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STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FEEDER FISHING
STEVE RINGER’S
ULTIMATE
GUIDE TO
FEEDER
BIG
VALUE!
ONLY £6.99
RIGS - BAITS - TACKLE - TACTICS - ADVICE - TIPS LIMITED EDITION
FISHING
EVERY FEEDER & BOMB TACTIC
EXPLAINED IN THIS
132-PAGE BUMPER GUIDE!
L IMI T ED
EDITION
HOW TO TIE STEVE’S
GREATEST FEEDER RIGS
COMPLETE GUIDE TO
THE TACKLE YOU NEED
STEP-BY-STEP ADVICE ON
PREPARING YOUR BAIT
BANKSIDE ADVICE TO HELP
YOU CATCH MORE FISH

WELCOME
WELCOME
Steve Ringer’s Ultimate guide to
Feeder Fishing is produced by Angling Times.
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Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Call
01733 468000
EDITORIAL
Written by Steve Ringer
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W E L C O M E T O M Y
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
FEEDER FISHING
IT WASN’T that long ago that fishing the
feeder was viewed as an inferior way
of catching, almost a last resort that
required less skill and more luck than
fishing the pole or waggler. Times have
changed a bit since then!
In fact, fishing the feeder has become a bit of
an ‘in vogue’ thing in the UK and indeed across
the continent with new feeder-0nly match
competitions springing up every few months
and more and more tackle companies producing
feeder kit to keep pace with the demand.
And I suppose I’ve been at the vanguard of
this trend, having been lucky enough to be
selected for the England Feeder Team in 2011
and then be crowned World Champion in 2014.
The feeder is a method I love, whether that’s
casting a long way for bream at Ferry Meadows
or plopping a tiny Method to the far side of a
snake lake. What I love the most is that, like any
way of fishing, there are lots of little things that
you can do to get a bite.
I’ve pooled my knowledge about the many
aspects of feeder fishing alongside the best of
my features from my Angling Times columns
into this exhuastive bookazine and the finished
product offers all you’ll ever need to know
about using the feeder from catching carp on
commercials to winkling
out a few bream when the
odds are against you.
I hope you enjoy it!
3

WHAT’S IN STORE INSIDE
C O N T E N T S
66-85
TACKLE
HYBRID FEEDER
6-9 F EEDERS EXPLAINED
Know your Methods from
your Hybrids with Steve’s
at-a-glance guide
10-11 S ET UP CORRECTLY
Organise your peg to fish the
feeder efficiently
12-13 T HE RIGHT RODS
When to use a 9ft bomb rod
over a 13ft distance model
14-15 R EEL CHOICES
Put yards on your cast by
selecting the right reel
16-17 L INES & BRAID
Tie mono to braid and
discover the hooklength
materials Steve uses
18-19 A LL ABOUT HOOKS
The only patterns you’ll ever
need for fishing the feeder
20-21 A CCESSORIES
Gear up with the little bits
and bobs to make your
feeder rigs deadly!
METHOD FEEDER
22-39
42-43 H YBRID RIG
Tie the perfect rig with this
brilliant new feeder
44-48 O N THE BANK
See how Steve fishes the
Hybrid in this great feature
49-51 M INI HYBRID
Keep on bagging in the cold
with this toned down attack.
52-53 H YBRID BAITS
Why Wafters are the number
one hookbait to use
PELLET FEEDER
56-57 P ELLET FEEDER RIG
Turn every bite into a
guaranteed fish in the net by
fishing this brilliant rig
58-61 H OW TO FISH IT
Steve proves that bream love
pellets just as much as carp
on mixed fisheries.
62-65 M ICRO PELLET FEEDER
How you can catch big
weight by scaling down your
feeder tactics
GROUNDBAIT FEEDER
68-69 B REAM FEEDER RIG
The famous Ferry Meadows
rocket feeder rig explained
70-71 F EEDERLINKS
Tie your own and eliminate
annoying tangles
96-107
78-79 C AST FURTHER!
Six simple fixes from Steve
82-85 S CALED-DOWN CAGE
Drop down to a cage feeder
to get bites in winter
MAGGOT FEEDER
STEVE’S TOP MATCHES
108-109 FAVOURITE MATCHES
A very special day with a
new match record and a ton
of big bream!
110-113 I RISH BAGGING
Full speed ahead for Irish
roach at the World Pairs.
116-119 K ING OF THE WORLD!
Re-live how Steve became
World Feeder Champion
24-25 M ETHOD RIG
How to tie Steve’s winning
rig for this popular summer
feeder attack
26-30 P OP-UP METHOD
Catch well in the summer
with this unusual take on the
traditional Method feeder
32-36 W INTER METHOD
Keep bites coming in the
cold with top advice and a
few simple tweaks
72-75 L ONG-DISTANCE SLABS
On the bank with Steve in
search of big bream
76-77 T OP BREAM BAITS
Bream love hair-rigged
worms – find out why
86-93
88-89 MAGGOT FEEDER RIG
How to put together this
simple set-up for F1s
90-93 M IGHTY MAGGOTS!
The maggot feeder is not
just for river chub, as Steve
shows at Packington Somers
STRAIGHT LEAD
98-101 T HE BOMB DEBUNKED
Get the most out of the lead
in this exhaustive feature
120-121 F ISHING FOR ENGLAND
What it takes to pull on the
three lions fishing shirt
...AND FINALLY
122-125 W HERE TO FISH
Fill you boots by visiting one
of Steve’s top 10 UK venues
for fishing the feeder.
126-127 E SSENTIAL KNOTS
How to tie the knots you
need for safe feeder rigs
38-39 M ETHOD BAITS
What to put on the hook and
around the feeder
102-105 A NEW TYPE OF BOMB
Get on the Impact Bomb this
summer for big-fish action
122-125 G LOSSARY
Every feeder fishing term
explained in detail.
5

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
KNOW
YOUR
FEEDERS
When should you fish a Method
over an open-end? All is revealed...
IT’S not only floats that can send
your head into a bit of a spin when it
comes to picking the right one to suit
your fishing – feeder choice is just as
perplexing, given the sheer number of
types on the market.
Years ago it was a straight pick between a
plastic open-end for lake bream or a blockend
for river chub, but the advent of commercial
carp has introduced a whole new breed of
feeders. They keep on coming, too, with the
Guru Hybrid the latest feeder to hit the banks.
Standard open-end feeders are sub-divided
into cage, rocket and plastic varieties, so it’s
no wonder that you can easily pick the wrong
feeder before you’ve even wet a line.
To help you make the right choice, over the
next few pages I’ve broken down each type of
feeder in my box and when it is best used.
I store my feeders in a large
box as this makes locating the
right one a quick and easy job
– no rummaging around here!
BULLET FEEDER
This is a type of maggot feeder with the
weight built into one end. That makes
for a feeder that casts accurately and
goes a long way in windy weather.
METHOD FEEDER
I’ll pick a Method when I want to be
attacking with my feeding in the
summer and get lots of pellets into the
peg when carp are the main target.
WINDOW FEEDER
Ireland’s big loughs seem to respond to
this unique feeder. Brilliant for getting a
quantity of particle baits to the bottom,
especially chopped worm and caster.
HYBRID FEEDER
A cross between a Method and pellet
feeder that’s a little more refined than
both. Side walls stop the bait breaking
away on the way down.
PELLET FEEDER
I don’t use a pellet feeder that much
nowadays but they do allow you to
regulate your feeding precisely and are
very good in late autumn/early winter.
MAGGOT FEEDER
Great on winter venues when there’s a
stock of mixed fish such as F1s, barbel
and skimmers that are tuned into eating
maggots rather than pellets.
6

FEEDER CHOICE
TACKLE
On commercial fisheries, the Method or
Hybrid feeder now rules the roost.
7

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
O P E N - E N D
F E E D E R S
LARGE CAGE FEEDER
These massive cage
feeders see the light of day
when I want to get lots of
groundbait and particles
down quickly for bream.
CAGE FEEDER
Lets bait out as it falls
through the water, and
is excellent for putting
attraction in the swim when
after roach and skimmers.
INLINE CAGE FEEDER
Should you prefer to use an
inline cage, these are the
ones to pick. I use them on
commercials when fishing
for F1s and skimmers.
SOLID OPEN END FEEDER
A standard open end
feeder but without the
holes. This ensures that
nothing comes out of the
feeder until it hits bottom.
B O M B F E E D E R S
OPEN-END E N FEEDER
E E This is the open-end feeder
that most of us will be
familiar with. They still take
some beating for bream,
fished on a moderate cast.
GURU CUBE
My standard bomb for carp work. The
square shape casts very well, and with
the supplied stem there’s the option to
fish it as an elasticated version.
GURU IMPACT BOMB
When the carp want a bit of feed but
not feederfuls, these bombs let you
introduce small helpings of micro
pellets alongside your hookbait.
FEEDER WEIGHTS
It’s not only the overall size of feeder
that should dictate the feeder you pick
– weight is just as important to ensure
accurate casting each time.
8

FEEDER CHOICE
D I S T A N C E F E E D E R S
TACKLE
GURU ROCKET FEEDER
These are due out in the coming months
and are a standard weight-forward
rocket feeder for bream fishing. They
also feature changeable weights.
MATRIX BULLET FEEDER
A real brute of a feeder for wild
conditions – especially Ireland! Their
shape helps with long casts while the
cage means a quick release of bait.
MINI DISTANCE FEEDER
Effectively the same as the Kev Leach
feeders but in a smaller size for shorter
casts and when not too much feed is
needed to keep the fish happy.
KEV LEACH DISTANCE FEEDER
The distance feeder that’s won me lots
of matches at Ferry Meadows! With
the weight built into one end, they cast
superbly and are deadly accurate.
INLINE OR ELASTICATED?
Where permitted I will always opt to
use an inline elasticated feeder. They
offer security against hook-pulls when
playing fish under the rod-tip.
Match elastic
strength to
size of fish.
9

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
ARE YOU SITTING
COMFORTABLY
TO FISH THE TIP?
Set up correctly and see your catch rate rocket with Steve’s advice!
FEEDER fishing is not like using the
pole or waggler, where you’re quite
active throughout the day with
casting and feeding – instead you’ll
be spending a lot of time sitting still
watching and waiting for the tip to be
pulled round.
It therefore figures that your platform to fish
from should be as comfortable as you can make
it, with everything you’re likely to need easy to
get to and in its rightful place.
Look at my feeder set-up and you’ll see differences
from how you may organise your kit for
fishing at 16m of pole, for example.
Put simply, when the tip goes round I want
to be able to focus on what the fish is doing and
not be groping around for the landing net that’s
up the bank behind me!
4
1
7
8
6
7
10

COMFORT ON THE BANK
TACKLE
LANDING NET
I actually use a second Reaper
back rest to place my landing net
1
on. This keeps it off the floor,
where it can too easily get broken or
slide into the lake!
SEATBOX
You may see some anglers that
are fishing the feeder position
2
their box at a slight angle off to
the side so it points roughly in the same
direction as the rod will out into the
lake. I don’t do this – instead I have the
box facing forwards as normal. This
allows me to fish the pole later on in the
day if I set it up, and also lets me net
fish directly in front of me.
REAPER BACK REST
A few years ago I would have
popped the rod handle on my
3
side tray or my lap, but carp bites
are fierce and can drag the rod in!
Guru’s Reaper back rest actually grips
the handle to prevent it being dislodged
by a carp. A brilliant little gadget!
FEEDER ARM & REAPER ROD REST
How you angle the rod is down to
personal choice but I like to leave
4
around a 45° angle. This still
shows up bites, even from skimmers.
Daiwa’s feeder rest is rock solid and the
Guru Reaper rod rest allows me to place
the rod in multiple positions so I can get
the perfect tension.
SPARE FEEDERS
Over the course of a session you
may need to up the size of feeder
5
that you are using or, if you’re
unlucky, replace it after a crack-off.
They’re too heavy to keep in the
seatbox so I have a carry case packed
full of feeders that I place behind my
box. This lets me organise feeders so
that I can find a specific one in seconds.
SIDE TRAY
In winter my tray probably won’t
have many bait tubs on it but in
6
summer, especially at venues
such as Ferry Meadows when I’m after
bream, I can have several baits as well
as groundbait on the go at once. As a
result, I need a big stable tray to take
this weight and take casters, worms,
dead maggots, corn, micro pellets and
meat. My tray is made by Fab Trays and
is perfect for the job.
9
2
3
BAITS AND ACCESSORIES
These are what will take up most
of the space on your tray. I try to
7
use as big a bait tub as I can so
that I can have as much bait as possible
to hand. There’s nothing worse than
running out of micro pellets and having
to get off your box to find some more.
I’ll also have things such as chopped
worm scissors for bream fishing, baiting
tools, disgorger and spare Hybrid or
Method feeders made up and ready to
go on the tray, along with my flask if the
fishing isn’t very good!
HAND TOWEL
If you’re the sort of angler that
wipes their hands down the front
8
of their trousers or top after
landing a fish, do yourself a favour and
get a decent quality hand towel. Having
clean hands makes baiting up so much
easier, especially when it’s cold and
raining, and a towel is a godsend when
dealing wih bream slime or for wiping
groundbait off your hands.
10
KEEPNET
This is placed on the opposite
side of my swim to where the rod
9
is pointing, and basically clears
more open water in front of me to net a
fish without it trying to get behind the
net. You can even use a keepnet as a
basic rod rest if needed.
5
SPARE RODS
On so many matches nowadays I
will set up more than one feeder
10
rod, and to avoid having them get
tangled up in the grass or bankside
nettles I use this smart rod holder
system that slots on to my box leg. This
can take three rods and can be angled
to keep spare rods away from mischief.
11

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
PICK THE
RIGHT
ROD FOR
THE JOB
Does a 12ft rod make any difference
to your fishing? Steve reckons so...
HOW times have changed! When
I was a kid I had one feeder rod
that could be used for everything
from catching bream on rivers to
throwing out a bomb with a bit of
corn on the end for carp.
Not today, though. That’s because every
good tackle manufacturer now makes a range
of feeder rods to achieve very specific jobs –
such has been the changing face of fishing in
the UK over the past 30 years.
Commercial carp have played a big role
in that, but on rivers and lakes we’ve found
the need for longer and more powerful rods
for bream and skimmers. The days of giving
yourself a hernia trying to cast 60 yards with an
11ft rod are thankfully no more!
For casting up to 90 yards, a 13ft feeder rod
will make the job so much easier, whereas a
gentle lob with a small feeder would suit a 9ft or
10ft bomb-style rod.
Action needs to be considered when picking
a rod. What I look for is backbone in the lower
part to provide casting power, changing to a
softer through action in the middle and tip of
the rod to avoid lost fish on the strike.
Too soft a rod and you won’t be able to cast
accurately... too stiff and you’ll lose more fish
than you land. Finding the balance is key.
Picking the correct rod will make
hitting your mark an absolute doddle.
QUIVERTIP EYES
Just as you would
when considering rings
on the main rod, so the
guides on a quivertip
should be correct.
Braid fishing requires
bigger rings to let
shockleader knots pass
through, while straight
mono fishing suits
standard guides.
12

CHOOSING A FEEDER ROD
TACKLE
DAIWA TOURNAMENT 9FT
This is a very slender rod with no real
casting backbone. It’s perfect for winter
bomb fishing or for flicking a small
feeder underarm to snake lake far banks
in windy weather. It is incredibly soft in
its action and so is ideal for F1 work.
DAIWA TOURNAMENT 10FT
Very similar to the 9ft Tournament but
with that extra foot of length to allow
longer casts. I use this rod for much of
my general commercial fishery work
when casting to islands up to 30m away.
or into open water.
DAIWA TOURNAMENT 11FT
My favourite rod of the range. It is very
versatile and can be used for carp work,
although I think it is a brilliant roach
and skimmer rod for use in Ireland – in
fact, this is the rod that I used to win the
World Champs at Inniscarra in 2014.
DAIWA TOURNAMENT 12/13FT
We’re in the realm of the big boys now,
and this multi-length rod is designed
for long casts on commercials such
as Barston Lakes or in Ireland, on the
big loughs. I tend to use it almost
exclusively at its 12ft length.
DAIWA TOURNAMENT 13FT HEAVY
When I need to cast a long way, this is
the rod to do it! I can throw a feeder
up to 90 yards at Ferry Meadows with
ease and because of its power, it is best
suited to big-fish situations as opposed
to catching skimmers and roach.
TEAM DAIWA POWER MATCH 11FT
Relatively new, but a rod that I’ve
already grown to love. This is a brute of
a rod with lots of power and can cast a
bomb or feeder a very long way. I use it
a lot in winter at Boddington Reservoir
when I’m after big carp.
Pick each
rod to do a
specific job.
13

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
WHY
REEL
CHOICE
MATTERS
JUST as it is vital to pick a rod that’s
suited to the type of feeder fishing
that you plan on doing, so too should
the reel that’s going to be strapped
on to the handle be fully capable of
getting the job done.
This is something I’ve learned in the last
decade or so, when I’ve found more and more
of my feeder work requiring longer casts. A
normal match-type reel hasn’t got the guts to
go the distance. These smaller reels are built
for trotting floats or casting wagglers up to 30
yards. Beyond this they struggle.
Fortunately, the big-carp world has stepped
in. Carp anglers regularly cast over 100 yards
and use massive reels to suit – so by slimming
these ‘big pit’ models down to suit match
fishing, we now have big reels for big casts.
The difference they make is astounding.
But if you don’t need one of these beasts for
your feeder fishing, you can invest in a feedertype
reel. This will share many of the traits of
a mini big pit, but at half the
size and price!
From mini ‘big pits’ to beefed-up
match models, they all play their part
1
14

CHOOSING A FEEDER REEL
The TDR 4012
is my general
feeder reel.
2
For big casts
you can’t beat
the Cast’izm!
TACKLE
THE REELS STEVE USES...
RATHER than getting bogged down
with several reels on my rods, I’ve cut
my choice down to just two Daiwa models
for all my feeder work both at home
and when fishing abroad. Although both
come in different sizes, I find that one
size really does fit all!
DAIWA TDR 4012A
TDRs are legendary among float
anglers in the smaller sizes and
1
the bigger 4012A is just perfect in
terms of size, power and casting for
much of my general feeder work on
commercial fisheries and lakes. It packs
a lot of winding power and I do get
asked a lot why I use such a heavy reel.
My answer is that I’m not actually
holding the rod unless I’m playing a fish,
so it doesn’t matter!
DAIWA CAST’IZM 25QDA
Daiwa’s mini big pit reel is a bit of
a beast, and that’s fine by me!
2
The cranking power is awesome
and that makes it capable of battling big
carp and bream at range, while the big
spool produces less friction on the cast
to let me throw a bomb or feeder a long
way. This is the reel I use when I am
chucking up to 90 yards at Boddington
Reservoir or Ferry Meadows.
“THE DIFFERENCE THAT A MINI
BIG PIT REEL MAKES TO YOUR
CAST IS ASTOUNDING!”
15

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GET ON THE
RIGHT LINES!
From braid to mono, here’s how to make
sense of line for feeder fishing use
Braid fishing requires a
shockleader to cut down on
lost fish under the rod-tip or
crack-offs on the cast. I build
around four turns of 8lb or 10lb
Daiwa Tournament ST into my
rig to act as that vital cushion.
AT FIRST glance, picking a line for
feeder fishing can be a daunting.
Do you go for mono? When does
baid work? Is fluorocarbon worth it?
The days of winding a spool of 4lb
Maxima on to your reel and asking it
to do everything are gone.
I think that most of us understand breaking
strains relative to the size of fish being targeted
but there is more to it than meets the eye.
Mono still rules the roost and is my mainline
for 90 per cent of my fishing but there are times
when braid is utterly dominant and occasions
when a heavier mono shockleader built into
your rig can help your fishing.
Even hooklength materials can throw up
questions in terms of diameter and the material
you’re using in the first place, but I have some
very simple rules that you can follow when the
times comes to reload your reels with line.
I’m happy to fish either Guru
Pulse or Daiwa Hyper Sensor
as mono mainlines as both are
supple, tough and sink well
after a few casts. Around 150m
is ample to load on to a reel.
Here’s a line that sees the
light of day when I go over to
Ireland fishing for roach and
skimmers. Drennan Double
Strength is very strong for its
diameter, but incredibly fine.
16

CHOOSING LINES FOR FEEDER FISHING
TACKLE
STEP-BY-STEP – TYING BRAID TO MONO
1
The first job is to create a loop in the
braid. I make mine 1.5ins-2ins long to
give some flexibility. Simply pass the
braid back on itself to start.
2
Time to tie the loop off. I use the figure
of eight knot and this is done to begin
with by passing the doubled braid back
over itself, as above.
Fluorocarbon isn’t something
that you’ll see a lot of feeder
anglers using but in winter,
when the water is clear, it plays
a part for smaller fish such as
skimmers and F1s. I wouldn’t
use it for carp, though!
Braid’s lack of stretch means
that bites are magnified and its
low diameter makes for long
and accurate casting. I use
0.10mm Guru Pulse 8 for my
short-range work, Tournament
Evo for longer casts.
3
Now pass the end of the braid
underneath the loop that you have
made and back to bring it through the
loop. Pull tight to create the knot.
4
This is the finished loop. It has to be big
enough to pass the shockleader mono
through but the knot must be small
enough to pass through the rod rings.
5
Take the shockleader mono and thread
it through the loop. I like to have around
four turns of shock leader on my reel
when the feeder’s ready to cast.
6
Now it is time to tie the leader on to the
braid. This uses a double tucked blood
knot that will take into account any
slippage of the knot when fishing.
Guru N-Gauge isn’t just a line
for making pole rigs from –
it is also my main hooklink
material for feeder fishing on
commercials or for big bream
work at home and in Ireland.
7
Once the double tucked blood knot is
tied, I make sure that the tag ends on
both the braid and mono are trimmed
very short to help on the cast.
8
The finished knot that’s very neat, won’t
cause tangles and can pass through the
rod rings with ease when casting. It is
also very strong and extremely flexible.
17

