Swim Feeders

[Doc Quince]

I've actually used feeders with a float on occasion. Sometimes without a fixed float. Put the tip of your rod under the water and tighten down the line until the float stands up. Very delicate bite indication.

[Stathamender]

I've actually used feeders with a float on occasion. Sometimes without a fixed float. Put the tip of your rod under the water and tighten down the line until the float stands up. Very delicate bite indication.

I occasionally use a Polaris float with mine when I fish a local commercial that doesn't allow ground baiting or loose feeding, only feeders.

[Doc Quince]

I've actually used feeders with a float on occasion. Sometimes without a fixed float. Put the tip of your rod under the water and tighten down the line until the float stands up. Very delicate bite indication.

I occasionally use a Polaris float with mine when I fish a local commercial that doesn't allow ground baiting or loose feeding, only feeders.

I have one of them also i only really use it if i come up against a very deep water.

[Stuart Whiting]

feeder fishing looking up at a rod tip is not for me, boring, trotting a float is more fun and i think a lot of bites go undetected ,touch ledgering is more effective and makes a true traditional angler, bernard venables im sure would not approve of it

Use a swing tip instead of a quiver tip, at least as sensitive as touch legering. The phrase 'le(d)ger line' used in a fishing context has been around in print since the late 17C at least (I think the angling use predates the musical one), so the practice must have been around even longer. Sounds pretty traditional to me.

Stuart

[Stuart Whiting]

It's not a myth mate, a blocked feeder does empty if using maggot in a river even with little flow , seems to work ok for me, admittedly it may take 10 minutes or so to empty but it does normally empty, that's why a lot of known very good anglers use this tactic for Stillwater roach and tench with good affect,

I use to think this, that in a Stillwater they don't come but they do and it obviously works otherwise no one would employ the tactic

The only time maggot does not come out of a feeder so easily is if the water is cold but however if there's enough flow in a river it'll still push it out, very good tactic for clear water winter chub

Stuart

All I can say is drop your feeder in the water's edge and see how long they take to emerge. In warm weather maggots might wriggle enough, though a douche of cold water tempers their wriggling - and there is little flow on the bed of a river. But others mentioned hemp & casters; they won't budge - except when you're reeling in of course, and when the feeder is sinking. So most of the feeder's contents will end up somewhere between you and your swim - unless you leave it there a long time with maggots. Even then I have my doubts. From my own experience I abandoned blockfeeders long ago; found I was baiting the swim below mostly.

Fair point fella,

In truth I would use the cage or open ended feeder with some Liccy or 50/50 mixed with some crumb and perhaps a bit of brasem etc, however I do use and feel confident with a blocked but more so only in rivers as its 9 out of 10 that I only really fish rivers, I'll use these only if I know the water is warm then I know that the maggots will release a bit quicker, if I anytime feel a little jubious about this I'll always deliberately pick any swims where there is any reasonable bit of flow so it helps push the bait out of the feeder a little easier, it'll probably realistically push the bait in a line so to speak for a few yards below the feeder and would normally draw a few fish upstream and into your swim, in a situation like this I'd also be happy in using hemp n caster aswell but again only where there's reasonable flow to push it out

Stuart

[Olly]

Someone mentioned a "swing tip" which would not work at all on most of the rivers I fish due to the flow! It would be straight all the time on the Hants Avon or the Kennet where I fish where large leads (2oz+) are needed in times of flood and heavy flow. Not for cane rods I think.

Re swing tips - However I still have 2 dedicated 11ft glass (long I know) for stillwater long range 50-60m (+) swing tipping for bream. I opted for the longer length in order to pick up line at distance. They are ultra soft and quite frightening with a tench on the end - but lovely with a bream!

[Stuart Whiting]

Someone mentioned a "swing tip" which would not work at all on most of the rivers I fish due to the flow! It would be straight all the time on the Hants Avon or the Kennet where I fish where large leads (2oz+) are needed in times of flood and heavy flow. Not for cane rods I think.

Re swing tips - However I still have 2 dedicated 11ft glass (long I know) for stillwater long range 50-60m (+) swing tipping for bream. I opted for the longer length in order to pick up line at distance. They are ultra soft and quite frightening with a tench on the end - but lovely with a bream!

Stuart