Angly

Oh I'm sure. I guess bottom make up might be a deciding factor. On a rocky or weedy bottom, it must be possible for the weight/feeder to lie pointing up with the short fluorocarbon hooklength and critically balanced bait wafting about unnaturally in mid-air.

Funny that, I've just been Googling coated braid! Exactly what I try to avoid. But it's hard to sort out the genuinely useful/essential from the mere fashion/non-essential. Already I've explored the dark side more than I originally intended to when I returned to angling (hair rigs, bolt rigs, bait bands, method feeders, PVA string, low dia hooklengths, baitrunner, and something I swore I'd never own... a bivvy!).

I actually have braid down to try for another rig, and if one of the Chosen Few (Wingham) will probably use it there. For the original rig that started this post off though, I understood that the stiff nature of the fluorocarbon was a huge benefit to hooking tricky tench. Of course I could ignore the fluorocarbon camo properties and find some fairly stiff standard mono of the required diameter instead.

Ah, but did you marker pen out the rods 'Barbel' transfer and crayon on 'Tench & Bream' instead? If you're going to cut corners you only have yourself to blame!

This is important as it quite difficult to achieve this in other ways! I've lost/missed fish becuse of the maggots turning over and getting in the way of the hook point. Rich Ahh, blindingly obvious when ones knows!

It's always very difficult to ad-lib or improvise on another rig when you're not exactly sure of the reasons for the original design. Of course with time and experience one can ascertain which are the essential ingredients and which parts are fairly irrelevant, but I'm far from that level of experience at the moment.

How do we return the completed questionnaire to you Steve, replying to your e-mail just bounces back off your SPAM filter? Edit: OK, used your PayPal e-mail addy instead of just hitting 'reply'. Trust that's OK?

Do spod/marker only rods actually count as 'rods' (3 maximum). I'm guessing not, but thought I'd ask just to be sure.

Thanks Steve.

Anyone know how many lobworms to a c. 250g pot?

I had considered that as a B option, but presumed that Martin Bowler's method of attachment was done for some particular reason (other than to sell X Line which just happens to be the thinnest per lb flourocarbon line I have found so far, and therefore the only line that trick is possible with on that size hook!)?

I can't concentrate on anything now, too excited, when do we get confirmation on whether or not we made it in time?

Wow, online just on time! Fingers crossed my e-mail got through!

Excellent stuff, thank you very much Lutra. Now for the finishes touches to my set up, a 'Tench & Bream' transfer to apply to my 1.5lb barbel rod...don't want to be using the wrong rod!

I couldn't quite understand what he said in the video, but isn't the only physical connection between feeder and line the lower swivel, merely held in place by friction in the lower bead (just like the Fox Method Maggot Feeder and Drennan Inline)?

Excellent, look forward to your findings.

Ordered ours just over a week ago, both arrived this morning.

I prefer to think of it as a new (to me) method, using his sponsored brand of tackle. I of course will try the method, but adapt it to tackle that I already own or have easily available to me. I imagine most real anglers (not that I'm classing myself as one mind) might do similarly.

Ah right, thank you. So what size Super Specialist best approximates the size of a 14 Super Specialist Barbel?

OK, his site back up now: Top Tips & Little Touches: Bolt Rig Feeder Conversion

Sorry Elton, no idea how I managed to double post.

Presuming this will be used as ammunition in the 'is fishing cruel' argument, can I just point out what a waste of time that is. Far better for anglers to admit that angling does contains elements of mild cruelty (some people even think it's cruel to keep animals as pets), but that the benefits angling brings to the environment and society as a whole by far outweigh the negatives. When anglers fight their corner using an untruth (there is no element of cruelty), they have lost the battle already.

Does the new Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hook have a larger eye than the corresponding size standard Super Specialist? My local tackle shop doesn't stock the former for me to make a comparison myself. I ask because of the Martin Bowler video (his site appears to be down just now, but the one detailing his inline feeder bolt rig conversion for the carp & the tench) where he manages to pass line through the eye of a 14 Super Specialist Barbel three times. I'm using 0.33mm (stated) fluorocarbon, and the smallest Super Specialist I can do that with (and even then it takes me a great many attempts) is a 10.

Elton, Please Delete.

Has Steve said how many places are up for grabs AFTER the places for last years unsuccessful applicants have been taken? Not many I would have thought.