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Steve ties his hooks
in advance and stores
them on spools.
M A K I N G T H E
RIGHT
HOOK
CHOICE
They’re the most important part
of your rig, but are you picking
the right one for the job?
AS THE part of your rig that is in
the most direct contact with
a fish, it stands to reason that
selecting the right hook is the
most important choice to make
when tackling up on the feeder.
Because you are fishing at
reasonable ranges, a lot of presure is placed
on the hook during the strike and battle. You
may also need to hair-rig baits in summer or
scale down with small baits in cold weather.
That means having a versatile selection
in your hook box. I limit my selection to the
following six patterns for my feeder fishing...
TUBERTINI SERIES 18
My standard hook for roach and hybrid
fishing in Ireland. The Series 18 is very
strong for its size and I tend to use them
in big sizes (10-14). Another bonus is
that they stay sharp for a long time.
KAMASAN B512
For catching small fish at speed in
Ireland the B512 is my favourite, as it
has a long shank that makes unhooking
fish so much faster. They’re also a very
sharp and durable pattern.
18

THE RIGHT HOOK FOR THE JOB
TACKLE
GURU LWGF FEEDER SPECIAL
When fishing natural venues for
skimmers and when I want to hook baits
normally (ie. not hair-rig them) these
are superb in sizes 12 to 16.
GURU QM1
A legendary hook on commercial
fisheries – an out-and-out carp pattern
for hair-rigging pellets, boilies and
Wafters. I use them in sizes 10 to 14.
GURU SUPER MWG
If I am fishing for more of a mixed
bag on commercial fisheries (F1s and
skimmers) then I change from the QM1
to these hooks in sizes 14 to 18. Being
eyed, they’re perfect for hair-rigging.
GURU MWGB BARBED
A barbed hook comes into play on
bream waters like Ferry Meadows, but
it still needs an eyed pattern to hairrig
worms or corn. I can’t fault these in
sizes 18 and 16.
19

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
LITTLE THINGS
THAT COUNT
Why those small bits and bobs can make such a difference
FEEDER fishing is about much more
than just a rod, a reel and a feeder.
There are dozens of little accessories
that can be used in rigs or employed
to make the job a whole lot easier.
A good feeder arm and rod rest head are
essential, and a pair of distance sticks will
ensure you’re fishing at the same range if you
need to tackle up again after a crack-off.
When it comes to rigs, I’ve got a boxful of
little bits and pieces – some borrowed from the
carp world – to help make my set-up as effcient
as possible. They all have their part to play!
REAPER BACK REST
This gripper-style back rest
will hold the rod butt securely
in place, stopping it being
dragged in by a savage
carp bite. It also adds to the
overall stability when you are
waiting for a take.
DISTANCE STICKS
S
These let you make a
note of the distance you
are fishing at so if you
have to tackle up again
you know that you’re
right on the money.
FEEDER E E ARMS
Invest in a good quality feeder arm and
you’ll immediately have a rock-solid
platform to put the rod on – no more
rods nodding like a donkey.
REAPER ROD REST
With multiple positioning
points you can get the
correct tension in the
rod-tip every time.
20

ESSENTIAL FEEDER ACCCESSORIES
TACKLE
BAIT BAYONETS
There is the odd occasion when I won’t
want to band or hair-rig a bait in the
normal way. These bayonets allow me to
pierce a boilie or piece of meat quickly.
BAIT BANDS
Banded pellet is a deadly bait on the
bomb or feeder. Guru’s Micro Bands are
very strong and can take a battering
and a 6mm pellet with ease.
HAIR STOPS
These are standard stops for securing
hair-rigged baits in place. They’re
especially useful for softer baits, and
the small size makes them unobtrusive.
LEAD CLIPS & SNAP LINK SWIVELS
Snap links let me change open-end
feeders quickly, while lead clips help to
create an anti-tangle rig when fishing
with light bombs.
SILICONE TUBING
I’ll pop a tiny piece of tubing into the
hook shank when hair-rigging as this
will keep the hair in place and increase
the chances of a proper take.
SPEED E STOPS
S
Another type of bait stop, and one that
is important for me when fishing for
bream with worms. I can hair-rig with
these and know that they are secure.
LINE STOPS
S
Some of my running feeder rigs will
have a line stop to act as a secure buffer
and to prevent the feeder from sliding
down the hooklength.
SPEED BEADS
Another type of buffer on running
rigs, these let me change hooklengths
quickly so I can try a different hookbait
without having to bait up.
21

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
METHOD
FEEDER
22

METHOD RIG
Create the ultimate
Method rig that’s 100%
safe and hugely effective.
PAGES 24 - 25
SUMMER METHOD
Add a pop-up boilie to
your summer Method
attack and bag up!
PAGES 26 - 30
WINTER METHOD
There’s no need to bin
the Method in winter if
you follow Steve’s advice.
PAGES 32 - 36
METHOD BAITS
Make your decision an
easy one by picking from
these top hookbaits.
PAGES 38 - 39
23

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
FISH THE
METHOD
FEEDER
Go positive for a big net of carp
ANGLERS who fish commercial
waters for carp will be familiar with
the Method feeder, a very positive
way of catching carp and F1s
throughout the year but one which
I believe works best in warmer
weather when fish are at their most
active – and hungry!
In fact, the Method was the first style of
feeder that I used for carp way back in the day
on places such as Castle Ashby Lakes, fishing
with massive Emstat and Kobra models that
featured a central brass stem as the weight and
which were all elasticated.
This was the set-up I used to win the Fish
O’Mania final in 1998 at Hayfield Lakes.
Today, though, we now have the pick of inline
or elasticated feeders and a range of sizes and
weights to suit the water we’re fishing, but one
thing remains the same.
The Method is very positive and very
attacking, letting you get plenty of feed into
the swim over a session, making it ideal for
catching lots of hungry carp.
W H E N T O U S E I T
For catching big weights of carp in
warmer weather when lots of feed is
needed to hold the fish in the swim.
W H Y U S E I T ?
The Method feeder allows you to
place the hookbait in among the feed
at long range so that when a carp
breaks open the ball of goodies, it
finds your hookbait immediately.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 Thread feeder on to the mainline.
2 Take the line and create a 6ins
twizzled loop that the feeder can
slide down with ease.
3 Within this twizzled length tie in a
Guru Speed Bead, trapping it at the
end of the twizzled loop.
4 Run the feeder down the line so that
it sits against the bead.
5 Now attach your hooklink and hook
on to the crook of the bead.
Hook
That’s a Guru QM1
every time – it’s the
perfect hair-rigging
hook for carp, in sizes
14 or 16.
Hooklink
Most fisheries insist
of a minimum of a
4ins hooklink and I
fish with 0.17mm Guru
N-Gauge.
Speed Bead
This acts as a buffer
and lets me change
hooklinks (and so use
different hookbaits) in
a matter of seconds.
24

ANATOMY OF A METHOD FEEDER
METHOD
FEEDER RIG
Stems
When allowed, I
would fish the Method
elasticated using black
or white Hydro based
on the size of fish.
Mainline
Something tough is
needed when casting
regularly, and I pick
Guru Pulse in 8lb
breaking strain.
Feeder
Guru’s X-Safe feeders
allow me to fish inline
or elasticated. I fish
the 36g size in most
situations.
Feed
Nothing more than
pellets, namely
Ringers Method Micros
dampened down to
help them stick.
25

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
I N T R O D U C I N G T H E
POP-UP METHOD
Get on this new set-up that’s transformed Steve’s feeder fishing
SOME of the best ideas in fishing
are often the simplest, and Guru’s
Method feeder clip most certainly
falls into that category.
This brilliant little device transforms
a normal Method feeder into one that
allows you to fish popped-up baits on it.
Now, pop-ups are very effective when fished
on the feeder but I’ve never felt they were being
presented properly. The biggest issue I always
had was keeping the hookbait in among the
loose offerings. It always tended to move away
due to both the stiffness of the hooklength and
the fact that it was attached to the base of the
feeder.
The answer was, of course, to attach the
hookbait to the middle of the feeder, therefore
keeping it in the perfect position amid the loose
offerings. This is where the Method feeder clip
comes in.
26

POP-UP METHOD
METHOD
FEEDER
27

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Without the clip, you just wouldn’t get
enough bites fishing a pop-up on the hook!
28

POP-UP METHOD
THE METHOD FEEDER
HOOKBAIT
Nothing more complex than an
8mm or 10mm pink or yellow
Ringers pop-up!
METHOD
FEEDER
CLIP POSITION
Fix the Method clip in the
middle of the feeder to put the
pop-up amid the pellets.
LENGTH OF LINK
Altering the clip leaves 2ins of
line for the link, which speeds
up how fast I get a bite.
FEEDER CHOICE
As always this is the reliable
Guru X-Safe... the weight
depends on how far I need
to cast.
Pink and yellow are top bait colours.
HOW IT WORKS
The Method clip comes in two sizes, small and
large, and is designed to fit the two sizes of
Guru Method feeders that I use.
It’s easy to attach and basically sits on top of
the feeder’s bait platform in the middle of the
feeder.
The clip has a rubber slot in the middle which
safely grips the hooklength, so that once a fish
sucks in the hookbait it feels the bolt effect a lot
quicker. The chances of a fish getting away with
it are vastly reduced too.
Once the fish is hooked, the line is pulled free
from the clip so you are able to play the fish in
the normal manner.
The beauty of the clip is that it’s so easy
to vary the length of your hooklength while
maintaining perfect bait presentation.
HOOKLENGTHS
I still use a 4ins hooklength, as would normally
be the case when fishing the Method, but by
varying where I put the line in the clip I can fish
with as long or short a hooklength as I want,
depending on how the fish are feeding on
the day. Where I’m looking to catch mainly
carp from 3lb to well into double figures I use a
4ins hooklength of 0.19mm N-Gauge to a size
12 QM1 hook and pop the bait up 2ins from the
feeder.
When fishing a pop-up, and having
experimented a lot, I like to start off a session
with the hookbait popping up around 2ins from
the feeder.
Once the feed breaks down, this leaves the
hookbait just clear of the loose offerings and
it is therefore the first thing a fish will see as it
approaches the feeder, massively increasing
your chances of a bite.
One in the
net for the
pop-up Method!
A little tip when using the clip is to fish with
a relatively short hair. If it is too long there’s a
chance the fish will feel resistance before the
hook is actually in its mouth.
With a short hair (with the bait just sitting off
the back of the bend) this can’t happen. Long
hairs, in my opinion, are not suited to short
hooklengths.
In terms of what to fish on the hook, two of
my favourite summer colours for carp are pink
and yellow with the Ringers 8mm or 10mm the
most productive sizes for me.
Around the feeder go dampened Ringers
Method micro pellets – I leave groundbait out
completely when fishing for carp.
29

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
STEP-BY-STEP LOADING THE POP-UP FEEDER
1
Add the device to the bait platform on
your Method feeder with the rubber
hooklength clip upwards.
2
Pull your hooklength into the rubber
clip and set it at the height you want the
bait to sit – 2ins is a good starting point.
3
Fill your mould with your chosen bait – I
have pellets here – and create a small
indentation for the hookbait to sit in.
4
Add more of your pellet feed to the
mould so it fills the mould and covers
your hookbait.
5
Push the feeder into the mould as
normal, applying plenty of pressure to
make sure the pellets stick to the feeder.
6
Remove the feeder. For more bait I put
extra pellets in the mould and then pop
the feeder back in for a second layer.
30

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BREA
REVAMP F
BREAKING

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GET
ON THE
METHOD
THIS
WINTER
Think the Method feeder is a
summer-only tactic? Think again…
MANY anglers think of the Method
feeder as being very much a
summer approach to catching
on stillwaters. But, providing it
is fished in the right manner, I’ve
found it works all year round
and it’s a tactic I’ve been using
recently with a great deal of success.
A lot of winter tip fishing is done with a
straight lead and a single hookbait, and if you
are on a shoal of carp this is a great way of
catching them.
However, there are times when it simply
doesn’t work, and quite often I’ve chucked the
Method feeder out and left it as a last resort,
only to find that the tip goes around and I start
catching fish!
The benefit that the Method has over a
straight lead and single hookbait is that the
feeder offers that bit of extra attraction which
might just be enough to get a bite or two.
I’ve spent matches in winter solely on the
Method, so don’t just think it’s a ‘get out of jail
card’ trick to get a bite.
Depending on the venue you’re fishing, you
can make it work for you for the whole session –
you just need to refine your approach and take
the conditions into account.
This will determine how you fish the feeder,
the baits you use, and ultimately what you’ll
catch.
GROUNDBAIT OR PELLETS?
This is the first choice you have to make, and
it’s all about taking the conditions into account
before deciding which bait to put around your
feeder.
If it’s been a wet winter then many venues will
be extremely coloured, and in such cases
32

WINTER METHOD
METHOD
FEEDER
33

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
I feel carp tend to rely more on their sense of
smell than sight to find food.
When the water is coloured I tend to opt for
a mix consisting of mainly pellets with a small
amount of groundbait, and will add flavour to
boost the mix.
You don’t need a lot of groundbait, in fact just
three handfuls is often enough for two pints
of wetted-down 2mm Ringers Method micro
pellets. The groundbait just gives me that little
bit of extra attraction and smell which the carp
can home in on.
As well as using groundbait I’m a big believer
in flavouring my pellets, again just for added
attraction.
IN CLEAR WATER
Normal winter conditions, however, mean
clear water and in this instance things change
in terms of bait. I will drop the groundbait from
the mix as I feel its effectiveness is lost in clear
water. Instead look to use micro pellets with a
boost of colour.
By adding just a pinch of Mainline’s boilie dye
in either orange or yellow to the wetted-down
micros I can enhance the colour of the pellets
and give the carp something to home in on
visually in the clear water.
It also I feel gives me an edge over those
around me – after all, if everyone is using the
same pellets, why will a carp come to yours as
opposed to someone else’s? That bit of colour
in clear water can make all the difference,
which is why this is a trick I use a lot.
PULLING POWER
One of the reasons I use Ringers Method
micros is that they take on flavour and colour
really well. My favourite winter flavour for
micros is Mainline’s Activ-8 liquid. This has a
really meaty flavour that carp in the cold seem
to love.
I always add the Activ-8 once the pellets have
already been soaked, rather than adding it to
the water as some anglers do – this just dilutes
the flavour and reduces the pulling power.
SEAL IN THE GOO
Another additive I use in coloured water is Goo,
but rather than soaking it into the pellets I add
it to the feeder when I’m forming the Method
ball and then seal it in with a layer of pellets.
This gives a slower release of the Goo and
therefore prolonged attraction.
I’ve had most success with the Caramel
Cloud and Tutti Frutti Power Smoke versions.
CASTING – IS DISTANCE KEY?
A lot of anglers will tell you that on big waters
such as Boddington or Clattercote Reservoirs,
the further you cast, the more carp you’ll catch.
Vary how far
you cast to
find the carp.
Now, there will always be days when the carp
can be at range, and under these circumstances
it’s well worth learning how to cast in excess of
80m. More often than not, though, you’ll find
the carp a lot closer in.
I well remember a match on Boddington
where I fished at 70m-90m for the first three
hours and managed just one carp. That left me
scratching my head a bit.
With little to lose, I dropped in at 45m after
seeing others catch there and managed six carp
for 48lb and a section win.
I guess the message is that being able to cast a
long way does gives you an extra string to your
bow but location is everything, as is often the
case with carp in winter.
The quicker you can work out the right
distance to fish, the more you’ll catch.
MY TOP WINTER FEEDER HOOKBAITS
1 2 3
RINGERS ALLSORTS BOILIE
Hookbait choice is entirely personal
but I catch loads of fish on the orange
Allsorts boilie in both coloured and clear
water. I have caught on other colours
too, but orange is very much my go-to
colour and having spoken to others they
also choose this as their favourite.
PUNCHED MEAT SLICE
Instead of using a whole cylinder of
meat I cut the piece into a disc using
my baiting needle. This makes the
hookbait smaller and easier for the carp
to suck up. It’s also perfect for burying
in a Method ball, as there is no risk of it
being crushed – it is already flat!
BREAD DISCS
This is probably the best winter bait of
all. I compress the bread so that it sinks
and I then fish three pieces of 8mm
punch on the hair. Once the bread is in
the water it swells up, and as a target
bait in clear water it really does take
some beating.
34

WINTER METHOD
METHOD
FEEDER
Give each cast
roughly 20
minutes before
winding in.
TIMING YOUR BITES
I really can’t stress how
important this is in
winter. Nine times out
of 10, if I’m getting a
few bites a pattern will
develop, and this will
dictate how long I fish
each cast for.
As a rule I’ll kick off
by fishing 20 minutes a
cast and let bites dictate
matters from then on.
If I haven’t had a bite
inside 20 minutes I wind
in and repeat the process
by casting to a new spot.
Winter Method fishing
isn’t about building a peg
but more about trying to
find the fish.
35

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Use a feeder that’s heavy
enough to stay put once
you have cast it.
STEP-BY-STEP MAKING THE WINTER METHOD FEEDER
1
Add a thin layer of pellet and
groundbait mix to the mould and drop
your hair-rigged hookbait on top.
Ensure the hook is lying flat on its side.
2
I like to seal in a small amount of Goo
liquid additive. I drop it directly on to
my hookbait to give it added attraction
once the feed has done its job.
3
Now cover the hookbait with more of
your pellet and groundbait mix so that
the mould is overflowing. This ensures a
neat ball is produced each time.
4 5
Give the feeder an extra-hard squeeze.
This will seal the bait to the feeder... the
pellets will compress but then return to
their natural state in the water.
It’s now time to turn the feeder out of
the mould. The Guru Speed Mould is
made of flexible rubber so there’s no
danger of the ball breaking apart.
6
The finished feeder is streamlined
for long-range fishing if necessary,
and packed with visual and flavour
attractants – what carp could resist it?
36

GET THE BEST FROM YOUR METHOD FISHING
METHOD
TIPS
TEN TOP
METHOD
TRICKS
Master the basics of Method fishing
1 ALWAYS BURY YOUR HOOKBAIT
It never ceases to amaze me the number
of anglers I see fishing the Method
who leave the hookbait hanging out of
the bottom of the feeder. The whole
idea behind the Method is to get carp
feeding on the loose offerings on the
feeder, so it makes perfect sense to put
your hookbait in among them.
2 PICK A HEAVY FEEDER
Choosing the right weight feeder is far
more important than a lot of anglers
realise. It’s absolutely vital that once the
feeder hits the bottom you don’t move
it. If the feeder moves, the hookbait
gets pulled away from the loose
offerings. When fishing into open water
I use one as light as 24g. However, if I’m
casting up to an island where it is likely
that the feeder will be resting on a slope
I will opt for 36g model.
3 GIVE YOURSELF A SAFETY NET
If allowed, I will always opt to use
an elasticated feeder. The thinking
behind it is that when I’m playing a fish
the elastic acts as a shock absorber
and helps to minimise hook-pulls,
particularly when the fish is under the
rod-tip and ready to be netted.
2
1
4 CLIP UP TO BUILD A SWIM
As with any type of feeder fishing the
key to success with the Method is to
build a swim up by regularly casting to
the same spot. The best way of doing
this is to use the line clip on your reel’s
spool to ensure you are hitting the same
spot every time. I also try and pick an
immovable marker to cast at.
5 THINK ABOUT YOUR HOOKBAITS
I use two types of hookbaits – ‘blend
in’ and ‘stand out’. Blend in baits
match the bait around the feeder. For
instance, if I’m fishing 2mm pellets
around the feeder I’ll use a 6mm hard
pellet hookbaits. At the opposite end of
the spectrum we have stand out baits
such as mini fluoro boilies. These work
because they are bright and highly
visible to fish.
6 A 4ins HOOKLENGTH IS BEST
Having experimented a lot I believe 4ins
is the optimum for Method hooklengths.
Such a hooklength is long enough
to allow the hookbait to behave in a
natural manner, which is important in
terms of getting the carp to pick the
hookbait up in the first place.
7 TRY GROUNDBAIT AND PELLETS
I will always opt for 2mm coarse pellets
around the feeder, as they are a safe
option. I will however, always have
some groundbait with me just in case.
That way, if nothing is happening on
pellets, I can easily switch to groundbait
– whereas if pellets are right on the
day, the fish will let me know within the
space of a few casts!
5
8 DEAD MAGGOTS
Dead maggots are something of a
forgotten hookbait for the Method, but
that doesn’t mean they are any less
effective. Normally, for carp, I like to fish
three or four on a size 14 LWG whereas
for F1s I will fish one or two on a size 16
or 18 in the same pattern.
9 SOFT RODS ARE A MUST
When using the Method feeder in the
margins I am always likely to be fishing
at relatively close range, so a short rod
is needed. With this in mind my choice
is a 10ft Daiwa Tournament Quiver. This
rod has a soft action which I find perfect
for absorbing the lunges of big fish.
10 HOW OFTEN TO CAST
As a guide, to kick off on a normal
commercial I will look to cast every
three to five minutes to start with to try
and get some bait down. That means
that when the carp do turn up I can hold
them for that little bit longer. In the last
hour you’ll often find the swim will be
solid with fish, as by this time there is
plenty of bait on the bottom and the
fish will be properly on the feed anyway
due to the time of day.
37

