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The Fatal Attractor
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Elton on 16 November, 2002 10:00:00
 
I dont think many UK sea anglers will argue if you say that it is becoming more
and more difficult to catch decent fish from our waters these days, so anything
designed to help is going to be looked upon as a blessing!
The Fatal Attractor is, to all intents and purposes, a swimfeeder designed
for sea fishing. Just like a coarse fishing swimfeeder, it can be used with a
closed or open end i.e. you can keep the bait in it and allow it to escape
gradually (or be nipped at by fish), or you can rig it up so that the bait is
released in one load.
I should point out that the Fatal Attractor is designed primarily for use on
boats and piers. However, this shouldnt exclude you from using it from the
beach, which is what I did&.
The first time you use the Fatal Attractor, it may seem a bit finicky, but its
not too bad once you get the hang of it. Basically, you need two stop beads
located on your line. You secure one end of the mesh to this with a cable tie
(supplied) and insert one of the plastic tubes (see picture). This cause the
mesh to expand and enables you to place your bait into the tube to facilitate
easy filling. I was using squid and lug, chopping the squid into small pieces
before adding it.
Once youve placed enough groundbait into the tube, you insert the other tube
(with the blocked end) into the first and release the bait from the tube into
the mesh. I was pleasantly surprised at how neat it all looked once it was
done.
Now, you have two choices  do you want the bait to stay in and be released, or
do you want it to come out in one go? For it to stay in for slow release, you
use another cable tie and away you go. I found that, by using a tough bait such
as squid, I could use the same load for a few casts, especially as I was
fishing in whiting city and the bait wasnt in the water for a great length of
time!
If you want to release your bait in one load, then youll need to tie up the
loose end with PVA string, instead of a cable tie. In all honesty, I found this
tricky on the beach, especially as my hands were wet from the bait and the bait
itself was oozing liquid at a rate of knots. It is probably quite a bit easier
on a boat or pier, though, and I would advise using quite a thick PVA string.
Inserting the second tube
The bait inside the Fatal Attractor
Casting was my main worry, but after seeing the Fatal Attractor in action, it
shouldnt have been. Sure, if youre fishing a venue where distance is
everything, then any addition to your rig is going to be unwelcome, but many
places dont require that you attempt to hit France with every cast and the
Fatal Attractor should only shave a short distance from your cast.
The million dollar question  will it catch you more fish? As I stated above, I
was fishing on an evening when whiting were abundant, so its very hard to form
any conclusions on that basis. However, common sense tells you that a big fat
juicy wedge of groundbait near your hook can only help. Im quite excited about
the thought of using it next year for bass! You do have to remember, though,
that not every knock on the rodtip is a bite. It could well be fish attacking
the groundbait.
The Fatal Attractor could open up a few possibilities for the angler prepared
to experiment. Its basic elements are not hi-tech when you break them down  -
some mesh, cable ties and a couple of plastic tubes  but the thought that has
gone into it from the developer is clearly evident. Sea angling doesnt lend
itself to finesse most of the time, so an item that was robust and simple to
use was required. Once youve used the Fatal Attractor once, youll realise
that it fulfils both of these criteria.
The Fatal Attractor kits are priced between £5.65 and £5.95, so they wont
break the bank. They can be obtained from http://www.fatalattractor.co.uk/
Give it a go&it may just give you the edge you need!
Tight lines,
Elton Murphy
November, 2002