Hi has anyone used the artificial pop up trout pellets? I have just bought some off ebay and I have yet to try them. Just a quick query a local fishery has a pellet ban do you think this applies to the artificial variety as well.
Cheers Kev

I've tried using the artificial floating "chum mixers" when floater fishing for carp on a few occasions.

Initially this was done without success & I lost all confidence in them assuming the carp could tell they were synthetic. However, last time out I watched my pal land fish after fish using one, so hair rigged one on myself & whilst feeding chum mixer I managed to catch one carp of about 6lb on the false one. I shall definitely give it another go next time out.

Are you referring to legering one popped up - now that's worth thinking about!

Whats wrong with the real thing???
'Oh i know were catching on the real thing so we will put a rubber one on'
What happens if it chokes the fish or blocks the intestine. ( dont know about gag response in fish)

monkeyboy - have you seen some of the natural stuff a carp (or most other fish) eats? Those would have to be some humgoid pellets to block the intestine and I doubt if a fish could physically swollow one that was too large to pass thru.

Gag reflex in fish - nope.

Artifical floaters......whats the point, and thats from a fly angler. Now if you were to use some fur and feather to fool the carp that said collection of organic material was a mixer then thats different.

A fly isnt likely to come off the hook because it is the hook!
I just dont see the point in fishing with rubber when you can fish with the real thing!

i used that glow in the dark corn for the first time on monday night, it fooled two fish, a carp and a tench, both about 6lb so it works!

That's a fair question.

I have to admit, I was more than a bit sceptical when 1st introduced to these lumps of plastic.

I had a half hearted dabble with them just so my pal didn't think i was being ungrateful, then switched back to some sort of chum mixer.
But, watching my mate catch consistently whilst using them, on more than one occasion, whilst I was constantly pulling my rig back in from under the noses of feeding fish, to add a new mixer because a)the carp had knocked it off or B)it was no longer floating, was more than a tad frustating. So I gave the things another go & hey presto, they bloody well worked.

The advantages are that the things stay on the hook, you don't have to keep re-baiting/re-casting & spooking the fish & you can see them more easily than a waterlogged dog biscuit sat well down in the water.

Now with regard to the point about using organic material.
Have you ever used a spinner or a plug to fish for pike/salmon/trout etc??? I was watching Matt Hayes & Mick Brown the other day Pike & Perch fishing & most of the lures they used were made of rubber (In fact, when caught the Pike even said "this bait tastes rubbery" )

I was fishing with artificial corn on the top on Sunday and it worked a treat....no worries about it coming off the hook and you can see it great.

Combine it with frozen sweetcorn (ie. so it floats) and i reckon your on a winner.

I 'par boil' the chummies, put them in a plastic 'tupperware' box , drop in a little hot water and nuke them in m'wave for 20secs. They come out all rubbery - hook & hair easily and last a lot longer then soaked ones. The best chummies can be got from pet food shops - gert great biguns that the carp love! & 1/2 the price of a box from happy shopper.