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
BEST BAITS FOR
THE METHOD
Make this decision an easy one by going for pellets or boilies!
THERE are a lot of baits that’ll catch
on the Method feeder but I’d say 90
per cent of the time I using either
pellets or boilies in their various
guises. That’s because of what I put
around the feeder – pellets.
A banded hard pellet is brilliant in
summer but as the water cools, small boilies or
Wafters take over thanks to their bright colours
and their ability to be fished off bottom slightly.
The decision is slightly easier when choosing
what to make the ball of Method feed out of.
I’d say 99 times out of 100 that’s plain micro
pellets, only adding groundbait on venues
where skimmers could play an important part.
I’ll dye these micros too, especially in winter
on clear water where turning them from their
natural brown colour to a very visible yellow
or red will complement perfectly the use of a
brightly-coloured hookbait.
Wafters offer a different
presentation, with the bait sitting
just off bottom. I use 8mm and 10mm
sizes, with yellow and pink good.
A selection of hardpellet
hookbaits for
the Method.
When the carp are sitting off bottom,
slipping an 8mm or 10mm pink or
orange pop-up on to the hook will
pick them off.
38

PELLETS AND BOILIES FOR THE METHOD
METHOD
BAITS
STEP-BY-STEP
DYEING MICROS
1
Put the micros in a bag and add a slug
of Ringers yellow liquid.
2
Seal the bag and give it a good shake to
coat each pellet fully.
3
After 10 minutes the pellets are ready –
look at the difference dye makes (left)!
39

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
HYBRID
FEEDER
40

HYBRID RIG
Follow Steve’s step by
step guide to create this
deadly fish-catcher.
PAGES 42 - 43
HYBRID FEATURE
All you need to know
about fishing the Hybrid
this summer.
PAGES 44 - 48
MINI HYBRID
Think small and keep the
carp coming with this
scaled-down attack.
PAGES 49 - 51
HYBRID BAITS
Discover why the Wafter
is so highly rated by
Steve for the Hybrid.
PAGES 52 - 53
41

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
HYBRID
– DOUBLY
EFFECTIVE
Mainline
Because carp are the
number one target,
I wouldn’t go lower
than 8lb Guru Pulse,
even in winter.
Carp feeder fishing enters a new era!
FOR years, fishing the feeder for carp
on commercial waters has revolved
around either the Method or pellet
feeder – that was until Guru came up
with the Hybrid feeder which, as the
name suggests, it a combination of
the best elements of both pellet and
Method models rolled into one.
Since then, they’ve won hundreds of matches
and have rapidly replaced the Method in my
attack on commercials, whether that’s in high
summer or the depths of winter.
The principles of fishing the Hybrid are much
the same as the Method, putting your hookbait
right in amid the feed at long range but the
Hybrid takes less feed and so comes into its
own when you need to keep tabs on how much
bait is being introduced.
The ‘walls’ of the Hybrid also hold the bait in
until it hits bottom, meaning that I can be 100
per cent confident that the feed is in exactly the
right place and not wafting down to the bottom
after breaking up too early.
Stems
Should I be using an
elasticated Hybrid I’d
pick the stem with the
heavier black elastic
running through it.
W H E N T O U S E I T :
The Hybrid has proved its worth for
catching big carp throughout the
year in conjunction with big baits,
although a smaller version is equally
deadly for smaller fish and F1s.
W H Y F I S H I T ?
Similar to the Method feeder, the
Hybrid lets you regulate the amount
of feed going into the peg.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 Thread the feeder on the mainline.
2 Take the line and create a six-inch
twizzled loop that the feeder can
slide down with ease.
3 Within this twizzled length tie in a
Guru Speed Bead, trapping it at the
end of the twizzled loop.
4 Run the feeder down the line so that
it sits against the bead.
5 Now attach your hooklink and hook
on to the bead’s crook.
Feed
As with the Method
feeder, I almost
exclusively use
dampened micros
inside the Hybrid.
42

THE VERSATILE HYBRID FEEDER
HYBRID
FEEDER RIG
Feeder
Match the weight of
the feeder to how far
you need to cast – 36g
is a good starting
point on many lakes.
Hooks
Baits will be hairrigged
on the Hybrid
so the Guru QM1 is the
only choice, fished in
sizes 14 and 16.
Speed Bead
Using this gadget lets
me have hooklinks
with different baits
ready to be swapped
over in seconds.
Hooklink
No more than four
inches of 0.17mm Guru
N-Gauge makes up
my links and I’d rarely
shorten them either.
43

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
HYBRID FEEDER...
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Splice together two of the most popular feeders on the market and you get this deadly fish-catcher!
Hybrids are so good
that I now rarely fish
the Method feeder!
44

HYBRID FEEDER
HYBRID
FEEDER
EVERY now and again an item of gear
comes along that you quickly realise
is something very special and will
help you put more fish in your net.
TheHybrid feeder certainly falls into
that category. For those of you who don’t
know of it, the best way I can think of to
describe it is a cross between a conventional
Method feeder and a Banjo feeder – hence the
name ‘Hybrid’.
The Hybrid actually started from an idea that
Guru brand manager Adam Rooney and myself
had, and with the help of some design tweaks
from top commercial angler Paul Holland we
went about creating the perfect feeder.
Months of testing followed and I can honestly
say the results with it, for me personally, have
been exceptional, starting with a winter match
win at Boddington on its first outing.
For me the Hybrid feeder ticks every box as it
casts well, offers superb bait presentation, and
is dead easy to load with bait.
If I had to pick one key point, though, it would
be bait presentation. The way the Hybrid works
is that you get a little ‘bowl’ of pellets with your
hookbait on top that carp simply can’t miss.
I’m so confident in these feeders now that
under certain circumstances I now prefer them
to a Method. Apparently I’m not alone, as I see
and speak to so many anglers who are converts
to the Hybrid.
SHORT HOOKLENGTHS RULE
Just like when I’m fishing the Method, I find a
4ins hooklength to be the ideal length on the
Hybrid feeder.
45

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Experiment
with your
hookbaits to
get the best
out of the
Hybrid.
Not only does it comply with most fishery
rules, but it also gives the hookbait that little bit
of extra movement to enable it to behave in a
more natural way once a fish sucks it in.
Hook size and line diameter depend on what
species and size of fish I’m targeting.
For venues like Barston Lakes, where I’m
looking to catch a mixed bag of skimmers, F1s
and carp, I will use a size 16 MWG to 0.17mm
Guru N-Gauge.
However, on bigger waters, like Boddington
Reservoir – where it’s all about carp and the
average fish is 8lb-plus – I’ll set up with a size 12
QM1 hook to 0.19mm line.
BLEND IN OR STAND OUT?
When it comes to hookbaits there are two
distinct camps that they fall into – blend in and
stand out.
Blend in baits such as 6mm or 8mm hard
coarse pellets are used to match the feed, and
can work really well when the fish are proving
a bit cagey and you can trick them into eating
a hookbait which is masked among the loose
offerings.
Stand out hookbaits, such as mini 8mm fluoro
boilies, work in the opposite way in that they
give the fish a bait they can really home in on.
However, the best hookbait of all for the Hybrid
has to be the Ringers Chocolate Orange Wafter.
This is a bait that has neutral buoyancy and
when fished on a hair rig it will naturally sit a
tiny bit off bottom and, more importantly, act
very naturally to a feeding carp.
Both types of hookbait can be extremely
effective – it’s all about working out which is
right on any particular day.
WHERE TO PUT YOUR FEEDER
The beauty of the Hybrid feeder is that it can
be fished in pretty much any situation, ranging
from shallow water tight to islands or in the
margins to big, deep, open-water lakes. This is
because it’s available in a range of sizes.
Because the majority of the bait is enclosed
inside the feeder, very little feed is lost on
impact after casting, so even in deep water you
can rest assured that your bait will hit the
Match end tackle to the size of the fish.
46

HYBRID FEEDER
THE HYBRID FEEDER
HYBRID
FEEDER
SIDE SLOTS
During testing of early
versions one of the problems
encountered was getting the
bait to break down once the
feeder was on the bottom.
This is where Paul Holland’s
advice came in. His idea was to
put holes in the base and slots
in the side. These helped to get
the bait out, and gave pellets a
bit of extra purchase to grip on
to when being loaded.
PICK THE RIGHT SIZE
Getting the right size and
weight of feeder for your
fishing is crucial, and allows
you to not only reach longrange
spots but also to
regulate the amount of bait
that you’re putting in.
I use all three sizes of feeder.
The Mini weighs 24g and is
perfect for winter on small
waters. The Small version is a
more general-sized feeder for
year-round use and comes in
24g and 36g weights.
A ‘Big Bertha’ version, in both
28g and 45g, allows you to get
a lot more feed out, and it’s the
45g size that I love for venues
such as Boddington.
BOTTOM LIP
The lip at the bottom of the
feeder is raised. This makes it
a lot easier to load and adds
weight forward, meaning that
accurate casting even at range
becomes a little easier.
You’ll notice the feeder has
long stems too. All sizes are
compatible with the X-Safe
system, which means they can
be fished inline or elasticated,
just by changing the stems.
47

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
bottom intact and you’ll be fishing effectively.
The secret to getting the best out of this tactic
is regular casting in order to try and build the
swim up. Using ythe line clip on your reel plus
a far-bank marker as an aiming point is vital to
ensure you hit the same spot every time.
Building the peg
up will result in a
bite every chuck in
the closing stages.
HOW OFTEN TO CAST
As a guide, to kick off on a normal commercial
fishery I will look to cast every three to f ive
minutes to start with in order to try and get
some bait down into the peg early doors.
That means that when the carp do turn up I
can hold them for that little bit longer.
What you will find when fishing in this
manner is that you will get little bursts of fish –
such as four quick carp, nothing for 20 minutes,
and then three more fish in quick succession.
In the last hour of a session you’ll often find
the swim will be solid with fish. By this time
there will be plenty of bait on the bottom and
the fish will be properly on the feed anyway at
this late stage of the day.
This is a very positive way of fishing and it has
caught me a lot of big weights already this year.
STEP-BY-STEP – HOW TO LOAD THE HYBRID
1
First job is to prepare the micro pellets
for use. That’s done by dampening them
down for a few seconds, as you’ll need
them to stick into the feeder.
2
With bait prepared, I now take a good
helping of micros and pour them into
the feeder frame. Go overboard with the
amount, as you’ll be compressing them.
3
Now squash the pellets relatively firmly
with your finger to pack them into the
frame, effectively creating a layer of
micros in the base.
4
The hookbait is placed on top of the
pellets and can even be pressed gently
into them. A banded 6mm pellet is hard
to beat in my opinion.
5
To complete the feeder, I now take more
prepared micros and pop them on top
of the feeder, but only squeeze them
hard enough to create a dome.
6
The finished Hybrid! Once it hits bottom
the gently-squeezed pellets will break
down fast, revealing the hookbait. The
bottom layer is next to break down.
48

MINI HYBRID FEEDER
HYBRID
FEEDER
WHEN SMALL REALLY
IS BEAUTIFUL!
The scaled-down Hybrid packs a punch for winter carp, as Steve reveals...
THERE is a massive misconception in
fishing that as soon as it goes cold
the feeder stops working – what
nonsense!
Okay, I have to admit that I’m a huge fan
of bomb and single hookbait fishing on
big stillwaters in the winter but there are
times – especially on some of our commercial
lakes – when the fish will respond to a bit of bait
at range, just as they do on a pole line.
However, you need to refine your approach,
in particular paying attention to the size of your
feeder, hooks, and lines, as well as the spots
where you cast to.
Get it right and there can be plenty of bites,
and fish, to be had. Here’s how to get the best
out of my micro feeder attack…
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FEEDER
When the water is cold and clear there is
nothing worse than crashing a great big feeder
into the lake – all it does is scare the fish.
This is the time for a small, stealthy feeder
and I’m having a lot of success using the Guru
Mini 24g Hybrid.
Not only is this a very small feeder, it’s also
not too heavy so it won’t make a big impact as it
hits the surface.
The other point worth making is that the Mini
Hybrid doesn’t carry lots of bait, and at this
time of year I’m looking to put just enough bait
in to catch a fish, rather than trying to build up
a swim.
The only change I make to the feeder itself is
to remove the inline stem that it comes with
and attach a small, elasticated ‘X-Safe’ stem
49

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
In winter I will always cast into the deepest water
available, as this is where you’ll find the carp.
50

MINI HYBRID FEEDER
HYBRID
FEEDER
as I feel I lose less fish with elastic in the feeder.
This is particularly the case when the hooked
fish is around the net.
FINE DOWN YOUR HOOKLENGTHS
Depending on the size of carp I’m likely to
encounter I like to fine things down a little, but
not too much! Take a venue where the carp
run from 2lb-6lb... in this instance I’d fish a
4ins hooklength of 0.17mm Guru N-Gauge line
(6lb) to a size 18 Super MWG hook.
I don’t see any need to go lighter than this as
I want to land every fish you hook. There’s no
point working hard for a bite if you can’t land it!
SAFE BAITS TO USE
Groundbait can work in the cold, but for me
pellets are far more reliable. My first choice is
2mm Ringers Method micros in particular.
These are relatively low in oil, so easier for the
carp to digest, and light-coloured to offer visual
attraction too.
They need to break down quickly, and being
a blend of different pellets they are designed to
do just that.
If you are in any doubt as to how quickly your
pellets are breaking down, it’s worth having a
little tub of water on your bait tray which you
can use to check the breakdown time.
USE BRIGHT HOOKBAITS
Hookbaits are all about colour! In clear water I
want to give the carp a hookbait they can spot
easily. My favourite is a 6mm orange Dumbbell
Wafter, brightly coloured and very light so it
just sinks under the weight of the hook.
You don’t have to fish orange all the time, and
if I don’t get an immediate response I’ll try a
change. As a guide, in clear water I like to stick
to four colours – orange, white, pink and yellow.
WHERE TO FISH
It’s important to remember that areas that hold
feeder fish in the summer rarely do so in the
winter.
When it’s freezing cold you aren’t going to
Gear up
correctly
so you land
every fish.
Carp can’t
fail to notice
a bright
hookbait!
catch carp in inches of water against an island,
but drop the feeder into deeper water and you
just might!
For example, in summer I would be casting
tight across to far-bank rushes in the shallow
water, but at this time of year when the water
is cold and clear the carp just don’t want to be
there.
Instead I’m looking to target the deeper
water, in this case the bottom of the far shelf
or in open water, the main depth of the lake.
The carp feel safer in the deeper water and as a
result are more likely to feed.
Another little tip on this subject is that in
winter you have to try and find the fish. By all
means clip up at the start, but it is pointless
casting to the same spot every time if you are
getting no bites or indications.
If after a couple of casts you haven’t had any
signs, look to take the clip off and cast to a new
piece of water.
Carp won’t move far in the cold, so it’s
important you try and find them.
When you do, bites are virtually guaranteed
- the difference a few feet can make really is
amazing.
HOW OFTEN TO CAST
There’s no golden rule here, but one thing you
definitely don’t want to be doing is recasting
every two minutes, unless of course the tip is
going round inside that time!
Regular recasting just for the sake of it is a
sure-fire way to spook fish in clear water.
As a guide, providing I’m happy with the cast
(as in where and how it’s landed) I will leave the
feeder out for 20 minutes.
In fact as the match goes on, if the fishing is
hard, I will leave it out even longer.
In the past I have found that in winter the
longer the feeder is in the water, the more
chance there is of getting a bite.
STEP-BY-STEP – LOADING THE MICRO FEEDER
1 2 3
The first step is to cover the bowl of
the feeder with a decent layer of your
dampened micro pellets.
I like to push the pellets into the bowl so
I know they will get to the bottom even
if the feeder doesn’t land quite right.
Place the hookbait on top and add
enough pellets to cover. The pellets
should sit just above the edges.
51

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
PICK PELLETS
FOR THE HYBRID
A bag of micros is the perfect partner for a Wafter
THE Hybrid feeder isn’t that different
from a Method in terms of the baits
and feeds that I use, and looking
back, I can limit my picks to just a
handful – micros in the feeder and a
Wafter on the hook.
Whether I’m fishing in summer on
waters such as Barston Lakes or waiting for a
pull on Boddington Reservoir in winter, this
combo gives me enormous confidence.
Wafters, in particular, will outfish a pellet
or a boilie every time, offering a more
natural presentation to wary carp.
To create sticky pellets I give
them a good squirt of Mainline’s
Stick Mix Liquid, then disperse
it for an even coating.
52

HYBRID FEEDER PELLETS
HYBRID
BAITS
STEP-BY-STEP PELLET PREPARATION
1
The Guru Pellet Strainer makes prepping
micros so much easier! The micro pellets
I use for all Hybrid and Method feeder
work are Ringers Method Micros.
2
The strainer slots perfectly into a bait
tub and into this I pour the dry pellets.
Don’t overfill the strainer, though, or
you’ll end up with water everywhere!
Without a doubt the bait of the
moment is the chocolate orange
Wafter for winter and summer
work. I use 8mm and 10mm sizes.
3
Add water to generously cover the
pellets. If you wish, at this point you can
also add any liquid flavourings to the
water to seal them into the pellets.
4
Allow a few minutes for the water to be
absorbed and then lift the strainer out,
making sure to drain the water into the
bait tub. Give it a good shake at the end.
Natural-coloured pellet Wafters
come into play in summer, or on
waters that see lots of pellets.
Again I fish 8mm and 10mm baits.
5
The micros will now be evenly wetted
and start to soften. Pop them into your
bait tub. You’ll find that they now don’t
stick together in the tub in a clump!
6
A few more minutes to let the pellets
stand will produce the perfect
consistency to mould around a Method
or cram into a Hybrid feeder.
53

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
PELLET
FEEDER
54

PELLET FEEDER RIG
Often overlooked, this
set-up rules the roost on
pellet-dominated waters.
PAGES 56 - 57
HOW TO FISH IT!
Steve shows that spring
bream love pellets just as
much as carp do.
PAGES 58 - 61
MINI FEEDER MAGIC
When autumn arrives,
pick a tiny pellet feeder
from the bag.
PAGES 62 -65
55

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
PELLET
FEEDER
POWER!
Mainline
With both carp and
F1s likely, 8lb Guru
Pulse will deal with
specimen fish and
regular casting.
Get on this superb feeder attack now
THERE are some waters that I fish
where the Method or Hybrid feeder
can be superceded by the pellet
feeder, a totally different-looking
approach that still aims to achieve
the same job – putting the bait on a
short hooklink right where the fish
can’t fail to see it.
But which waters am I talking about?
Generally, I’d count fisheries with a high
proportion of F1s that see lots of pellets fed
either on the pole or waggler. Unlike carp, F1s
need slightly more moderated feeding, often
just a pinch on each cast to get a quick reponse,
and the pellet feeder does this perfectly.
You’ll struggle to cram much more than a
small palmful of micro pellets into the feeder
and as they are often smaller overall than a
Method or Hybrid, they’re brilliant for casting
into gaps in reeds against islands as they make
less disturbance when landing.
The pellet feeder is also a good pick in winter
when appetites are lessened by the cold and
tiny helpings of bait are the way to go.
Stems
When allowed I’ll go
down the elasticated
route, picking the
white elastic unless
fishing for big carp.
W H E N T O U S E I T
On waters where pellets dominate
from spring to autumn, especially
where F1s are the dominant species.
W H Y F I S H I T ?
Accuracy when casting to islands is
unrivalled and the hookbait will ‘pop’
out of the feeder as the bait breaks
down – right in front of the fish.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 Thread the feeder on the mainline.
2 Take the line and create a six-inch
twizzled loop that the feeder can
slide down with ease.
3 Within this twizzled length tie in a
Guru Speed Bead, trapping it at the
end of the twizzled loop.
4 Run the feeder down the line so that
it sits against the bead.
5 Now attach your hooklink and hook
to the bead’s crook.
56

PELLET FEEDER FINESSE
PELLET
FEEDER RIG
Feeder
The Guru Inline Pellet
Feeder lets me fish an
elasticated feeder in
safety. The 28g model
is just perfect.
Hooklink
This is made up of
0.15mm Guru N-Gauge
and I always use a
short 4ins link for the
pellet feeder.
Feed
Dampened Ringers
Method Micros go
into the feeder –
occasionally I may add
a touch of groundbait.
Hooks
On the pellet feeder
you’ll be banding hard
pellets or a dumbell,
so a size 16 MWG lets
me fish a hair rig.
57

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
As the weather warms up
bream will come to the feeder.
S W I T C H T O
T H E P E L L E T
F E E D E R F O R
EARLY
SEASON
BREAM
Not just for carp, the pellet feeder
can catch bream by the dozen!
WHEN the weather begins to warm
up, one of the first fish to start
to come to the feed are bream
– and if there’s one thing I know
about bream it’s that they love
‘yellow’ baits.
Yellow groundbait, dyed pellets and
meat and, of course, sweetcorn are the staple
baits every angler needs to have on their side
tray over the next few months as our stillwaters
wake up and bream become the target species.
I’ve learned a lot about catching early
season bream in recent years and now have a
three-pronged approach that works for me – it
revolves around a groundbait feeder, the bomb,
and even a pellet feeder.
On standard commercials my bream set-up is
normally a small cage feeder and a short,
8ins hooklength in order to keep the hookbait
close to the feeder itself.
Over the years I’ve caught a lot of bream using
this approach but always felt that it could be
improved, and that got me thinking about the
pellet feeder as a viable option.
I have always felt that I want to get my
hookbait close to the feeder as possible when
bream fishing, and the pellet feeder allows me
to do this compared to a cage or open-end.
In fact I can bury my hookbait in the feeder
itself, where it couldn’t be any closer to the
feed. Perfect!
The bomb comes into play during a session as
sometimes bream can shy away from the feeder
crashing in and a couple of casts with a light
bomb can help you pick up a few shy fish during
the day when the bites have tailed off. A simple
change can make a huge difference.
There are some big weights on the cards once
the fish get on the feed, so grab your feeder rod,
dig out your yellow baits and get catching…
USE A YELLOW MIX
Fishmeal groundbaits are my first choice for
bream, and my mix is made up of Ringers
Original Bag Up with a little bit of powdered
yellow dye added to enhance the colour.
I’m a big believer in bream liking bright baits
and the addition of the dye makes the mix really
stand out on the bottom.
Bream seem to love the colour yellow.
58

