mm design that is ideal for use in rivers. It seems to catch the flow less than many other nets and is very easy to push through the water, especially useful when netting chub, which have a habit of avoiding the net.
The net is just the right depth to handle a decent fish, whilst being just right so that I can hold it between my knees when unhooking a fish. There are three styles available. The smaller version is ideal for silverfish venues, the larger one for bigger chub and bream, whilst the hair rigger stops those annoying hair breakages that you can often get when using a wider mesh.
A great range of nets, at a great price.
The CK Competition Net is available in three styles:
Small – 45cm wide with 8mm mesh
Medium – 50cm wide with 8mm mesh
Hair Rigger – 50cm wide with 2mm mesh
Tom Noton
The size of these nets is just right.
I really like the combination of mesh sizes.
These nets are ideal for silverfish, but are strong enough to handle carp and barbel too.
"The depth of these nets is just right"
Sphere MgTi Reel
Originally published in English.
Having heard numerous glowing reviews on the Sphere MgTi reels I just had to see what I was missing out on and from the very first time I picked the reel up I just knew it would suit all my angling requirements. The first thing I noticed was it really did look the business and the attention to detail is amazing from the carbon weave cosmetics on the body to the blue highlights.
Looks are one thing but construction and performance is another as rarely will you find all three in a reel but this reel looks like it has tem all, as it’s constructed from some of the finest materials available, ones that will last the test of time.
Without getting too technical it has a ultra-light magnesium housing, carbon rota and drag discs, titanium-nitride-coated line roller with an anti-twist system, stainless steel main shaft, duraluminium spool to name just a few materials used in its construction so whoever created this reel certainly looked at a reels weak points and made sure that this one wouldn’t disappoint.
We all have features we like and one of mine is that the reels stem isn’t too long, allowing trapping of the line on the spool with your finger when casting, or just as importantly, letting line out gradually when trotting a river. A reliable and mono friendly line clip is also very important to me and I’ve tested this one repeatedly and it’s outstanding as is the switch to adjust the silky smooth drag which is easy to find and adjust at the front.
Another area I noticed straight away was the rapid line retrieve and the superb line lay on the spool which takes 110m of 0.20mm line. Although constructed to the highest quality this reel is ultra light weighing just 338g and the slimline handle and thin bail arm creates one of the most balanced reels I’ve ever used.
Boosting numerous other top notch features such as 9 ball bearings, a gear ratio of 4.6:1, two-speed oscillation system, indestructible titanium axle, titanium coated line guard for optimal line protection and durability plus a spare spool with a special anti-slip-core for braids, the list simply goes on!
This is a fantastic float and feeder reel which I know I’m going to get years of satisfaction from.
Available in four sizes to cover every application in modern coarse fishing.
Paul Hyde
Optimal balance makes casting a dream.
Outstanding line protection line clip.
Easy to adjust front drag.
"The line lay is superb."
Easy to reach spool, great for those with short fingers.
Made from the finest materials.
Simply, ‘Out of this World’!
Sphere Feeder Ultra lite Hooks
First Published in English.
One thing that I always try to achieve is to get my hookbait acting in the same way as the loose feed I’m feeding. This is especially important when fishing canals in the depth of winter, when the water is gin clear for roach, a situation where just a couple of extra fish can make all the difference in where you come in a match. Trying however to find the perfect hook that’s not only razor sharp and light but at the same time strong enough, just in case a powerful bonus fish such as a big perch is hooked, has proved difficult but at long last I can confidently say that I have found such a pattern!
The Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite isn’t just for feeder fishing; it’s a brilliant hook to use when pole, stick or waggler fishing, especially with small delicate baits such as bloodworm, pinkies, squats and one of my favourites, bread punch. An added bonus I have found is that very few fish are lost on this pattern making them my go to hook for almost all my match fishing. And unlike most other brands you get fifteen spade end, barbed hooks in every packet from size 8 right through to an 18!
Jamie Burt
Available in sizes between 8 and 18 for all your feeder fishing.
The small barb and in-turned point see very few fish come adrift.
"This is a brilliant all round hook."
Catch Dace on the Feeder
Use the right gear – a Sphere MH Feeder rod is combined with a Black Viper Compact reel.
Wrap the cage feeder is tape to ensure the bait gets to the bottom.
Use a hooklength of around one metre long.
"Catching big weights is all about getting into a rhythm."
The feeder is loaded with a small amount of chopped worm and caster.
Use a feeder that is heavy enough to just hold bottom.
The dace here are of a great average size.
There is some brilliant sport to be had on the feeder.
Cenex Low Stretch Mono Line
First Published in English.
When I’m feeder fishing at distance on very big venues for skimmers and bream I require not only an abrasion resistant, hard working line but one that will boost bite detection as this allow me to adjust my rigs quickly to how the fish are feeding and simply catch more than those around.
My first choice line for this style of fishing has to be Cenex Low Stretch Mono as this dark specialist pre-stretch line, specifically designed for distance feeder fishing has an amazing low diameter to its breaking strain, making casting effortless and keeps me in touch with the fish at all time along with being easily capable of landing a bonus 20lb plus carp if I’m fortunate to hook one.
Many of the venues I fish ban the use of braided main lines so this is an easier-to-use alternative and eliminates any chance of wind knots.
If you’re looking for the perfect feeder mainline then look no further.
Available on 150m spools in the following diameter/strength
0.14mm 2.10kg/4.60lb
0.16mm 2.65kg/5.80lb
0.18mm 3.15kg/6.90lb
0.20mm 3.85kg/8.50lb
0.22mm 4.85kg/10.70lb
0.24mm 6.10kg/13.40lb
0.26mm 7.15kg/15.70lb
John Pantrey
For that extra distance, it has to be Cenex Low Diameter Mono.
Ultra-low stretch formulation boosts bite detection.
Heavy feeders to the horizon, no problem.