The Method Feeder has come a long way over the years, from the ‘hair-curler’ style feeders that started the whole thing off, to modern open cage feeders that provide the perfect ‘dinner-plate’ of bait for a hungry carp. Todays anglers have never had it so good. The range of feeders and baits to use with them has grown massively, but it is probably more important than ever to ensure that every part of your tackle and bait is right, especially in high pressure match fishing.
I like to use a more open-style of feeder, such as the Browning Hydrus, which has raised ‘fins’ on either side that help hold the feed in place without giving the hook something to catch on. The base of the feeder also features dozens of raised dimples that give the pellets something to stick to. This is important, because the smooth surface of most feeders means that the pellets can easily be dislodged when the feeder hits the water, leaving you fishing with little or no bait around the feeder.
Small 2mm pellets compact together better than larger pellets, staying on the feeder until it comes to rest on the lake bed. Choose a pellet that is a little sticky when using them with an open or flat feeder. I lightly dampen the pellets with water and after about twenty minutes they will have softened through and be ready to use.
A little trick that I like to use is to ping a few 8mm pellets over the top of the feeder. About half a dozen pellets every couple of minutes is about right. The sound of the pellets will attract the carp and F1’s and the fast-sinking pellets will help to draw the fish down to the waiting feeder.
The open design of the Hydrus feeder enables me to bait up quickly without using a mould and has nothing to get in the way when a fish tries to pick up the bait.
It pays to fish a little way off the far bank here, because the steeply sloping margin will mean the bait rolls down to the bottom of the slope.
"I like to use an open Method Feeder, like the Hydrus design."
The Sphere Bomb +10% rod and Sphere MgTi reel are a formidable Method fishing combination for commercial fisheries.
The Hydrus feeder has a cage-less design, yet the raised fins hold the bait well.
I am fishing the Beastie Pool here at Decoy Lakes near Peterborough today and, as the name suggests, the fish run big. There is no point using gear that is not up to the job, so I set my stall out to land everything I hook. A size 14 Sphere Beast hook to a 0.20mm Cenex Hybrid Power hooklength is more than up to the job.
Rather than fish tight to the reed-fringed island in front of me, I am going to start at a little over three-quarters distance. Drawing the fish away from the cover will once again ensure that I land them, rather than watch as they bolt into the cover. It also allows me to follow the fish across if they back off the feed later in the day. The Sphere Bomb +10% rod is perfect for this style of fishing, especially when carp well into double-figures may be encountered. The extra backbone in the mid-section of this rod enables me to dictate the fight without being too heavy-handed.
It has taken a while to get the first bite today. To be honest, the weather has been all over the shop and the fish don’t know whether to be cruising near the surface, or sitting deeper. Patience can be a virtue though and once I had caught one fish it was as if the door had been opened and more followed at regular intervals, including some nice mirrors and big F1’s.
Whilst it can seem like a dead-easy tactic, there are still lots of little edges that can make a real difference to your catches.
Jon Whincup
Hookbait is a bright wafter. Today orange seems to be the winning colour.
It is not just carp that fall for the Method. Expect some big skimmers, F1’s and other fish to also put in an appearance.
Jon’s Tackle
Sphere 10’ Bomb +10% Rod
Sphere MgTi30 Reel
Hydrus Method Feeder
0.26mm Cenex Method Mono
0.20mm Cenex Hybrid Power Mono
Size 14 Sphere Beast Eyed Barbless Hook
Jon’s Bait
2mm dampened feeder pellets
8mm Fishery Pellets
8mm Dumbell boilies