PELLET FEEDER FOR BREAM
PELLET
FEEDER
59

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
The perfect
big bream
spread for
early season.
MY PELLET FEEDER RIG
ADD MICROS
A particle-rich mix is crucial when bream
fishing, and I will add 2mm Ringers Method
micro pellets which are wetted down with
water prior to adding to my groundbait mix.
I also add a sprinkling of yellow boilie dye to the
prepared pellets.
As they’re so small they allow me to put a lot
of individual particles down, which helps me to
hold the bream in the swim for much longer.
DROP IN A FEW HOOKBAITS
I also add corn to the mix - being bright yellow
it stands out and gives the bream something to
home in on – plus it gives me another hookbait
option. For the same reason I will also add a few
larger expander pellets to the feeder mix.
These bigger baits help stop the fish
becoming preoccupied with one size of
Ensure that your bream feed is packed with
particles to hold big fish in the swim.
I can’t fault the
MWG hook for
bream work.
particle, which can lead to them ignoring your
bigger hookbaits.
FIND A HOTSPOT
Bream love to patrol around the bottom of
shelves where food collects and they can get an
easy meal. Therefore it makes sense to target
them there.
If I genuinely don’t know the venue at all I will
always have a cast about with a bomb to try and
build a picture of exactly what’s in front of me,
things like drop-offs or depth changes. If I can’t
find any variations on the bottom I’ll pick a
comfortable distance and just fish it for the day.
PUT SOME FEED OUT
I always like to get a few feederfuls of bait out
into the swim at the start of my session and use
a large cage feeder to put out a lot of particles
quickly. On a normal session I will look to put
in six large cage feeders full of groundbait,
expander pellets, micros and corn.
EMPTY ON THE TOP
I will empty at least two of the baiting-up
feeders as soon as they hit the surface. This
gives you a much bigger spread of bait as it falls
through the water, giving the fish more room to
feed over.
The way to do this is to plug the feeder lightly
then, as soon as it hits the water, shake the
contents out.
FEEDER CHOICE
The 24g Guru X-Safe
Pellet Feeder holds
1
enough bait and it
heavy enough to cast
accurately even in windy
conditions.
HOOKLINK LENGTH
I’m trying to get a
bream to take the bait
2
quickly so that means
no less than 4ins of 0.15mm or
0.17mm N-Gauge.
TOP HOOKS
3
Even with the chance of
a carp I’d go with a size
16 Guru MWG pattern.
BAIT SELECTION
Yellow is the key here
so that means corn,
4
dyed meat discs or a
yellow mini boilie. Corn is
always my starting bait.
PACKING THE FEEDER
Bream love groundbait
so this forms the core
5
of my feed. To it are are
added plenty of dampened
micro pellets and a few grains
of corn.
LOAD THE PELLET FEEDER
I always bury the hookbait. The way to do
this is to load the pellet feeder with a mix of
groundbait and micros and then flatten the end
with your thumb.
I then place the hookbait on the flattened
area and cover it with a little more groundbait.
As the feeder hits the bottom the first thing
to come free will be the hookbait, once the
groundbait starts to break down.
GEAR UP PROPERLY
My 6lb mainline is tied direct to a 24g,
small Guru X-Safe pellet feeder with a 4ins
hooklength of 0.15mm or 0.17mm to a size 16
MWG hook. Hooklength diameter depends on
whether there are any bonus carp or tench in
the venue. If it’s all bream then I’ll use 0.15mm.
60

PELLET FEEDER FOR BREAM
PELLET
FEEDER
1
2
5
4
3
HAIR-RIG THE BAITS
Hair-rigging your baits is vital to ensure better
hook-ups, especially when using baits like corn.
I hair-rig a single grain lengthways with the
bait stop on the outside of the rounded end
of the bait – this way the hook is left clear for
better hooking potential.
TRY A MEAT DISC
Switching hookbaits can really pay off when
bream fishing, as they can be really picky. One
bait I really rate is meat discs. I punch out
8mm cylinders of meat and then cut them into
narrow discs around 5mm long. These discs are
dyed yellow and then hair-rigged.
SWITCH TO A BOILIE
One of my favourite bream hookbaits is a
yellow, 8mm Ringers Allsorts boilie fished on a
hair rig and once on the bottom this looks just
like a grain of corn and is therefore sucked in
with confidence.
The advantage the boilie has over other
hookbaits is that it’s a lot more robust. If small
nuisance fish are a problem this can be a big
plus, as you can fish in confidence knowing that
your hookbait is still intact!
LEAVE IT OUT
You’ll often find the first hour of your session
can be quite slow when fishing for bream, but
this doesn’t bother me and I actually prefer not
to catch during this opening spell.
Anglers often ask me how long they should
be leaving the feeder out at this time. I reckon
that around 10 minutes for each cast is fine, but
if you’ve not had an indication then reel in, fill
your feeder and go back out again so that you
are building the swim up over time.
TOP UP YOUR SWIM
Quite often you’ll find you’ll get a few bites and
indications before the swim goes quiet again,
and when this happens you have a decision to
make.
You can either sit tight and hope the bream
come back and settle again, or you can top the
swim up and try to pull them back.
Personally I prefer the latter, so when it goes
quiet I will put three more big cages of bait in
and then cast the pellet feeder back over the
top. Quite often this will provoke an immediate
response as the bream come straight back to
the feed and you’re catching again.
61

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
The Mini Pellet Feeder
drops just enough
feeder into the swim on
each cast.
I N S T A N T A C T I O N
ON THE MICRO FEEDER
How to catch big weights now by scaling down your tactics
62

MICRO FEEDER FOR QUICK RESULTS
MICRO
FEEDER
IF YOU’RE out on the bank of your local
commercial in autumn then doubtless
you’ll notice the colour of the water is
starting to drop out as the feeding of
the fish slows down.
For me that’s the signal to adapt my tactics
and adopt a more ‘softly softly’ approach,
especially when it comes to fishing the feeder.
Instead of using big feeders to put plenty of
bait in, it’s all about ‘less is more’, using a
micro-sized feeder to put in just enough bait to
catch a fish without spooking them.
Rather than the Method or groundbait feeder,
I often reach for Guru’s Micro Pellet Feeders.
These are barely bigger than a pound coin and
so are perfect for keeping both disturbance and
feed going into the peg to a minimum.
It might be getting colder, but there’s still the
chance to catch big weights of carp from most
fisheries – if you get things right, of course.
This means limiting how often you cast so as
not to cause too much commotion in the swim,
as well as regulating just how much feed is
going into the peg.
PELLETS FOR THE FEEDER
As the name suggests, these feeders are
designed for fishing with pellets.
That isn’t to say groundbait can’t be used in a
pellet feeder because it can, but I feel that in
63

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Always begin with a 6mm hard pellet.
the cold pellets are a better option.
The type of pellets you use is crucial. I prefer
coarse pellets, as they are lower in oil than
others and so are a lot easier for carp to digest
in water that’s turning colder each day.
I don’t think you can go wrong with Ringers
Method Micros, as they are not only low oil but
light in colour. This means they offer a visual
attraction too, although any low oil pellet will
do the job!
In terms of pellet size, I like to use a mixture
of 2mm and 4mm pellets and will mix them so I
have two-thirds 2mm to one-third 4mm.
By mixing the sizes of the pellets I feel it helps
to prevent the fish getting too preoccupied on
one size of food item. That can cause problems
when you want to get the fish to pick up a
Mix the pellet sizes to get bites quicker.
hookbait which is bigger than the free offerings.
HARD PELLET HOOKBAITS
There are a couple of bait types I have a lot of
faith in for this approach.
The first is either a 4mm or 6mm hard pellet.
These are what I call ‘blend in’ baits as they
match the pellets in the feeder and I believe
they are sucked up by a feeding fish without it
even realising until it’s too late!
I will kick off on a 6mm bait but if I start to get
a few indications (tiny taps and knocks) that
suggest there are fish around the feeder and I’m
not getting proper bites then I will switch to a
smaller 4mm offering.
A 4mm pellet matches the baits in the feeder
that bit better, so if there are a few wary carp
feeding, the chances of one making a mistake
are a lot higher.
My back-up hookbait is a single grain of corn.
This works very differently to the hard pellets
as it stands out and gives the carp something
they can home in on.
Normally I will just alternate the two baits to
see what gets the better response on the day.
As a rule, though, the harder the fishing, the
more effective the corn is. I believe in the cold
carp feed on sight a lot more, and therefore
highly visible hookbaits come into their own.
BAIT AND WAIT
With the water being cold and clear, regular
casting is very much a no-no as far as I’m
concerned. Even a pellet feeder as small as this
one going in can spook fish by repeated casting,
so realistically it’s all about making every cast
count and only reeling in when a carp is on!
Of course, in practice that isn’t always
possible but to kick off I would be looking to
fish each cast for between 10 and 15 minutes
unless I saw something that made me think I
needed to cast more regularly.
As the session or match progresses I might
work out a bite time, for example between five
and six minutes, and work around this but until
I do I will keep any potential disturbance to a
minimum by only recasting when I need to.
Of course, being super-accurate is also vital as
just one misplaced cast can spook the fish.
Keep the feed amount
minimal and the tip
will keep going round!
64

MICRO FEEDER FOR QUICK RESULTS
STEVE’S MICRO PELLET FEEDER SET-UP
MAINLINE
I use 8lb Daiwa Hyper
Sensor. That might
sound heavy for
short-range work but
with it being a low
diameter line I find
this negates any loss
in presentation that
8lb line might bring
and gives you extra
security for bigger fish.
FEEDER SIZE
The feeders come in just
one size and weight – 24g
– which is ideal for shortrange
work, casting either
tight to islands or into open
water on smaller fisheries.
1
MICRO
FEEDER
HOW TO LOAD
THE MICRO FEEDER
Fill the feeder with pellets before
compressing them with your
finger. That way, not only do they
stay in the feeder but at the same time a
flattish area is created on which to place
the hookbait.
2
Position the hookbait at the back
of the feeder before adding
another covering of pellets to
keep it enclosed.
3
Once the second lot of pellets are
compressed into place the feeder
is ready for casting.
HOOKLENGTH
This depends on the size of
fish I’m looking to catch. If
the fish are predominantly
2lb-4lb I’ll opt for 4ins of
0.15mm Guru N-Gauge to a
size 18 Super MWG hook.
This is tied using the
knotless knot, with a micro
bait band replacing the
conventional hair. If the fish
were 4lb-8lb I’d step up to a
0.17mm hooklength.
ELASTICATED/INLINE
Pellet feeders come inline
but where allowed I prefer to
fish them elasticated with a
short stem pushed through
the feeder with light white
or heavy black elastic. The
white elastic is spot-on for
F1s and carp to 5lb, while
for anything bigger I use the
black elasticated version.
The great thing about the X-Safe
4
elasticated system I use is that it
features a clip at the top. This
allows me to prepare feeders in
between bites. It’s simply a case of
reeling in and clipping on a new
pre-loaded feeder to save time. The
more time I can spend with bait in the
water, the more fish I can catch!
65

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GROUNDBAIT
FEEDER
66

BIG BREAM RIG
Gear up with Steve’s
distance feeder rig that’s
won him lots of matches.
PAGES 68 - 69
FEEDERLINKS
Create the ultimate
anti-tangle set-up with
these clever links.
PAGES 70 -71
ON THE BANK
See how Steve does it on
a bream-packed day at
Ferry Meadows.
PAGES 72 - 75
BEST BAITS
What to put on the
hook to catch slabs and
skimmers on the feeder.
PAGES 76 - 77
CAST FURTHER
Simple advice to help
you chuck further and
more accurately.
PAGES 78 - 79
GROUNDBAIT MIXES
When to use fishmeal
over traditional sweet
groundbaits for bream.
PAGES 80 - 81
CAGE FEEDER
Keep catching in winter
by scaling down with this
‘scratching’ approach.
PAGES 82 - 85
67

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
BREAM
FEEDER
SET-UP
Shockleader
Essential when using
braided mainline and
casting a long way.
This line acts as a
shock-absorber.
Get on Steve’s no-tangle big slab rig
OF ALL the different types of feeder
fishing that I do, I’d have to say that
groundbait feeder work for bream
has changed the most down the
years, both in terms of the rig and
the way that it is fished.
Twenty years ago, this would have
involved using target boards and striking at
tiny knocks on the quivertip with light lines
and small hooks, but bream, especially big fish
today, are very aggressive feeders that produce
positive bites and which will take big hookbaits
with complete ease.
This now means fishing large hair-rigged baits
alongside regular feed, fishmeal as opposed
to sweet groundbaits, braided mainlines to
help casting and bite registration, and weightforward
‘rocket’ feeders that will cast up to 80
yards whatever the conditions.
All that said, my rig isn’t hard to tie and, more
importantly, it is also very hard to tangle.
This means that I can be confident that it will
be fishing properly and not lying in a tangled
heap after casting!
Feederlink
This prevents the
feeder from tangling
around the hooklink
during casting. See
p66/67
Feeder
For long casts nothing
can beat a rocket or
distance-style feeder
with the weight built
into one end.
W H E N T O U S E I T
For bream and skimmers that require
plenty of feed at long distances
throughout the year.
W H Y U S E I T ?
Groundbait and bream are perfect
partners so you need a big feeder to
build up a fed area over which a shoal
of fish can graze for hours.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 Once your shockleader is tied to the
braid mainline (see page 17), slide
feeder and feederlink on to the line.
2 Now slide a float stop on to the line
below the feeder.
3 Take the line and create a tightlytwisted
loop of around six inches.
4 Slide the float stop down to rest
above the twisted section.
5 Attach the hooklink to the twisted
loop via the loop-to-loop method.
Feed
A mix of fishmeal
groundbait, micro
pellets, casters,
chopped worm and a
few pieces of corn.
68

THE RELIABLE GROUNDBAIT FEEDER
GROUNDBAIT
FEEDER RIG
Twizzled loop
Six inches of
shockleader twizzled
tightly creates a stiff
boom so the hooklink
stands clear.
Hooklink
Because big bream
are the target, don’t
go light – 0.17mm
Guru N-Gauge is spot
on for fish to 8lb.
Hook
I like to hair-rig baits
and so I pick a size 14
Guru MWG Barbed
pattern used with the
knotless knot.
69

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
KISS GOODBYE TO
RIG TANGLES!
How to create my feeder link. You’ll wish you’d done it years ago!
AKEY component of my bream and
silverfish feeder rigs is the use of
a feeder link – a short, stiff length
of line that runs off the mainline
with the feeder attached at the
opposite end.
The benefits of using a link are many
and for me, it cuts down on tangles that can
often happen when fishing with a paternoster.
I also think that it results in a neater overall
set-up and better presentation.
Making your own links is very quick and
easy - here’s how I do mine.
STEP-BY-STEP – HOW TO TIE MY FEEDER LINK
1
Take the length of line – I use 0.47mm
Korda Mouthtrap – and thread a 0.6mm
small double-barrelled crimp on to it.
2
Now pop a small plastic bead on to the
line behind the crimp. Mine are from
Hobbycraft and cost pennies.
3
The line is doubled back and passed
through the crimp. Everything is pulled
tight to leave the bead at one end.
4
Take a pair of pliers and firmly crush the
crimp to trap the line, ensuring the bead
is sitting snugly against the crimp.
5
This is how one end of the link should
look. Try not to leave a gap that will
allow the bead to move freely.
6
At the opposite end of the link thread
on another crimp and then a snaplink
swivel to attach the feeder to.
7
Repeat step 3, doubling the line back
through the crimp and leaving the
snaplink trapped tightly in place.
8
Crush the crimp with the pliers, being
sure to hold the line tight so that a stiff
boom is created to form the link.
9
And that’s it! The finished feeder link
should have no movement in the bead
or snaplink at either end.
70

TIE STEVE’S E S FEEDER E E LINK
FEEDER
E E LINKS
A very short link of around 2ins-3ins
is good for days when the fish are
coming to the feeder to get at the
bait. This link then puts the feeder
very close to the hookbait and should
result in a quicker bite.
A very long link comes in handy for
days when I want to put the feeder
well away from the hookbait. In this
instance, the link could be 10ins long
– just make sure that it is not longer
than your hooklength!
This is a standard feeder link of
around 6ins, and would be the one
I’d use for most situations. The key
here is to try and work out how
positively the fish are approaching
the feeder before making changes.
“ A FEEDER LINK WILL CUT DOWN ON TANGLES
AND MAKES FOR A NEATER OVERALL SET-UP”
71

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GO LONG
FOR BIG
BREAM
SUCCESS
Reach for the horizon with Steve’s
distance attack that’s seen him
break records on a favourite venue
I’VE always had something of a love
affair with Ferry Meadows Lakes near
Peterborough ever since I was a kid.
These vast gravel pits hold lots of big
bream that don’t give themselves
up easily, but they offer a handsome
reward to the angler who gets their
approach right.
Thankfully, the lakes are now holding
regular open matches, and these are among
the highlights of my fishing year. Combine
them with two-day mini festivals and big
memorial matches and it’s no surprise that
I’m a regular there throughout the spring
and summer.
One of my favourite feeder matches of all
time was when I broke the match record
for the lakes in a Steel City two-day event
in 2016, a benchmark that has since gone
again but which lives long in the memory as
a special match to treasure.
As a result, I get asked a lot both on
the bank and on social media about my
approach for fishing Ferry, where long and
accurate casting is needed but where the
bream can reach double figures.
I could spend all day talking about this, but
I reckoned it would be quicker if I boiled it
all down to the six key things that form the
bedrock of my bream attack at Ferry.
BRAID
If you’d have asked me five years ago about
using braid for bream then my answer
would have been very different – back then
I never used it, whereas now I wouldn’t fish
without it!
In case you are wondering why I rate braid
so highly there are two real benefits as far as
I can see. First, and perhaps most obviously,
bite detection is massively enhanced. With
braid having literally zero stretch, any
72

DISTANCE FISHING FOR BREAM
GROUNDBAIT
FEEDER
73

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Kev Leach’s feeders make short work of a
long cast or an awkward cross wind!
indication on the tip is magnified, meaning that
even when fishing at distance bites tend to be
very positive and as a result are far easier to hit.
Second, braid is very low in diameter
compared to nylon which makes a big
difference in terms of casting distance. Because
braid is so fine I use 0.10mm Pulse8. This flies
through the rod rings and makes fishing at long
range a whole lot easier.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT FEEDERS
Most of my bream fishing at Ferry is done at
distances in excess of 55m, so choosing the
right feeder is vital.
Of course, you can cast 55m with a normal
open-end feeder but I’m a big believer in
making things easier for myself.
I tend to use a Kevin Leach feeder in either
30g or 40g. In case you don’t know what a Kevin
Leach feeder is, basically it’s a weight-forward
cage feeder. The advantage with this type of
feeder is that it flies a lot straighter and a lot
truer, improving my accuracy no end. Guru is
due to bring out its own range in the not too
distance future.
I always kick off on a big six-hole feeder with
a view to getting a bit of bait down, and as for
weight, I stick to either 30g or 40g - which one I
choose depends on the conditions.
If the wind is kind I will stick to 30g, but if I
have an awkward cross wind then 40g is ideal
for punching through it and making sure the
braid is straightened on the cast.
HAIR-RIG YOUR WORMS
If I had to pick just one bait for bream fishing
then without doubt it would have to be worms.
To put it quite simply they have caught me
more bream than I care to remember, and in
years to come I have no doubt they will catch
me a lot more!
The only downside to fishing worms is
that they have a tendency to either spin your
hooklength up on the retrieve or, alternatively
and without doubt more annoyingly, they have
a tendency to go over the hookpoint and mask
it, leading to lost fish.
This used to be a real bugbear of mine, but
that all changed when I started hair-rigging my
worms. The advantage of hair-rigging is that
the hook is left totally free, with little risk of the
worm being anywhere near the hookpoint.
On top of that the worm sits a lot straighter
when hair-rigged so you don’t get anywhere
near the amount of line twist when reeling in.
One point regarding my hookbait is that
I always like to fish two pieces of worm as
opposed to one. I feel it makes the hookbait
stand out that little bit better.
It also means that it looks just like a couple of
Dyeing
your micro
pellets
yellow
makes them
stand out
to fish.
Dead reds aren’t such a
good bait as worms.
You can
get away
with big
hooks when
fishing
worms.
74

DISTANCE FISHING FOR BREAM
GROUNDBAIT
FEEDER
CHOP YOUR WORMS
Whenever the fishing is hard, the bait I
always turn to is chopped worm.
It gives out loads of fish-attracting
scent which bream love, so if I’m
struggling I will take the other loose
offerings out of the feeder and pile in
chopped worm.
To keep the food value down I chop
the worms into a very fine mush so I
don’t overfeed any bream in the peg.
That said, if I get the bream really
feeding in the swim I will put more solid
food offerings on the bottom.
That means roughly chopped worm
pieces of around an inch long. These are
very similar in appearance to what I am
fishing on the hook.
pieces of chopped worm on the bottom, which
arguably is even more important.
COLOUR YOUR PELLETS
I have always been a great believer in the fact
that bream love bright colours, yellow in
particular. If you think about it, some of the
best bream groundbaits are yellow and corn,
another bait that bream love, is yellow too!
I think this all boils down to visibility, in that
yellow baits give the bream something they can
see and then drop down on. With this in mind
I like to dye my feed pellets yellow, just to give
them a boost in terms of colour.
The way I like to do this is to take a mixture
of 2mm and 4mm coarse pellets and then soak
them in the normal manner. I cover them in
cold water for 30 seconds, then drain the water
off and leave them to stand overnight.
Then, to add the colour, I just sprinkle on a
little yellow Mainline Baits boilie dye and give
the pellets a shake until they all turn yellow.
GO LONG
Like most match anglers I am always looking
for an edge when bream fishing on big waters,
and one such edge is to fish at distance so you
are out past those around you.
This way I will have my own water to pull fish
from, as opposed to sharing it with the anglers
around me.
If you think about it, if I’m in a line of anglers
all clipped up at 50m then it’s going to be hard
to draw any fish in. If, however, I fish at 60m in
that line then not only am I pulling fish from
further out but from the left and right too.
This might not seem that significant but at
times it can make a massive difference, and
turn a peg worth maybe 25lb into one that’s
capable of 50lb-plus.
To try and gain this edge, what I like to do is
keep an eye on the anglers around me when
they are clipping up before the start and then
try and fish 5m-10m past them.
How finely
I chop the
worms will
depend on
how the
fishing is
progressing.
Hair-rigging
pieces of
worm has
been a bit of
a revelation
to me.
75

STEVE E RINGER’S R ULTIMATE FEEDER E E GUIDE
PERFECT
RECIPE
FOR BIG
WEIGHTS
Set the table for a big net of slabs
with my spread of brilliant baits
THE old adage of giving bream
enough bait to keep them feeding
still rings true, and on venues like
Ferry Meadows my mix is made up
of several ingredients.
Chopped worm, corn, pellets, casters
and, of course, groundbait all play their
part, while for the hook I swear by hair-rigging
two pieces of worm for catching really big
bream. However, dead maggots are still good
for smaller fish or when the going is tough.
Even two bits of corn or a small yellow boilie
can have their day – experimentation is key!
1
2
1
GROUNDBAIT
This is a simple 50/50
split of Ringers Original and
Dark. The Dark helps in clearer
water and the mix should be on
the damp side – not dry!
2
FISHMEAL IS KING
Even on big natural waters
like Ferry Meadows, fishmeal
rules! That means a groundbait
to suit, plus the addition of
micro pellets into the mix.
76

FEEDER E E BAITS FOR BREAM
BREAM
BAITS
STEP-BY-STEP
- S T E P
HAIR-RIGGING
R I G I G
WORMS
4
5
CHOPPED P WORM
I’ll chop my worms
relatively fine to give off
maximum leakage and scent.
This works particularly well in
clear water conditions.
3
5
A
Using a Speed Stop will not only anchor
the worms on the hair for casting but
also make getting them into position in
the first place so much easier.
4
SWEETCORN
Only a sprinkling of corn is
fed, simply to give the bream a
taster. On the hook, I’ll fish two
grains on a hair rig and always
use the natural yellow colour.
B
Using the Speed Stop Needle, pierce the
first worm through the top. I use around
a third of a normal worm to make it look
similar to the chopped worm feed.
3
MAGGOTS AND CASTERS
Casters are used as a feed
only and I add plenty of them.
Dead maggots come into play
for the hook when smaller
skimmers are the target.
C
With worm number one in place on the
hair, the second is pierced and threaded
up into place. The stop can now be
folded over to hold the bait securely.
77

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
H I T T H E S P O T :
ADDING
YARDS
TO YOUR
CAST!
Blast a feeder to the horizon with
Steve’s six top tips for casting.
THERE’S little point in having the
correct rig, lovingly-prepared bait
and groundbait and a good peg to
fish if you can’t cast your feeder far
enough in the first place.
You may think that you can cast well
and put a feeder out a long way but, trust
me, there are always a few little things that can
be added to your technique that’ll put 10 or 20
more yards on the cast.
On big waters where casting further than the
anglers around you might be important, these
little improvements will mean more fish.
My casting has certainly improved since
regularly fishing places like Ferry Meadows and
Boddington Reservoir, where up to 90 yards is
the required range.
But even on fisheries where a more moderate
one is required, casting correctly will not
only mean greater accuracy but also a lot less
pressure on your body.
Think about it. Trying to force a feeder a
long way with a bad technique will put undue
strain on your back, shoulders and arms and
inevitably lead to you casting all over the place.
Do it right, and the process will be smooth
and the feeder will land in the same spot each
time. You’ll also get fewer tangles and a reduced
chance of an embarrassing crack-off.
The six tips on the opposite page are the key
points that I recommend to anyone who asks
me about casting further - and they don’t need a
mega-expensive rod or a physique like Charles
Atlas to achieve!
“ CAST CORRECTLY AND THE
PROCESS WILL BE SMOOTH
AND ACCURATE”
78

DISTANCE FEEDER CASTING
CASTING
TIPS
Get the
basics right
and you’ll
be surprised
how far you
can cast.
GET THE RIGHT ‘DROP’
This is the length of line between
feeder and rod-tip before you
1
cast. If it is too short then you
won’t achieve the force to cast far
enough – around 5ft of line is ideal,
allowing you to really compress the rod.
USE YOUR OTHER HAND
I see too many anglers casting
using just the hand and arm
2
holding the rod around the reel.
This is wrong. Your other hand that’s on
the bottom of the handle is just as
important, as this should ‘pull’ on the
rod as you cast, creating speed on the
cast to propel the feeder further.
POINTING THE ROD
When the cast is finished, the rod
should be pointing directly to the
3
spot where the feeder has gone
into the water. This will tell you that
you’ve been accurate, and is achieved
by following through with the rod in a
straight line as the feeder flies through
the air.
RELEASE AT THE RIGHT POINT
When to release line from the
spool mid-cast makes a big
4
difference. It should happen
when the rod is roughly pointing to
11 o’clock on an imaginary clock –
12 o’clock will be the point immediately
above your head. Let go too early and
the feeder will go in a more upward
direction, while too late and it’ll crash
into the water 20 yards out!
STAND TO ATTENTION
For really long casts you’ll have
to stand up. This creates more
5
clearance behind you to get the
right ‘drop’ between feeder and rod,
and also allows you to use the weight of
your body to propel the cast.
GIVE THE ROD A WORKOUT
Modern feeder rods are designed
for casting a long way, so don’t
6
be afraid to put a lot of force into
the chuck and fully compress the rod. It
might look as though it’s bending
alarmingly but that’s what it’s built to
do – the rod won’t break!
79

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
G R O U N D B A I T S
IT’S ALL
IN THE
BLEND
Use my fantastic four and bag up!
GROUNDBAITS – now there’s a topic
that could keep anglers talking for
ages! From whether to use fishmeal,
to how wet to make the mix or
whether bream really need brown
crumb, the options and possibilities
as to what your pour into your
bucket are virtually endless.
We all have our own mix; the one we get on
well with every time we go fishing. There’s
nothing wrong with that, but you have to be
willing to change, depending on the species and
the size of fish that you are targeting.
In my experience, big bream need something
totally different from skimmers, while a roach
mix won’t be right for catching F1s. On these
two pages are the four mixes I most commonly
use for feeder fishing. Many take in the same
types of groundbait to help make your decision
in the tackle shop that much easier.
A fishmeal
mix is used for
bigger bream.
B R E A M M I X
YEARS ago you’d have taken
nothing but a sweet groundbait
plus brown crumb for bream
fishing but now, even on natural
waters, fishmeal is very much the
order of the day.
When fishing for big bream, my
standard mix is a 50/50 blend of
Ringers Original and Ringers Dark,
resulting in a fishy groundbait with
a darker edge that helps in clear
water.
This is mixed the night before to
fully absorb the water, and should
end up being on the wet side.
80

GROUNDBAIT MIXES
TOP FEEDER
MIXES
M E T H O D M I X
IF I’M being honest, groundbait
doesn’t play much of a part in my
Method feeder fishing. The only
time I’ll add some is when I may
catch some skimmers in among
the carp and F1s.
In this instance I’ll add Dynamite
Baits Swim Stim Match Sweet
Fishmeal in a ratio of 95 per cent
pellets to 5 per cent groundbait.
This should be mixed wet so that
it binds the pellets around the
feeder. Too dry and it’ll absorb
moisture from the micros and it
won’t stick to the feeder.
S I L V E R F I S H M I X
WHEN faced with a venue holding
skimmers and roach in the UK, I’ll
fish the cage feeder. This demands
something different to my big
bream or Irish silverfish mix.
I go for 70 per cent Ringers
Original for a fishmeal
hit to 30 per cent Van
Den Dynde G5, a sweet
traditional silverfish
groundbait. The G5 is
added with an eye on
catching those roach as
they aren’t always keen
on a full-on fishmeal mix.
I R I S H R O A C H M I X
IRELAND is stuffed with roach and
my feeder mix is made up three core
ingredients to suit the deep water that
you’re often faced with.
I use brown crumb, Dynamite Baits
Silver X Bream and Frenzied Hemp Black
Split in equal parts, to create a dark mix.
This is mixed to end up being sticky so it
gets down to the bottom without spilling out
of the feeder too early.
81

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
TURN ON TO THE
CAGE IN WINTER
Keep on catching in the cold with this brilliant ‘scratching’ approach
82

WINTER FEEDER TACTICS
C A G E
FEEDER
THERE will be times in winter when
water temperatures are low and
the fish really aren’t in the mood
to feed, but this doesn’t mean you
have to wave the white flag and
wait for things to warm up – all you
need to do is rethink your approach
and develop what match anglers call a
‘scratching’ mentality.
Combining smaller baits, less feed, light
hooks and lines and a smaller feeder all add up
to a method that will wring out a few fish from
the peg in the most desperate of conditions. In
this instance, catching anything that swims is a
real bonus.
For me, there’s nothing to beat the cage
feeder if the venue I am fishing holds skimmers,
roach, perch and the odd carp or F1. Silver fish,
provided they are big enough, can soon make
a decent net at the end of the day but landing
a big feeder and large hookbaits that you’d
normally use in summer on top of the fish will
only result in a motionless quivertip.
Decision-making is important too, and by
this, I mean working out when to change the
distance you are fishing at or what freebies you
can or can’t introduce through the feeder.
Put simply, there will be some fish in front
of you on well-stocked fisheries such as
Meadowlands near Coventry and they will
want to feed at some point. It’s down to the
angler to work out what’s right, and the cage
feeder will give you the best chance of success.
But why is the cage so good? Read on...
83

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Steve is a big fan of
fluorocarbon hooklinks
when the going is tough.
Dead maggots and a few micro pellets
are added to the groundbait.
Changing
feeder
size can
transform
your catch
rate.
Lightly
squeeze the
feeder on
hard days.
WHY A CAGE FEEDER?
The main difference between a cage feeder and
an open-end version is that the cage has bigger
holes from which the feed can exit. This is why
it is so good in the cold.
I know that before the feeder has hit bottom
it will have begun to give off particles of
groundbait and perhaps a few loose offerings
into the water. This is useful, because in cold
water the fish will be sitting just off the deck.
They then see these bits coming off the feeder
and follow the trail down to the lakebed where
they will find the feeder and the hookbait. In a
nutshell, the cage is all about putting attraction
into the water.
CHANGING FEEDER SIZE
The cage feeders that I use are small Nisa
models and despite their size, I can introduce
more or less bait by picking a feeder with more
or fewer holes. The four-hole model is my
starter as this gets a reasonable dollop of bait
down, but if I felt that the fish were backing
off after I’d caught a few, this would tell me to
change over to the smaller three-hole feeder.
This not only lets me put less feed through it,
but the smaller size will make less commotion
when it enters the water, something that can
spook roach and skimmers in clear water. A 22g
model is heavy enough to cast where I want.
PICKING THE RIGHT DISTANCE
On a well-stocked fishery I don’t see the need
to cast miles provided that there is a decent
enough depth in the first place.
Should your venue see a lot of pole fishing
84

WINTER FEEDER TACTICS
C A G E
FEEDER
take place, casting a few metres past this point
– say 14.5m or 16m – can be a great place to start.
I’m a big fan of beginning by casting shorter
in winter as this gives me the option to move
further out as the day goes on.
However, I would also keep an eye on anglers
around me and judge where those that are
catching are casting to. If I was struggling, I
would follow them out to the same distance.
The most important thing for me, however, is
to try and fish in my own bit of water.
By that, I mean that I will cast past or
sometimes shorter than anglers near me. This
way, I know that I won’t be competing with the
others in trying to draw fish into the area.
LIGHT TACKLE IS A MUST
Although you may catch the odd big fish, I’d
bet that most bites in the cold will come from
roach, perch and small skimmers so fishing
heavy tackle has no value. It’ll also mean fewer
bites in the first place, which defeats the point.
My cage feeder rig uses 4lb Guru Pulse
mainline with the feeder on a feeder link
running on the mainline, featuring a 6ins
twisted section above the hooklink.
The 18ins hooklength is 0.12mm Guru
Fluorocarbon, which is invisible, stiff to
prevent tangles and heavy, so that it lies on the
bottom properly.
Hook choice might surprise you in that I pick
a size 16 Guru F1 Pellet. This barbless hook is
surprisingly strong, yet light and super-sharp,
but more importantly its shape perfectly suits
the hookbaits that I plan on using.
GROUNDBAIT AND FEED
The cage feeder mix is 70 per cent Ringers
Original to 30 per cent Van Den Eynde G5 to
add a little sweetness, mixed on the damp side
to ensure it stays in the feeder on the cast.
Crunch time comes when deciding what to
put in the mix. Chopped worm is one obvious
option but I would hold my horses with this
and instead begin by adding a sprinkling of
micro pellets, dead maggots and pinkies.
Worm is left out initially until I can be certain
that the fish want it. In cold water, chopped
worm can be like poison if the fish aren’t in
the mood and can kill a swim before it has got
going. My plan is to see which anglers around
me are chopping worms and then, if they are
catching, I will begin to add some worm.
However, if I know that the venue I’m fishing
responds to worm I can be confident enough
to begin by feeding it. The worms are chopped
very finely into a mush to kick out as much
attraction as possible.
ACCURACY ISN’T THAT IMPORTANT
I’m a big advocate of being deadly accurate with
your casting but in winter, on the cage feeder,
that’s only partically true.
At the start I will be dead eye with my casting,
especially with the opening three casts that see
me using a slightly bigger feeder to get down an
initial hit of groundbait and freebies before I
then change back to a a smaller feeder.
The early stages of a session demand accuracy
using the reel’s line clip and a far-bank marker,
but as the day goes on and the fish begin to
show signs of moving about, being inaccurate
can catch more fish.
Often, a cast that is slid to the left or right of
my main spot, only by a yard or two, can pick
off a bigger fish that may have backed off the
original area, so don’t be afraid to go off course.
SIMPLE HOOKBAITS
Silver fish are your main target in this situation
and I’d pick three fluoro pinkies or double dead
red maggot as my number one choices.
The alternative would be a small segment
of worm, but only if I was having success by
feeding worm in the groundbait.
GIVING IT A GOOD PLUG
When every bite counts, the smallest things
about your approach can make a big difference.
That’s true with the cage feeder with regard
to how hard you plug the groundbait into the
When bites are at
a premium, the
cage feeder will
produce.
feeder before casting.
Normally, I would squeeze the mix in with
plenty of force so I know that it will get to the
bottom, giving off a few bits and bobs on the
way down.
But if the fishing is very hard and I feel that
I need to make something happen, gently
plugging the feeder means that the mix will
disperse quickly, creating a cloud in the water.
CHANGING LINES
So when do you make the switch to a longer or
shorter cast? It is easy to sit and think ‘they’ll
turn up soon’ but this isn’t the answer in cold
weather. You have to find the fish.
If I wasn’t catching then I’d pay close
attention to anglers that are, see where they are
casting to and join them at this range.
On the flipside, if I caught a few fish and bites
then stopped, I would take a few turns off my
reel and cast a little longer to see if the fish had
backed further out into the lake.
85

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
MAGGOT
FEEDER
86

MAGGOT FEEDER RIG
Light lines and small
hooks and feeders are
the key to this tactic.
PAGES 88 - 89
ON THE BANK
A session at Packington
Somers proves how good
the maggot feeder is for
cold-water F1s.
PAGES 90 - 93
87

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
NOT JUST
FOR THE
RIVER!
Turn to the maggot feeder for F1s
YOU may normally associate the
maggot feeder with catching
chub on a river rather than F1s on
commercial fisheries, but when
the cold weather bites hard and
the name of the game is winkling
out every fish that I possibly can,
turning to a tiny maggot feeder will tip
the balance in my favour.
I know from fishing venues like Tunnel Barn
Farm in winter on the pole, where F1s are the
main species, that maggots are a million miles
in front of pellets when it comes to catching
consistently and so the same should ring true
with a feeder rod in hand.
Indeed, Packington Somers is one water I
can think of where from November onwards
the maggot feeder rules for catching F1s when
casting to islands.
I’ll also include a few of these in my bag on
places like Tunnel Barn’s snake lakes, when I
may need to cast a tiny maggot feeder across to
pick off a few extra fish.
Additionally, it comes in handy in very strong
winds that can rule the pole out completely.
W H E N T O U S E I T
On waters with a good head of F1s
and quality silverfish such as barbel,
skimmers, roach and tench.
W H Y U S E I T ?
At certain times of the year, especially
in cold weather, fish will turn on to
maggots as opposed to pellets. In this
instance, the maggot feeder offers
them exactly what they want.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 Slide the maggot feeder and
snaplink swivel on to the mainline.
2 A float stop goes on to the line
underneath the feeder.
3 Six inches of mainline are then
twizzled into a tight loop to create a
stiff boom.
4 Finally the hooklink is attached
loop-to-loop style.
Mainline
This consists of Guru
Pulse in 6lb breaking
strain, as I wouldn’t
expect to be catching
many carp!
Hook
These should be on
the fine side, and I
can’t fault the Guru
LWG in size 18 to take
double maggot.
Feeder
Feeders range from
large weight-forward
models for long casts
to tiny cut-down ones
for use in the cold.
Feed
Not a tough one this –
maggots! I’ll use reds
and whites and go for
the freshest bait that I
can get hold of.
88

MAGGOT FEEDER FOR WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
MAGGOT
FEEDER RIG
Twizzled loop
As with most of my
feeder rigs, a six-inch
twizzled loop is used
to prevent tangles
when casting.
Hooklink
Don’t go too heavy,
given that F1s are the
target. Around 0.11mm
N-Gauge will get the
job done.

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
MAGIC
OF THE
MAGGOT
FEEDER
The old school tactic that works
as well for a big net of commercial
carp as it does for river chub!
Seek out the
deeper water just
off an island and
you’ll find the fish.
EVERY now and again a longforgotten
tactic comes back to
the fore, and in recent winters
that without a doubt has been the
maggot feeder – it’s a real blast from
the past!
In the cold, maggots are the number one
bait as far as F1s are concerned and so it really
shouldn’t come as a surprise that on venues
such as Packington Somers, where there
are a lot of F1s, the maggot feeder proves so
successful to match and pleasure anglers.
It’s not only a match winner. On pegs where
it’s a struggle to even get a bite on a pellet or
Method feeder the maggot feeder sees the tip
pulling round on a regular basis and turns a
blank into at least a few fish on the bank.
And if I’m being honest it’s actually a really
nice way of fishing, and one that I’ve enjoyed
getting back into fishing – although I have to
admit I had to raid the back of the garage, it’s
been that long since I used them!
ADAPTING YOUR FEEDERS
There are loads of blockend feeders on the
market but many of them are simply too big
for what I want, so I set about making a few
alterations to tailor them perfectly to my F1
fishing.
To begin with I only want to feed 8-12
maggots a cast so I take some of the original,
green Drennan Feederlink feeders and cut
them down with scissors to a size that allows
them to take much less bait.
I also make a change to the weights they carry.
The original base weights just aren’t heavy
enough, so I take the leads off the Drennan
Carp Feeder models as these fit perfectly.
This way I can have a tiny little maggot feeder
that has as much as 25g of weight on it, so that
in a nasty cross wind I can still cast accurately
to keep the feed tight.
Of course, 25g is the exception rather than the
rule. If the wind is kind I find 15g is about right,
as this ensures I can still be accurate with my
casts and keep any disturbance to a minimum.
If you haven’t got any of the original feeders
knocking around then from what I’ve seen the
smallest of the Drennan Carp Feeders is the
next best thing.
FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT
Fishing a maggot feeder is all about building a
peg rather than casting about looking for fish,
so the line clip is key to ensuring that every cast
lands on the same spot.
Where to start? When the water temperature
is low and I know the fish aren’t going to be
too confident in the cold, clear conditions this
means keeping away from any shallow water or
islands and chucking into deeper water at the
bottom of a far shelf on an island peg, which is
probably 4m short of the island itself.
In this deeper water carp and F1s are more
likely to feel confident enough to feed, and if I
need to chase them later on in the session I still
have the room to do so.
What normally happens is that I will catch
a few before the fish back off. It can then be
a case of simply taking a yard of line off and
going further to keep in touch with the fish. in
warmer weather I would chance casting up to
the island where F1s, especially, may be but in
this instance, a pellet feeder would be better.
90

MAGGOT FEEDER FOR COMMERCIAL CARP
MAGGOT
FEEDER
A spot of DIY soon produces a feeder heavy enough to hit
the spot but small enough to take just a dozen maggots.
91

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Fish pellets
and you
wouldn’t
catch F1s
like this!
HOW MANY MAGGOTS?
As far as bait goes it’s all about maggots, and for
a five-hour session or match I find a pint-and-ahalf
to be more than enough.
I like to have a mix of whites, reds and fluoros
as this gives me more options in terms of
hookbaits.
On top of the maggots I also like to have a few
pinkies with me. These are mainly for the hook,
but if it’s really cold and the fishing is rock
hard I will put a few in the feeder just to try and
entice an F1 or two into feeding.
REGULATE YOUR FEEDING
The way you feed might seem very simple with
this approach, as most anglers just keep filling
the feeder up every cast with the same amount
of maggots.
However, I prefer to mix things up somewhat
and will kick off my session by feeding around
10-12 maggots every cast and then take things
from there.
If I’m getting lots of indications and bites
then I will up the feed and put even more
maggots in the feeder.
However if bites are few and far between then
I will cut right back and put just 4-6 maggots in
the feeder every cast. After all, there is no point
in doing the same thing every cast if you aren’t
getting any bites!
Basically, fishing a maggot feeder is just like
any type of fishing, in that you have to think
about what you are doing and react to the fish’s
moods on the day.
Just filling the feeder up every cast will, of
course, work if you are on a pile of fish, but if
you’re on an average peg it won’t allow you to
get the best from it. Varying the quantity of
maggots in the feeder will.
SWITCHING HOOKBAITS
As far as hookbaits go, in the main it’s all about
double maggot. The only real variable would be
a combination of a red and a white, two reds, or
a red and a fluoro.
I find it’s well worth experimenting with your
hookbaits, as finding the right combination
can make a massive difference. As a rule I find a
red and a white or a red and a fluoro best, as the
little bit of extra colour from a lighter-coloured
maggot seems to result in quicker bites.
The only exception to this is when it’s really
cold and the fishing is rock hard. Under these
conditions I tend to catch a lot of really big F1s
fishing double pinkie. I can only think pinkies
work better because they are small and brightly
coloured stand-out hookbaits.
GIVE IT A TWITCH
If I’m not getting any bites, a great little edge is
to give the maggot feeder a quick twitch around
30 seconds before reeling in.
Doing this has two benefits – it helps to fully
empty the feeder and it gives the hookbait that
little bit of movement which can be all that’s
needed to induce a bite.
To twitch the feeder all I do is turn the reel
handle slowly until the tip winds right round
and then slowly drops back again.
I don’t want to make the feeder move too
quickly as this could potentially spook any fish
in the swim, so I do it nice and slowly.
HOW MUCH TO FEED
When it’s solid, you can
cram the feeder, but on hard
days Steve may only half-fill
the feeder with maggots.
Clip up to keep
the feed in a
tight area.
92

MAGGOT FEEDER FOR COMMERCIAL CARP
MAGGOT
FEEDER
TIE STEVE’S SIMPLE
MAGGOT FEEDER RIG
2
3
1
TWISTED NAINLINE
Many of my feeder rigs use a 6ins
length of mainline that’s twisted
1
tightly to create a stiff piece of
line. This doesn’t tangle and also helps
to act with self-hooking as the feeder
runs along it, hits the knot at the top
and helps set the hook.
4
LIGHT HOOKLINK
When the water is cold and clear,
scaling down to a light hooklink
2
really does make a difference.
That means 0.11mm N-Gauge matched
to a size 18 LWG hook.
FLOAT STOP
To stop the feeder running down
the hooklink I build a small float
3
stop into the rig, which offers
minimal resistance to a fish taking the
bait.
FEEDER LINK
My home-made feeder link
prevents tangles by ‘kicking’ the
4
hooklink and hook away from the
feeder. See pages ?? and ?? for how to
tie these yourself.
‘DIY’ FEEDER
Taking a pair of scissors to the
feeder body will reduce the
5
length and therefeore the
bait-carrying capacity. I also remove the
weight at the base and swap it for a
heavier one, as found on the Drennan
Carp Feeders.
5
Winter F1 fishing is all about
light lines and small hooks.
93

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
THE
BOMB
94

BOMB RIG
Whether you fish inline
or elasticated, this simple
bomb rig is easy to tie.
PAGES 96 -97
MASTER THE BOMB
Leger perfection with this
feature that’s packed full
of top advice and tips.
PAGES 98 - 101
IMPACT BOMB
Steve lifts the lid on this
brilliant new method for
warmer weather.
PAGES 102 - 105
BOMB BAITS
Learn why high-visibility
hookbaits can’t be
beaten on the bomb.
PAGES 106 - 107
95

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
BOMBING
ALONG
FOR CARP
Mainline
As big carp are the
target, I take no
prisoners with reliable
and robust 8lb Guru
Pulse.
Turn to the lead when it gets cold
THERE’S a lot of snobbery
surrounding bomb fishing among
anglers, as so many see it as a
method that needs no skill. The
angler simply slings out the rig and
waits until the rod gets pulled off
the rest – but as always, there’s a
little bit more to it than that!
In fact, fished correctly, the bomb can be
every bit as effcient at catching carp as a feeder
while enjoying the benefits of not introducing
any bait into the swim. In unfavourable
conditions this can wreck a swim before it’s had
the chance to get going.
Rightly, the bomb is seen as a winter method
for presenting a single hookbait for the fish to
find, and although that may seem like a massive
leap of faith, there are plenty of things that you
can do to get bites – as you’ll see in the features
following these pages.
But the bomb isn’t just for winter and I’ve
had some big weights in August using the lead
in conjunction with loosefeeding pellets over
the top.
So is the bomb really boring? Not a bit of it!
W H E N T O U S E I T
Although the bomb can work in
summer, it is most effective in winter
when fished with highly-visible single
hookbaits for big carp.
W H Y U S E I T ?
Little, if any feed at all, is used with
the bomb. The angler instead relies
on that hookbait to be seen clearly by
any fish swimming around.
Feed
Very occasionally I will
fire out two or three
6mm or 8mm hard
pellets with a catapult
over the top.
H O W T O T I E I T
1 If picking an elasticated set-up, the
mainline is attached via a large loop
to the top end of the stem.
2 As the elastic runs through the
stem, the lead is now slid into place.
3 A Speed Bead is attached to the
elasticated end.
4 To finish, slide the hooklink over the
crook of the bead.
96

THE RELIABLE INLINE BOMB RIG
BOMB
RIG
Bomb
Guru’s X-Safe Lead
lets me fish either
inline or elasticated,
if allowed. I’d pick the
⅔oz size.
Speed Bead
This acts as a stopper
if fishing an inline lead
and it lets me change
over hooks and
hookbaits in seconds.
Hooklink
In keeping with the
strong mainline and
big hook in this rig
I use 0.19mm Guru
N-Gauge.
Hook
A size 12 Guru QM1 is
used as this is ‘sit and
wait’ fishing – you
don’t want to lose
what you hook!
97

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
When the leaves fall
from the trees it’s time
to get on the bomb.
98

CATCH ON THE BOMB IN WINTER
BOMB
FISHING
CATCH IN
WINTER
ON THE
BOMB!
Master this winning cold-water
method with Steve’s expert advice
AS SOON as the temperature starts
to drop there is one method that
always seems to come to the fore
on commercials across the country
– bomb and pellet.
I’m actually not sure why the bomb is
so effective at this time of the year but
results don’t lie, and from November until it
warms up I wouldn’t mind betting that it will
win more matches than any other tactic.
If you look at the way it’s fished, the bomb
is actually a very negative way of fishing and
maybe that’s why it works so well in the cold.
After all, the fish are beginning to slow up
their feeding at this time of year so they don’t
want loads of bait, and the bomb tends to work
best with a relatively frugal feeding regime.
With the water also being clear on a lot of
commercials the carp have started to back away
from the bank, yet with the lead they are always
within reach – something that can’t be said
about the pole on bigger waters.
BOOSTED BAITS
On the bait front it’s all about feeding and
fishing with 8mm hard coarse pellets.
Which brand you choose is up to you, but I’m
a big fan of Dynamite XL carp pellets. These
are a low oil coarse pellet and being relatively
light in colour I find them perfect for this time
of year.
I do like to give them a boost, though, and
this comes in the form of Mainline Baits’
Meta-Mino, an amino-based compound
that has a really meaty smell which, in my
experience, carp love.
To apply the Meta-Mino all I do is add a splash
to the loose pellets in the bait tub, pop the lid
on and give the whole lot a good shake to make
sure they all come into contact with the liquid.
Once this is done I leave the pellets to dry for
30 minutes before feeding. This of course can
be done the night before if you want to save
time and make sure the Meta-Mino has been
fully absorbed.
99

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
BOMB FISHING BAITS
10mm PUNCHED MEAT
This offers me something
different to the norm, and
with meat I actually glug it
in Mainline Cell liquid just
to give it plenty of attraction
in terms of smell. I find
when the water is coloured
and visibility is reduced that
meat can outfish pellets, as
carp find it easier to locate.
ROBIN RED PELLETS
These tend to work best as
an impact bait, being red in
colour with a strong aroma.
A quick chuck when it’s gone
quiet with the Robin Reds
often produces an instant
response, because I’m giving
the carp something a little
bit different to what they
have grown used to seeing.
8mm HARD PELLET
It will come as no surprise to
know that my starting bait
will be a single 8mm hard
pellet. After all, I’m feeding
8mm pellets so it makes
perfect sense to put the
same on the hair.
A good
glug of
Meta-Mino
liquid will
pep up plain
pellets.
Step up the
feed if those
around you
are catching
by pinging
in more bait.
FEEDING YOUR SWIM
When it comes to feeding on the bomb I’m a big
believer in feeling my way in, and this means
I will kick off with just two pellets every 4-5
minutes just to see what happens.
I will also keep an eye on neighbouring
anglers to see how they are feeding their swims
and what sort of response they are getting.
I learn a lot this way, and if the angler next
door is feeding much more heavily than I am
and catching then I can up my feed accordingly.
If, however, he is struggling I can carry on
feeding very little, safe in the knowledge that
the fish aren’t coming to any amount of bait.
I remember a day at Barston Lakes when I
started off feeding just two pellets every five
minutes, but after an hour I’d had just one bite.
However, a carp angler on the opposite bank
landed five carp in this time and after watching
him for a bit it became apparent he was feeding
heavily with boilies.
As a result I upped my feed to 6-10 pellets
every two or three minutes. That was enough
to spur the fish into feeding and I caught almost
straight away.
The trick was to feed and then cast straight on
top of the loose offerings. By doing it this way
you know your hookbait will be right in amid
the loosefeed rather than sat well away from it.
This may seem obvious, but a lot of anglers do
it the other way round – they cast out and then
start feeding over the top, and as a result I feel
accuracy is lost.
GO PAST YOUR FEED
It might seem obvious that you’ll be fishing
on top of your loosefeed, as I have already
mentioned – but if the fishing is rock hard I
actually tend to find you’re better off fishing
off the back of your feed, a little way past the
area where most of the pellets are.
Even when carp aren’t really feeding, they
will still investigate bait small amounts of bait
going in.
They will then sit near the bait but not on it,
and this is when fishing just past the loosefeed
can produce when fishing on the bait doesn’t.
Of course, if I start getting line bites I will
drop back on to the feed to see if a few fish have
settled on the bait. This will tell me that some
carp are between me and the hookbait – with
luck they’ll be over my original feed area!
100

CATCH ON THE BOMB IN WINTER
When
you’re only
fishing for
a few bites,
use tackle
that’ll let
you get the
fish in!
1
4
5
2
3
STEVE’S BOMB SET-UP
GO INLINE
BOMB
FISHING
I always use inline leads for my
bomb fishing, as they offer great
1
anti-tangle and self-hooking
properties, they cast well, and I can add
elasticated stems to give me security
when playing fish too. For short-range
work, anywhere between 15m and 35m,
I use the ⅔oz Guru Square Pears, the
thinking being that with the water so
clear, the less disturbance I can make
when casting the better.
ELASTIC SAFETY
Where fishery rules allow I
remove the rubber insert that
2
comes in the leads and replace it
with a small X-Safe Speed Stem so the
lead is elasticated. Which elastic I
choose depends on the venue, so where
I’m looking to catch both carp and big
F1s I opt for the heavy black elastic.
The beauty of having an elasticated
bomb is that it helps to prevent those
annoying, and potentially costly,
hook-pulls at the net.
LONG HOOKLENGTHS
I always tie my hooklengths 75cm
long for bomb fishing but will
3
then adjust the length I use,
depending on conditions on the day.
I may start with a long hooklength, but
if it becomes clear that the carp are
right on the feed I will then shorten the
link to just 30cm. This way I’m putting
the hookbait closer to the feed. If the
fishing was harder, though, I would stick
with the longer hooklength as I feel this
gives a slower fall of the hookbait. This
in turn can lead to more bites when the
water is clear.
DON’T SCALE DOWN
Line diameter is also worth a
4
mention. When targeting ‘proper’
carp I’m not a believer in fining
right down, so my hooklengths for
bomb work will be either 0.19mm or
0.22mm Guru N-Gauge, to size 12 or 14
QM1 hooks respectively. Which of the
two combos I choose depends on the
size of the fish, and for big carp that
would be 0.22mm to a size 12, lowered
to 0.19mm and a size 14 for smaller carp
and the odd big F1.
5 CHANGE HOOKBAITS
I always begin with a single 8mm hard pellet fished in a band
and often don’t change from this – but there will be times when
offering the carp something bigger will pull the tip round rapidly.
This often seems to happen when the weather is cold and the
fishing hard. Then, changing to a couple of 8mm pellets squeezed
into a band or even hair-rigged gives the carp a much bigger bait
that grabs their attention.
101

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Is it a feeder or a
bomb? Who cares as
long as it catches fish?
MAKING
A REAL
IMPACT!
Get on this brilliant bomb that will
take leger fishing to another level
NOW and again an idea comes along
which makes you say ‘why didn’t I
think of that myself?’ Over the past
few years I’ve been using Guru’s
‘Impact Bombs and to be honest,
as soon as I caught a few carp on
them I secretly kicked myself that I
hadn’t sussed this trick out sooner.
The bombs are basically like a flat lead with
mesh in the middle – I guess you could say they
look like tiny tennis racket heads – and the idea
is that the mesh offers grip so that a helping of
2mm or 4mm pellets will stay in place during
the cast.
As the name suggests, the pellets are designed
to come off on impact with the surface and then
fall through the water, dragging fish down to
where your hookbait is. What could be simpler
than that?
WHICH SIZE TO USE?
There are five bombs to pick from, ranging
from 2/3oz up to 2oz, so they can be fished at
both long and short ranges. I have used them
for short casts on snake-type lakes through to
long 80m-plus chucks at Boddington Reservoir
in the winter, so there really is nothing you can’t
do with them!
Impact bombs are at their best in what I
would call ‘shallow’ water from 2ft to 8ft, due
to the way they work in releasing the pellets on
the surface. For deeper water I swap the 2mm
pellets for the 4mm versions so that they fall
that little bit quicker through the water and
aren’t taken away by any tow.
STICKING THE PELLETS
I prefer to use 2mm coarse pellets as they stick
to the bomb really easily, but wetted-down
102

CUTTING-EDGE TACKLE
BOMB
FISHING
3mm and 4mm baits will work too. The key
is making sure that your pellets are properly
soaked. If they’re too dry they’re likely to fly off
on the cast.
To prepare my pellets I pour them into a
three-pint bait tub and cover them with cold
water for around a minute. I then drain all the
water off and pour the pellets into a big round
tub so they are well spread out. The next step
is to leave them to stand for a minimum of 30
minutes, after which they should be ready.
Some pellet brands stick better than others. If
you are having problems with the stickiness of
the pellets then add a squirt of Mainline’s Cell
Stick Mix to the soaked pellets and that should
solve the problem.
The beauty of the Stick Mix is that not only
does it help the pellets to bind, but it also gives
them a great fish-attracting flavour.
Another
carp falls to
the Impact!
103

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
WHERE AND HOW TO FISH IT
There are two ways to fish the Impact bomb.
The first and most obvious is to just cast it out
to the required spot and fish, treating it almost
as you would a feeder. This can work very well
when a full feeder load is a little too much to put
in, but when the fish do want a little feed.
While this works, and I have caught plenty of
fish doing it, for me the bombs are at their best
when fished just off the back of loosefed pellets
pinged in over the top.
What I like to do is loosefeed 8mm pellets via
a catapult, and then fish the Impact bomb say
5m past the line of the feed.
The reason is that you’ll find a lot of carp sat
off the back of the loosefed pellets, and by using
the impact bomb I am able to pick these fish off.
The extra bit of attraction of the micros
falling through the water seems to help too, in
effect giving the fish that little bit more in terms
of attraction.
I reckon that the Impact bomb comes into its own when carp are
sitting off the back of an area that I’ve been loosefeeding.
104

CUTTING-EDGE TACKLE
STEP-BY-STEP
HOW TO LOAD
THE IMPACT BOMB
1
Take the bomb and drop it into a tub
of loose pellets, then squeeze between
thumb and forefinger until the mesh on
both sides is covered. I don’t mind if the
bomb looks a little rough around the
edges either!
TIE MY IMPACT BOMB RIG
HOOKLENGTHS
My choice depends on the
size of carp I’m targeting.
On lakes like Lambsdown
at Meadowlands, the carp
average around 6lb and
doubles are common, so
I use an 8ins hooklength
of 0.19mm N-Gauge to
a size 12 QM1 hook. The
short hooklength gives a
better bolt effect when
a fish picks the hookbait
up – the fish can’t move far
before it feels the weight
of the lead and hooks itself
against it.
BOMB
FISHING
SAFE RIG
The bombs feature an
oversized swivel on the
top so they fit into a mini
lead clip to allow them to
be fished semi-fixed. You
get the benefit of a bolt
rig with the assurance that
the lead will pull free if
your line breaks.I swap the
swivel that comes with the
lead clips for a size 11 snap
link swivel so I can clip
hooklengths on and off
when the need arises.
2
Bear in mind that the harder you
squeeze the pellets, the longer they will
take to come off. For short-range work
I always find a light squeeze best to
ensure a good proportion of the pellets
come off straight away.
3
I sometimes put a little blob of Power
Smoke Goo on the bomb mesh and then
seal it in with wetted-down pellets. This
way the Goo is only released once the
pellets fall off, thereby introducing a
lovely cloud into the swim.
HOOKBAITS
There are loads of different
hookbaits you can use, but
my favourites are 8mm hard
pellets and punched meat
in 8mm or 10mm sizes. Hard
pellets are a great bait on most
commercials – the carp see
so many of them and they’re
also relatively small fish-proof,
which is better if silvers are a
problem. Meat is a bait I love
fishing with, as it has the habit
of picking out the bigger carp.
105

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
COLOUR RULES
ON THE BOMB!
In clear water, pick a hookbait that the carp can’t fail to spot
THE nature of fishing the bomb, or
straight lead as some call it, means
that a single hookbait can be fished
without any additional feed, relying
on the curiosity of a carp to seek it
out and wolf it down.
While the bomb can work in summer,
I think it really comes into its own in winter
when the fish don’t want any feed, instead
picking off a stand-alone hookbait when the
mood takes them.
For that reason, you have to offer the fish
something that’s highly visual to grab their
attention in clearish water. It can be a fluoro
pink, yellow or orange boilie or Wafter, a couple
of pieces of yellow corn or five discs of white
bread punched out and fished as a stack.
Regularly changing the bait colour is
important. Something as minor as changing
from a yellow mini boilie to a pink Wafter can
trigger the feeding switch in those carp.
Pick a bright yellow or pink colour
if you plan on going down the
boilie route on the bomb. An 8mm
or 10mm bait is perfect.
106

HOOKBAITS WITH VISUAL APPEAL
BOMB
BAITS
STEP-BY-STEP HAIR-RIGGING BREAD
1
Sliced medium white bread
(Warburton’s is a good brand) can be
used straight from the bag. No rolling
or microwaving needed here!
2
Guru’s punches mean that you can cut
out four or five discs and store them
inside the cylinder. In terms of size,
6mm or 8mm is about right.
A banded 6mm or 8mm hard
pellet would be a bomb bait I’d
pick in warmer weather when I
was loosefeeding over the top.
3
Take a baiting needle and pierce the
bread discs on to it, pushing them well
down. Now slot the needle’s hook on to
the loop at the end of the hair rig.
4
Gently slide the discs off the needle
and on to the hair. They can be slightly
compressed to help. A bait stop is then
added to hold things in place.
Meat is overlooked for winter
bomb work, but when dyed yellow
and flavoured with Mainline’s
Activ-8 it really stands out!
5
Bread will sit off bottom naturally but to
make it pop up even more, swap one of
the discs for a bright pink or white mini
pop-up boilie that’s been cut in half.
6
I’d have two or three hooklinks on my
side tray set up and ready to go with
different ways of fishing bread. That
way I can change over in seconds.
107

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
MY BEST
FEEDER
MATCHES
FERRY RECORD
100lb of big bream
and a new match best -
what could be better?
PAGE 109
WORLD PAIRS
Battling the weather in
the wilds of Ireland for
roach and hybrids.
PAGES 110-113
FEEDER FEST
A roach a cast for five
hours over five days - I
was shattered!
PAGE 114
FISH O’ GLORY
Third time lucky at
Hayfield as the Method
feeder came good.
PAGE 115
WORLD CHAMPION
A weekend I’ll never
forget - double gold
on Inniscarra.
PAGES 116-119
108

MY FAVOURITE FEEDER MATCHES
FAVOURITE
MATCHES
BREAKING
RECORDS!
Two-day festival is the pick of my Ferry Meadows matches
OF ALL the venues I’ve written about
in my Angling Times columns down
the years, Ferry Meadows Lakes
near Peterborough have probably
grabbed more of the headlines than
anywhere else.
It’s a water I’ve fished since I was a
lad with my dad Geoff and brother Phil and
comfortably makes the top spot as my favourite
feeder venue of all time. They’re big lakes that
need long casts and plenty of patience, and
while some pegs can be a guaranteed blank,
when the venue is in form you can catch some
huge bream and plenty of them.
You need to get out into the water and do
battle with the elements. You also have to gear
up with the right rods and tackle to be able to
cast 60 or 70 yards, so it’s not a venue for the
faint-hearted.
It’s been very kind to me in matches, with
plenty of wins, but one stands out above all
others – my win in the Steel City AC two-day
festival in the summer of 2013 when I broke the
match record with over 130lb of big bream.
That record has since gone but at the time
100lb was a massive weight from the lakes.
The run-up to this match hinted that a big
weight was on the cards as I’d caught over 100lb
in an open a few weeks beforehand from a peg
near the river mouth on Gunwade Lake. The
bream were in the mood and I was confident in
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
STEEL CITY FESTIVAL
2013, FERRY MEADOWS
Who can
argue with
a big net of
slabs like this?
my fishing, knowing that with a good draw and
ideal conditions I could be looking at a very big
net of fish indeed.
The day of my record put me on the middle
of the monument bank of Gunwade a couple
of dozen pegs to the left of the river mouth, so
in the right area – although I was aware that
it could be a case of feast or famine. The good
news was that if the bream were at home, there
would be a good few of them to catch. The
stamp of fish in this spot on the lake always
tends to be bigger – you’re looking at an average
of 7lb to 8lb!
Bream of this size
mean that not
many are needed
for a big weight.
Conditions were bang on. In fact, you
couldn’t ask for better bream fishing weather
with a warm overcast day and a good wind
rippling the surface. It all looked ideal.
Now, if you’ve read my columns about fishing
at Ferry you’ll know that I don’t like to catch
in the first hour of a match and things went to
plan on that front. Using the old favourite of
hair-rigged worms on a Kev Leach distance
feeder at around 50m where the water was at its
deepest, I went an hour and 15 minutes before
my first bite from a big bream.
From that point it was, looking back, an
easy match because I’d done the groundwork
of getting some feed down without spooking
the fish. The job would now be to keep the feed
going in to keep the bream feeding.
I even foul-hooked an 8lb bream in the tail
that I swore was a carp, such was the way it
fought on braid. I finished with 16 proper
bream, the biggest weighing 8lb 9oz plus a rake
of smaller fish, but at 3lb each I don’t think you
could really call them small!
I’d like to say that the fishing was technical
with lots of clever changes and tweaks made to
the rig and feeding, but that wouldn’t be true.
All I needed to do was to keep my casting
accurate and hold my patience when waiting
for a bite. Often at Ferry you can go from
catching to not getting a bite for half-an-hour or
so and then, out of the blue, you’ll net another
half-a-dozen fish in as many casts.
I’ve caught bigger weights at Ferry since then,
but breaking a record is always special – and
made even better when you enjoy such an easy
match into the bargain.
109

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
WORLD ANGLING PAIRS
IRELAND 2015
It might look bang
on for bream, but so
many Irish waters
are now full of roach
and small hybrids.
RAPID
FIRE
ROACH
Irish feeder fishing isn’t all about
bream – brush up on your roach
fishing with Steve’s tips and tricks...
IF THERE’S a week that I really look
forward to in my crowded fishing
calendar then it has to be the trip
across the Irish Sea to take part in the
World Pairs competition.
Myself and brother Phil have fished this
week-long extravaganza every year since
Kevin Locke created it a while back, and were
fortunate enough to win it in 2015, despite my
van being written off and me ending up at the
hospital after a road accident on the way to the
fishing on the final day!
But enough about that - what about the
fishing? The beauty of the World Pairs is that
because it is based around weight you never
feel like you’re out of it and it’s even possible
to win the whole thing in a day. That keeps
everyone interested compared to a festival
decided on overall points.
The first-time Irish visitor may daydream
about bagging 100lb of bream on the feeder,
and while that’s still more than possible on
some venues, for match anglers like myself
a more viable and match-winning target are
small hybrids and roach. Every lake in the
country seems to be rammed with these.
Because the Pairs is a weight match, every
kilo counts, so getting an extra kilo or two out
of a swim can make a huge difference come
the Friday night presentation. When these fish
are small, there’s certainly a way of fishing the
feeder at speed and in such a way that you can
catch enough of these tiddlers to compete.
The pole does catch a lot of fish in this event,
but with the weather in Ireland famed for
being a bit ‘blowy’, you need to be a good feeder
angler too. Here are the things that I believe
have made a big difference to my Irish fishing...
110

IRISH ROACH, BREAM AND HYBRIDS
FISHING
IRELAND
The window feeder comes into play later in the match.
FINE CHOP
Something that’s always been apparent
throughout the week of the Pairs is the
importance of chopped worms. If the fishing is
hard – and when I say ‘hard’ I’m talking about
trying to catch 20lb of roach – then the best way
to do it is to feed a lot of very finely chopped
worms through the groundbait.
This puts a lot of scent and cloud in the water,
which in turn draws in lots of small roach and
the odd big hybrid. So effective are worms in
this situation that you can be biteless and then
“ Putting in choppy can
turn a lifeless swim into
a bite a chuck!”
within three casts of piling in fine choppy you’ll
be getting bites again.
This was never an opening gambit of our team
but it was still a great way of getting a flagging
swim going again and putting a few bonus fish
in the net.
WINDOW FEEDERS LATE ON
Window feeders are very popular in Ireland
but, unlike other anglers, Phil and I never
started a match using them. Instead we found
it better to bring them into play later in the
contest when bites were starting to slow.
Switching to a window feeder then would
often produce an immediate response, mainly
I believe because it went past where I had been
fishing earlier in the day.
You see, window feeders cast a lot better
than a normal open-end feeder and this has
the effect of making the braid between rod-tip
and feeder that little bit straighter. In effect,
this means I am fishing just past my feed. A lot
of fish will sit just off the back of the feed as the
match progresses, so a window feeder is a great
way of picking them off.
The other big benefit of window feeders is
that they don’t give much off in terms of bait
as they fall through the water. So if the swim is
very deep and you want to keep the fish on the
bottom they are a good option.
CASTERS FOR HYBRIDS
Effective as worms were at bringing in roach,
when it came to hybrids it was all about casters.
Therefore, we really attacked our pegs early
with these to try and get off to a flying start.
To give you an idea of how much we were
attacking, early on we were looking to feed
111

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
two pints of casters in the first hour if we got a
quick response. From then on, though, if bites
slowed we might only feed another two pints
for the rest of the match.
On several days this attacking start worked
a treat but when bites eased off we cut down
the amount of casters we fed to take that into
account. It was very apparent you couldn’t
just pile casters in all day. There is no doubt,
though, that attacking the swim early with
casters seemed to pull a lot of fish into the area
immediately.
DEPTH MAKES A DIFFERENCE
When looking to catch hybrids on the feeder
then depth is without doubt the key.
Hybrids like the security of deep water, so this
governs where I decide to fish. The first thing
I do when I arrive at my peg is have a good
plumb around with a 1oz bomb to check what
sort of depths I have in front of me, and to
check if there any drop-offs.
If I find lots of deep water close in I will look
to fish short, whereas if it’s shallow close in and
I’m looking to catch hybrids I will go long.
It’s also worth pointing out that on places
like Lough Erne, 10ft-15ft is actually shallow
whereas the hybrids prefer 25ft-30ft, in my
experience at least!
So the lesson here is to carefully plumb your
peg so that you have an accurate picture in your
head of what’s in front of you and where you are
going to fish. You definitely can’t go to your peg
with a preconceived idea of exactly where you
are going to fish. Chances are it’ll be wrong.
MISS FEWER BITES
WITH BIGGER HOOKS
One of the things you have to remember about
Ireland is that not only are the surroundings
wild but the fish are too!
Therefore, chances are that most won’t have
seen a hook so they aren’t hook or line-shy in
the slightest. When it comes to roach fishing on
Mincing
worms to a
pulp would
crack a hard
venue.
the feeder I will think nothing of fishing a size
10 hook to a 0.19mm hooklength.
Better still, I will fish just a single maggot on
the size 10. The best bit is that you also hit more
bites when fishing a size 10 as opposed to a 12,
as the fish find the 10 that little bit harder to
deal with.
A little tip for fishing a single maggot on a 10
is to hook it either in the middle or thread it
on. Both these ways will lead to an increase in
your fish-to-bites ratio. If threading on a single
maggot you can catch multiple fish on the
At the weigh-in a
dozen extra fish
can make a huge
difference.
112

IRISH ROACH, BREAM AND HYBRIDS
FISHING
IRELAND
Piling in the casters early
worked a treat for hybrids.
The window feeder is popular in Ireland.
same hookbait, which helps a lot in terms of
effciency and speed.
REGULAR CASTING
At times those hybrids would only feed
for short spells, so it was important to cast
regularly to keep some bait going into the swim
and to ensure that something was there for the
fish when they did arrive.
By chucking every 90 seconds to two minutes,
it was possible to keep a bit of a column of bait
in the water close to the bottom.
Speed is key
to catching
up to 20 kilos
of these!
113

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
MORE
IRISH
GLORY
Skimmers were few
and far between –
this was an out-andout
roach match.
Inniscarra - a place I
seem to get on with!
O
F ALL the venues
I’ve fished in Ireland
I’d have to say that
Inniscarra Reservoir
near Cork is the top of
my list – It’s where I was
crowned World Champion, and
in the autumn of 2016 it saw me win the
inaugural Sensas Feederfest event and
the 10,000 Euro prize.
This new event promised to be a real
highlight of the calendar with that big prize,
and English anglers travelled over to swell the
attendance to over 100 – but If we thought
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
SENSAS FEEDER
FEST, 2016
Inniscarra was going to be like it
was back in 2014 on the Feeder
Champs, we were wrong.
Skimmers had been a key fish
on the Worlds but practice had
suggested that fishing for them
would be a real gamble. If you caught them in
numbers you were guaranteed a good weight
but they weren’t well spread like before and it
quickly became apparent that roach would be
the fish to exclusively target.
What helped in this respect is that most areas
on the match offered you the chance to catch
10 kilos of roach on each day. Working things
out, that would mean 50 kilos across the week
which should be more than enough to get close
to winning.
I was helped by the fishing I’d experienced
in the World Pairs a month before in Ireland,
where I drew a number of pegs that needed a
small-fish feeder approach.
This meant that I was comfortable and up
to speed with the methods and way of fishing
required – it was very different to traditional
feeder fishing where you gave the fish a bit of
time to find and take the bait.
Practice was simply going to be a case of
refining what I already knew about speed
fishing for roach on the feeder, and going into
the five days I was pretty confident provided I
With roach
the target,
speed was
essential.
got half decent draws and enough fish to catch!
Tactics revolved around fishing a small cage
feeder with braid mainline and a large size 10
hook baited with a single maggot. This sounds
very crude, but you have to appreciate that the
fish in Ireland are wild and don’t see hooks
that often. Therefore, you can get away with
massive hooks and the bonus is that you don’t
miss many bites into the bargain.
The rod wasn’t placed on the rest. Instead, I
would cast, let the feeder settle but hold the rod
and almost ‘wind’ the fish on to the hook.
This was achieved only because the roach
would take the bait almost as soon as the feeder
settled and by turning the reel handle, you’d set
the hook. Braid helped immensely to do this.
Nor was any distance chucking needed. This
would take up too much time winding fish in
and instead I settled on a 20m or 30m cast. Bad
spells also needed to be avoided and that’s why
waiting five minutes for a 1lb skimmer was no
good. In that time you could easily have caught
that weight and more in roach.
I finished with around 52 kilos to win – so
roughly 10 kilos per day, as was my target, but
I found it mentally draining fishing and very
mechanical. It’s a style of fishing that we never
do in England and I can see why some people
don’t like it – after that week, though, I’m not
one of them!
10,000
Euros and
an armful of
trophies –
thanks very
much!
114

WINNING FISH O’MANIA IN 1998
FAVOURITE
MATCHES
FISH O’
THIRD
TIME
LUCKY!
The victory that put me on the map
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
FISH O’MANIA
FINAL, 1998
ITHINK that any top match angler
will have a match that they can point
to which acted as a stepping stone
towards them going on to achieve
bigger and better things – and mine
without a shadow of a doubt was
winning Fish O’Mania in 1998.
Before this final I was known on the local
scene around Northampton and had made
the previous two finals without troubling the
£25,000 prize, but all that changed in five hours
on the Islands Lake at Hayfield near Doncaster.
My first appearance in the final saw me lose
out to Dave Pimlott at Hallcroft Fishery by
just 4oz and the following year at Hayfield, the
late great Steve Toone and a lot of beer had
something to do with me not performing to my
full potential.It was a year when the carp didn’t
feed and Kev Rowles won fishing for silverfish.
In 1998, though, I was determined not to
miss out. It’s still the case in the final today
that drawing a good peg helps and I got one
at Hayfield, one of the few offering a cast to
the island on the feeder. I think that after two
hours, the match was effectively over as I’d
caught really well and no one else had.
The match was exactly how I’d wanted it to go
– no tangles, no lost fish, no casting into trees.
What I planned to do worked brilliantly and the
pressure was off before we’d got to halfway.
It was all distance casting as the island was
a good 80 yards away. Back then, the Method
feeders I used were original Kobra models with
brass loading stems. I caught on meat and dead
maggots and won by a long way in the end.
At that point I was the youngest winner of
Fish O’ at just 21 and £25,000 was a lot of cash
,as I was working in the late Bob Church’s
warehouse at that point.
MORE importantly, the win acted as the
kickstart for my career and ensured that my
name started to become known.
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
EMBASSY PAIRS
FINAL,2003
E B R O B A G G I N G !
I PARTNERED my dad Geoff in
the last Embassy final on the
River Ebro in Spain in 2003 and
although we didn’t win, I did catch
over 80 kilos of carp on feeder
and corn on the opening day to
win £2,000! I remember the river
at Flix responding to sweet rather
than fishmeal groundbait, and I
also remember drawing a snag pit
on day two and catching nothing!
Little did I know
where that Fish O’
win would take me!
115

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Finding the right
depth for those
bonus skimmers was
absolutely crucial.
116

WORLD-LEVEL FEEDER FISHING
WORLD
CHAMPS
FAVOURITE
FEEDER MATCHES
WORLD FEEDER CHAMPS
IRELAND 2014
HOW I
WON THE
WORLD
CHAMPS
Join Steve as he recalls the match
that left him on top of the world!
THERE’S no higher accolade you can
achieve in any sport than being a
world champion, and across one
magical weekend in the summer of
2014 I achieved just that by lifting
the World Feeder Champs title.
Twenty five teams took part in the
event on Ireland’s Inniscarra Reservoir and the
Preston Innovations England Feeder team ran
wild as I took gold and Mick Vials the bronze
medal, while the team of myself, brother Phil,
Mick, Dean Barlow, Adam Wakelin and Rob
Wootton scored an unbelievable 26 section
points over the two days.
It was a score which earned us a convincing
team gold, and I was lucky enough to win my
section on both days to claim the gold medal,
but winning the World Champs isn’t just down
to drawing well and having a bit of luck.
Since I began my England career back in 2011,
I’ve seen just how much goes into international
fishing – from months of careful planning to
logisitics, finding contacts, visiting the venue
several times, and then spending days of hard
practice to perfect our tactics.
THE RIGHT DEPTH –
OUR SECRET TRICK
Communication between team members is
essential to success, and this was especially
the case in Ireland. We’d all made visits to
the venue prior to the event and, pooling our
knowledge, we discovered that fishing at the
right depth was vital.
Those who had caught the best had all fished
at the same depth, which was a count of 12 on a
one-ounce bomb.
This depth never changed throughout the
time we spent on the offcial practice week,
and the great thing about it was that the right
depth was at different distances from the bank,
depending on where you sat.
117

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
Practice showed us that joker rather than chopped worm should be the main feed.
The reason the depth was so important was
that it allowed us to catch all three key species –
skimmers, roach and hybrids.
We found that if we came short of the magic
count and into shallower water the fish became
smaller, and we couldn’t catch skimmers.
Equally, if we went deeper (to a higher count)
and the small-fish action dried up, all we could
catch was skimmers and eels – and the eels
didn’t count!
None of the other teams cottoned on to our
depth secret, even though we had dozens of
people watching us during practice. We even
stopped fishing this spot on several occasions
so we didn’t give anything away.
FILLING IN THE GAPS!
A lot of teams went down the route of targeting
the skimmers after catching decent weights of
them in practice. We found, though, that the
Champion
of the world
– what a
weekend!
skimmers tended to drift in and out of the swim
which meant long periods putting nothing in
the net if you targeted these fish alone.
Therefore we came up with a plan to fill in the
gaps. Quite simply, when the skimmers were
there we fished for them with baits such as
bunches of bloodworm or redworms.
When they weren’t about, rather than sitting
and waiting we switched to a single maggot
hookbait in order to catch hybrids and roach.
It seemed
wrong but a
heavy, inert
mix was
ideal for the
skimmers.
118

WORLD-LEVEL FEEDER FISHING
WORLD
CHAMPS
It might sound simple, but it was a tactic that
gave us a real edge. Come the weigh-in we had
our skimmers plus 3-4 kilos of other fish on top.
THE RIGHT GROUNDBAIT
After a lot of experimentation we came up with
a 50-50 mix of brown crumb and Sensas Magic,
to which we added a little Sensas Pastoncino to
give the skimmers something to home in on. To
finish, a little black dye was added to take the
edge off the colour of the mix.
How the groundbait was mixed was also
extrewmely important. If it was too dry you
attracted too many small fish into the swim.
For this reason we mixed our groundbait very
wet so that when particles were added it was
best described as being heavy and inert.
This felt wrong, but was actually perfect as
it allowed us to catch a much better stamp
of roach and hybrids in comparison to other
teams on the bank.
BAIT MANAGEMENT
In the World Championships you are limited to
2.5 litres of bait, of which only half-a-litre can be
bloodworm and joker.
At the start of the offcial practice week
chopped worm was key, but as the week
progressed we as a team found that the
skimmers, in particular, seemed to go off it.
As a consequence of this, joker came to the
fore and by the two match days we found there
was nothing else the skimmers wanted to eat.
The problem was, we only had half-a-litre so it
was crucial to feed the joker at the right times –
only when the skimmers were in the area.
It was all too easy to keep piling the joker in
and find that late in the match you had nothing
left to feed.
FEEDER CHOICE
With the water being so deep a lot of teams
went down the solid plastic feeder route,
whereas we found a cage was best as it allowed
the fish to actually see the bait inside the feeder.
I used four- and five-hole Nisa plastic cages in
either 28g or 44g. If there were a lot of fish in the
swim we fished 44g but when they backed off
28g was better, as it seemed the bigger feeder
going in could spook fish.
TACKLE
Bearing in mind we were fishing at short range
there was no need for long rods. As a result of
this I settled on using 11ft Daiwa Tournaments
with the power to chuck a heavy feeder but still
soft enough to prevent hook-pulls.
The rods were teamed up with 4000 TDR
reels loaded with 0.10mm Matrix Submerge
braid and 8lb Tournament ST shockleaders.
In Ireland the fish you are targeting are wild
and haven’t seen hooks and line before, so you
can fish a lot heavier in terms of both hook size
and line diameter. After practice I eventually
settled on a 50cm hooklength of 0.148mm to a
size 10 Kamasan B512 hook.
This might seem a massive hook but it meant
a lot fewer bites were missed, and fewer missed
bites means more fish in the net.
Although those skimmers were important, small
roach were our bread and butter fish.
119

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
W H A T I T T A K E S T O
FISH FOR
ENGLAND
Think you could make the England
team? There’s more to wearing the
three lions shirt than meets the eye!
IGUESS that fishing for England is an
ambition that all young match anglers
harbour at one time or another, but
the reality is that for all but a small
percentage, it will remain nothing
more than a pipe dream.
Up until 2011 I would have been in that
category. True, I’d won some big matches
and was a ‘name’ but much of my fishing took
place on commercials, so actually fishing at
international level was many, many miles away
from becoming a reality.
That was until the World Feeder Champs
event was created. Tommy Pickering was put
in charge of forming and leading a team and I
was deeply honoured to be picked to fish the
inaugural event in Italy the same year.
If I’m being frank, it was all very sudden.
No trials were held and I guess most of us
were plunged in at the deep end with having
to get our heads around the requirements of
international fishing. I’d like to think that six
years on, and with a load of medals under my
belt, I’ve mastered it and World Champs week
is now the absolute highlight of my fishing year.
But what does it take to make the grade?
Although I had done some team fishing
before getting the call, it was nothing like
I’d experienced before. At England level,
everything we do is disciplined and regimented,
with a chain of command that everyone
adheres to. Every little aspect is pored over
time and time again until we get it right.
I suppose that this was the biggest eye-opener
for me – the degree of detail applied to ther
fishing. Whereas is the UK it would be easy to
say ‘that’ll do’, this isn’t good enough when
fishing against the rest of the world. There are
meetings on top of meetings that leave nothing
left to chance, and I think that professionalism
is reflected in the medals that we’ve won.
Being part of a team begins at the top with
the boss. That’s Tommy Pickering, with Glenn
Lawrence as his second-in-command. The
buck stops with these two and they’re the men
who make the tough decisions, pick the teams
and dictate how practice sessions run – and, of
course, make judgements in the heat of battle
when the two matches take place. Managing a
team is certainly something that I doubt I could
do, so I take my hat off to Tommy and Glenn.
Team boss
Tommy
Pickering
has the final
say in all
decisions.
From a fishing point of view, when the
championships actually take place, you are
kind of in your own bubble, concentrating
on the water in front of you, so pressure as
such doesn’t exist. This is where the man
management qualities of the bosses kick in.
I can remember day two in Holland on 2015
when we won gold. I hadn’t caught after 90
minutes but Tommy came to see me, he said: “I
know you can catch a fish, you’ve been the best
angler on the bank this week,” and left.
That confidence from him, I think worked
better than having him hanging around behind
me waiting for the tip to go round.
Of course, being part of a team means that
you have to get on with the other lads. Any ego
or prima donna behaviour is soon stamped out
because to work successfully as a team you have
to pull together as a team. We’re also a young
team, and that’s good for the future.
The days are long, often beginning at 6am
and finishing with a meeting at 10pm, and in
practice you may be told to fish a tactic that
you know isn’t going to work. It’s only by this
process of elimination that Tommy and Glenn
can work out what to do.
When we began as a team, Tommy said that
we were fishing for gold, and no other medal
was worthwhile. I didn’t agree, but having
tasted gold I can see what he means!
You have to go out with the aim of winning,
otherwise why go through all that effort?
120

WHAT MAKES AN ENGLAND ANGLER
ENGLAND
DUTY
Teamwork is
vital – there’s no
room for egos!
World Champs days can be long, with bait
prep often beginning well before breakfast.
121

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
BARSTON LAKES
SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS
1
This is a real mixed fishery in
every sense of the word as
there are so many species that
you can target, from monster carp to
a big net of quality skimmers.
As far as the feeder is concerned,
long range fishing with either a
Hybrid feeder in summer or bomb
and PVA bags in winter will catch
carp and F1s using high-visibility
hookbaits such as Wafters.
Bream anglers will find plenty of
fish on a shorter cast using a cage or
open-end feeder and dead maggots,
or even a grain of corn.
FAVOURITE PEGS: The point on the
river bank (pegs 52 to 54), pegs 13 to
20 on the same bank or peg 124 on
the golf course bank.
TOP 10
FEEDER
VENUES
The waters that get Steve’s vote for
brilliant fishing on the tip
FERRY MEADOWS LAKES
PETERBOROUGH, CAMBS
2
Without a doubt my favourite
bream water in the UK. These two
lakes are massive gravel pits that
reward the angler who can cast a fair
distance – although in summer, a short
cast will still catch plenty of skimmers,
roach and hybrids.
For those big bream, though, you’ll
need to go the distance with a rocket
feeder or big open-ender. My top
hookbait is hair-rigged worms but
maggots will catch plenty. If you want
to go for quality, try a mini boilie or a
couple of pieces of corn on a hair rig.
FAVOURITE PEGS: On Gunwade Lake I’d
go for 52 or 53, while on Overton, head
for pegs 113 to 115.
122

FAVOURITE FEEDER VENUES
WHERE TO
FISH
Barston’s mixed
fishing makes it a
winner for me.
Bream
fans will
love Ferry
Meadows.
INNISCARRA RESERVOIR
CO CORK, IRELAND
3
Arguably the highlight of any trip
to Ireland is the chance to fish
this massive water near Cork. It is
very deep, but long casting is not
needed on many of the sections.
Fish in summer and you can expect
skimmers and even some proper bream
on the cage feeder with maggots and
worms, but when the weather cools
down, roach take over.
Speed fishing with maggots then
becomes the tactic and it can be a
bite a chuck – hectic fishing but really
rewarding when 20lb is on the cards.
FAVOURITE PEGS: I can’t really pinpoint
one area, but the Garden Centre and
Greenway sections are always good.
SOUTHFIELD RESERVOIR
DONCASTER, SOUTH YORKS
4
I first fished here in a Feeder
Masters Qualifier when I was as
death’s door following a bout of
food poisoning, but I still caught plenty
of fish and one thing I did notice is that
the bream and skimmers here are
always on the move.
That means that you can get bites on
most pegs in the summer. The water is
very shallow and coloured, so a cage
feeder with plenty of chopped worm is a
must to get some scent into the water.
There are some big bream here, as well
as lots and lots of smaller skimmers.
FAVOURITE PEGS: The best advice I can
give here is to keep an eye on match
results and fish the winning pegs!
123

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GURU MAKINS FISHERY
WOLVEY, LEICS
5
PACKINGTON SOMERS
MERIDEN, WARKS
6
One of the original commercial
fisheries in the UK and still hugely
popular with match and pleasure
anglers, especially Phase One.
These six lakes are not much to look at
but all offer open-water chucks on the
feeder and some have an island too.
Many of these need a reasonably long
It dosn’t matter whether you fish
here in summer or winter, there
are always bites to be had thanks
to the big head of F1s in most lakes.
For feeder fishing I would pick
Molands Mere or Little Geary’s Pools.
Both have an island cast on every peg,
as well as open water. You don’t need
to throw a long way, and the maggot
feeder works well in winter, switching to
the pellet feeder in warmer weather.
Molands is home to some big carp
and these can be caught on the bomb,
fishing with large hookbaits.
FAVOURITE PEGS: Scarecrow Point on
Molands (pegs 43 to 48), while on Little
Geary’s, go for pegs 7 to 12.
cast on the Method feeder or bomb with
pellets or corn. The carp are old and
wise fish, and as a result are big.
You can also expect lots of skimmers
and some big bream in the summer on
maggots or pellets.
FAVOURITE PEGS: On Lake 2, peg A20
is the flyer while I’d also pick pegs 5 and
25 on Lake 4 for plenty of bites.
MEADOWLANDS FISHERY
RYTON-UPON-DUNSMORE, WARKS
7
You’re looking at carp or bream
here with the Lambsdown Lake
offering more water to attack.
The road bank offers deeper water
at short range and, for bream and
skimmers, a cage feeder with dead
maggots at around 30m will do fine.
If you want carp, though, you’ll need
to cast further with Method or Hybrid
feeder and pellets or Wafters, changing
to a bomb in cold weather.
FAVOURITE PEGS: Pegs 17 to 21 outside
the car park are the most consistent for
carp. For skimmers, try pegs 10 to 15.
WHITE ACRES FISHERY
NEWQUAY, CORNWALL
8
I regularly make the trip down
to Cornwall to fish the festivals
at White Acres and of all the
lakes on this massive site, the best
for fishing the feeder is Twin Oaks.
If you can get on the hot pegs
then you’ll never stop catching carp,
chucking tight up to the far bank with
pellet or Method feeder and banded
pellets or hair-rigged meat from
spring through until autumn.
However, for a pleasure session I’d
say that you can expect a few pulls
on any swim, especially if you fish
later in the day when the fish will be
at their most active.
FAVOURITE PEGS: That’s easy! Twin
Oaks pegs 14 to 17 are absolutely
solid and have won loads of matches.
124

FAVOURITE FEEDER VENUES
WHERE TO
FISH
EARLSWOOD LAKES
SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS
9
The Carp Lake once held the UK
match recod but now is all about
catching big fish, and I mean big!
You’ll be unlucky to catch a fish under
10lb! In fact, I’d say that they are the
hardest-fighting carp I’ve ever caught.
With plenty of open water to go at,
the Method or Hybrid feeder with big
baits is very much the order of the day.
In winter, I would change this to a more
cautious approach with a bomb.
There’s also a big head of bream in the
lake that respond to cage feeder tactics
with maggots or pellets.
FAVOURITE PEGS: I’d always try to
get on pegs 21 to 26 or 73 to 78 for
guaranteed action in summer.
BODDINGTON RESERVOIR
BYFIELD, NORTHANTS
10
Big carp from a big water – what
could be more exciting? ‘Boddy’
is now an out-and-out big carp
match and pleasure water with fish to
15lb not uncommon, and I love fishing
matches here in summer or winter.
Distance casting is a must on the
Hybrid or Method feeder or bomb, and
chocolate orange Wafters are very much
the bait of the moment.
FAVOURITE PEGS: High numbers from
peg 80 onwards are very consistent, as
is the middle of the dam wall.
125

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
ESSENTIAL
KNOTS
The top three that Steve uses for
his feeder rigs, and how to tie them
FOR all the love and attention that you
may lavish on your bait and tackle,
not to mention the time spent getting
the fish on the feed, it will all amount
to nothing if you can’t tie the right
knots to construct your rigs.
You’ll end up with a parted hooklink or,
worse still, a broken mainline.
Knots are always the difference between
landing and losing a fish and on the feeder,
when you are fishing at long range on big lakes
or experiencing fierce bites from carp and F1s
on commercials, what you tie has to be up to
the job.
Thinking about it, my feeder fishing tends to
involve very few knots but each one is tried and
tested, meaning that I have full confidence in
them every time that tip flies round. They’re
also easy to tie, even with cold hands.
On these pages you’ll see how to tie the
knotless knot for hair-rigging, a tucked halfblood
for attaching swivels and snaplinks, and
my twizzled loop that I use for most of my rigs
on both commercial and natural fisheries.
When you hook a
big fish you must be
confident in your knots!
T U C K E D H A L F - B L O O D K N O T
A
B
Thread the line through the eye of the swivel or hook.
Make five to seven turns with the tag end around the mainline.
C
D
Take the tag back to the turn nearest to the eye.
Pass the tag through the loop, moisten and pull tight. Then pull
the whole knot tight and trim the tag end.
HALF-BLOOD KNOT
This is the knot I use for attaching snaplink
swivels when fishing the mini lead clip. It’s the
first knot my dad ever taught me!
126

KNOTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
TYING
KNOTS
K N O T L E S S K N O T
T W I Z Z L E D L O O P
A
Tie a bait band or loop for your hair rig at one end of
the line. The knot shown above is best for fishing with
a pellet band.
A
First create the length of the loop that you require.
B
Pass the opposite end of the line through the back of
the hook’s eye and out the front. A small piece of rig
tubing can go on the shank to keep the hair straight.
C
Take the loose end and make several wraps around the
hook shank. WInd the end over the shank and poke it
through the eye.
B
With the two lengths of line in between the finger and
thumb of each hand, twist the line clockwise with the
right hand and anti-clockwise with the left hand.
D
While holding the loop end in its desired position, pull
the free end tight while working the wraps up to the
eye of the hook through the back of the eye.
C
When you have around
six inches of doubled line,
tie it off with a normal
overhand knot and trim
off the excess.
E
Pull the end of the line to tighten the knot fully.
KNOTLESS KNOT
For all my hair-rigging I use the knotless knot. The
beauty of this knot is that it not only is it simple to
tie but it also makes getting the hair length correct
far easier. A little tip when tying is to always whip
away from the eye closure to make sure there is no
chance of damaging the line. Also, the line should
exit the eye from the point side of the hook.
TWIZZLED LOOP
This is a version of the standard loop but with a
difference, as it’s twizzled! The twizzled loop is
a favourite of mine for use on bream and Method
or Hybrid feeder rigs. The main benefit of the
twizzle is that it makes the loop stiffer and helps to
prevent tangles. Some also say it’s stronger than a
conventional loop.
127

STEVE RINGER’S ULTIMATE FEEDER GUIDE
GLOSSARY
OF FEEDER
FISHING
TERMS
Make sense of common terms that
you might hear on the bank but not
have a clue what they mean!
Action – Description of the
A
flexibility of a rod. Rods have a
fast or slow action. Fast actioned
rods are generally stiffer overall but
bend more at the tip. Slow actioned
rods are more flexible, with some
flexing along their entire length
Additive – Flavouring added to bait
to increase its attraction, usually in a
powder or liquid form
Anti-reverse – Mechanism on a
fixed-spool reel that prevents the reel
from turning backwards
Arlesey bomb – A pear-shaped leger
weight available in a range of sizes
Bail-arm – The wire part of a
fixed-spool reel that guides the
B
line on the spool
Baiting needle – Device used to mount
baits on to a hair rig. It has a small hook
on the end and a plastic handle
Bankstick – A metal stick with a screw
thread at the top, on to which rod rests,
keepnets and pole grips can be fixed.
Barbed hook – Hook with a small ‘barb’
protruding on the inside of the point to
penetrate a fish’s mouth. Barbless hooks
have no barb, while some hooks have a
tiny ‘micro barb’
Big pit – A scaled-down version of a big
carp reel used for casting feeders long
distances
Blend in – Hookbaits that are picked
to merge in with the colour of the feed
being introduced via a feeder
Blood knot - Basic knot for attaching
hooks and swivels
Boilies – Round hookbaits made from a
paste and boiled to harden them off. In
dozens of colours, flavours and sizes
Braid – A synthetic woven material used
for mainline when bream and skimmer
fishing
C
Caster – The chrysalis formed
from a maggot
Chopped worm – Worms that have
been chopped with scissors to create
hundreds of tiny pieces. A great
additive to groundbait for bream and
roach (pic below)
Chuck – Colloquial term for a cast
Cocktail – A hookbait comprising two
or more different baits – especially
good when targeting bream
Commercial fishery – A stillwater which
is well stocked with a mix of species and
is used by day anglers and for matches.
Most feature a range of on-site facilities
such as a café, tackle shop and toilets
Corn – Grains of sweetcorn for hookbait
or feed. Natural yellow is best but other
colours are available too
Crack-off – Accidentally snapping off
the rig when casting. Occurs mainly
when feeder fishing at distance
Dendrobaena – A commonlyused
worm for hookbait and
D
chopping for feed. Commerciallybred,
‘dendras’ are tough and will keep
active for a long time
Diameter – The measurement of the
cross-section of line or braid. These
commonly range from 0.10mm to
0.20mm for feeder work, and the
smaller the diameter, the finer
the line
Disgorger – Small plastic
device used to safely remove
a hook from a fish’s mouth
or throat
Drag – Device on a reel
that regulates how easily
the line can be pulled
from the spool
Drop – Another term for the
distance between feeder and
rod-tip before casting. The
longer the drop, the further you
will be able to cast
Drop-back – Term used to describe
a bite that causes the line to fall
slack, such as when a fish picks up the
hookbait and runs towards the angler
Elastic – The shock-absorber
fitted to the top section(s) of a
E
pole which is used to play fish.
Elastic is also used in the stems of
in-line feeders such as Guru’s Method,
Pellet and Hybrid feeders
Eyed hook – Hooks with an eye at the
end of the shank, used for hair-rigging
and also with thick lines in specimen
angling
Fast action – Rods which bend
mainly in the top third, nearest
F
the tip. Applicable mainly to float
rods
Feathering the line – The act of placing
your index finger on the lip of the reel’s
spool during the cast to slow the exit of
line and stop the rig from going too far
Feeder arm – A solid attachment that’s
fixed to your seatbox leg with a rod rest
head at the other end. This creates a
stable platform to rest the rod on at any
angle you choose
Fixed rig – When a feeder or bomb is
fixed in place on the line – for example,
an elasticated Method feeder
Fluorocarbon – A fishing line often
used for hooklengths (and mainlines in
specimen carp fishing) which is heavier
and slightly stiffer than standard
monofilament and is invisible under
water
Freebies – Particles that are either
loosefed or added to groundbait.
Casters, pellets, chopped worm, corn
and hemp are common examples
F1 hybrid – Popular modern fish stocked
into many commercial fisheries, which
is produced by crossing a crucian carp
with a common carp
G
Gape – The gap between the
point of the hook and the longest
part (the shank)
Goo – Sticky additives in a range of
colours and flavours. These give off
a great cloud in clear water and are
brilliant in winter
Grinner - A very strong knot often used
in rig tying
Groundbait – Used as an attractor or
a carrier of loosefeed, groundbaits are
often fishmeal or breadcrumb-based
Hair rig – A method of attaching
hookbaits where the bait is
H
threaded on to a short thin
section of line (the hair) which then
hangs clear of the hook
Hemp – The seed of a cannabis plant,
sterilised so it won’t grow. When
cooked it is especially good for roach
and skimmers
High-visibility – Boilie or pellet
hookbaits in lurid yellow, pink, orange
and green colours that can be easily
seen by fish
Hooklink/Hooklength – The trace of
line tied to the hook at one end and
connected to the mainline at the other
Hook tyer – This is a small tool with
wooden and metal prongs that is used
to tie a spade-end hook on to the line
Hybrid feeder – A new type of feeder
for commercial carp that’s a cross
128

LANGUAGE OF FEEDER FISHING
GLOSSARY
between a Method and pellet version
Impact bomb – A bomb with a
I
small mesh section in the middle
into which a few pellets can be
added before casting
Inline – A feeder, bomb or float with a
central tube for the line to run freely
through
J
Joker – Bright red larvae which
are used mainly as a feed for
small fish and can also be hooked
Keepnet – A long fish-friendly net
K
2m-3m long, usually rectangular
in shape, which is put in the water
to temporarily retain the catch
Knot picker – Metal tool with a narrow
pointed end, which is useful for opening
up a knot in the line or a tangle
Knotless knot – As the name suggests,
this knot doesn’t actually involve any
tying as such and is used with eyed
hooks for hair-rigging baits
Lead clip – A device on carp rigs
to hold the lead but release safely
L
it if it becomes snagged
Line bite – A false indication on the float
or quivertip caused by a fish brushing
into the line
Line clip – Clip on a reel spool used to
hold the mainline, ensuring the rig can
be cast to the
same spot every
time (pic right)
Link legering –
Legering method
using large shot
fixed on to a
small paternoster
instead of a bomb
Loosefeed – Individual loose items of
bait which are fed on their own
Marker – Far-bank target you can
M
aim at when fishing the feeder to
ensure repeated accuracy
Method Feeder – A type of feeder with a
frame for moulding bait around. Comes
in either an inline or elasticated/fixed
format
Monofilament – A standard nylon
fishing line. Some modern pre-stretched
monofilaments are available in lower
diameters for the given breaking strains
and are ideal for pole fishing
N
No-knot – Another term for the
highly popular knotless knot used
when hair-rigging baits
Peg – A numbered platform or
swim on a fishery. Before a
P
match, the competitors ‘draw
pegs’ to decide who fishes where
Pellet – Small cylinders made from
fishmeals that are compacted into a
hard bait. Brilliant as a feed or hookbait
in bigger sizes for carp
Pinkies – Grubs which are slightly
smaller than maggots and are used
as hookbaits for small species.
Often coloured
fluorescent pink
or red (pic right)
Pop-up – A buoyant
bait which is
‘popped up’ off the
bottom, anywhere
from an inch to a
couple of feet, when using a feeder or
a leger
Presentation – The art of offering the
bait and the rig to the fish correctly and
as naturally as possible
Pull round – A positive bite on the
feeder that causes the quivertip to
lurch all the way round in an aggressive
manner
Punch – A device for making cylindrical
hookbaits by punching out a section
from a larger piece of bait, such as a
bread or luncheon meat
PVA (Poly Vinyl Alcohol) – A watersoluble
material that comes in mesh
or sheet form and is used to present
a small parcel of loosefeed next to a
hookbait
Q
Quivertip – Sensitive, painted
end section of a feeder or bomb
rod, used for bite detection
Redworm – Tiny worms found in
the top layer of animal waste
R
which make a great bait for
skimmer bream
Riddle – A mesh sieve which is used for
tasks such as removing sawdust from
maggots or draining water from soaked
pellets
Rocket feeder – With the weight built
into one end, this feeder can be cast a
lot further than a standard feeder and is
very popular on bream lakes
Running rig – The term for a fishfriendly
leger rig which allows the bomb
or feeder to run freely up the mainline
with nothing obstructing it above
Shockleader – A section of heavy
S
mono line used at the rig end of
the mono or braid mainline to
absorb the pressure of a long cast
Silicone tubing – Hollow tubing which
is threaded on to the shank of a hook to
ensure a hair-rigged bait is presented
properly
Skimmer – A small bream of between a
few ounces and 2lb
Slab – The nickname given to a large
bream
Spade end – Standard hook for hooking
soft baits and natural baits, which
features a flat spade shape at the end of
the shank
Speed bead – A soft rubber bead
that stops the feeder sliding on to
the hooklink and allows the angler
to change hook and hoolink sizes in
seconds
Stand out – Hookbaits that are coloured
differently to what’s being fed, making
them easy for fish to see and pick up
Swingtip – A special kind of bite
indicator which is rarely used these
days. The tip is set to hang down from
the rod end and when a bite occurs it
rises upwards
Swivel - Two tiny metal rings attached
to a small metal body. Used as a
connection for lines and feeders in rigs
Target board – Square black
board which is attached to a
T
bank stick and placed just past a
rod-tip. Used to help the angler spot
shy bites when using the quivertip
Test curve – Rating given to a rod’s
strength, particularly in big-carp
fishing. It suggests the weight required
to bend the rod-tip by 90 degrees from
the blank
Through action – A rod with a constant,
forgiving bend throughout the blank,
such as a feeder or specialist rod
Turn – The distance taken up by one
full rotation of the reel handle. Anglers
often use ‘turns’ to describe the
distance that they are fishing at on the
feeder
Venue – The generic term given
to a fishing
V
location – a
stillwater, canal or
river
W Wafter – A
neutral
buoyancy
dumbell or boilie
hookbait that when
fished on a hair rig will
‘waft’ just off the
bottom (pic right)
Watercraft –
Common term for
the ability to read
a swim or venue, its
features and weather
conditions, and then
apply it to where, how and
when you are going to fish. Considered
to be an important skill
Window feeder – Popular in Ireland,
this feeder has the weight at one end
and a window slot in the side – great for
fishing in deep water without releasing
the bait early
Zig rig – Another term for a
pop-up presentation, where the
Z
bait is presented off bottom in
conjunction with a simple bomb rig
129