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Dave Coster’s HOW TO – Change Feeders Quickly
Step 1: Method and Hybrid feeders with in-line tubes
Modern method and hybrid feeders have removable in-line tubes, which help to make your end rigs a lot more versatile, in some cases allowing quick changes to heavier or lighter feeder sizes, or even to completely different designs. Small alterations like this can improve your catches almost instantly. Most tube systems have related quick change beads that neatly fit inside their leading ends, making it a doddle to chop and change short method hook lengths in seconds. Apart from letting you switch to a ready baited end tackle to save time, it also creates a safe semi-fixed bolt rig effect.
Step 2: Hybrid feeders with in-line leger weights
Some tube-based method and hybrid feeder systems also encompass drilled leger weights, which neatly slot onto the tubes if you want to try something different and stop feeding for a while. This quick-change facility means that end rigs don’t need to be broken down, allowing choices of feeding or resting the swim from more grub, while still fishing the same spot. Very often in winter, when the fish are not feeding well, a few casts with a leger weight will keep those bites coming. Once they dry up, it only takes a few seconds to slot on to a hybrid or method feeder - to coax the action back.
Step 3: Feeder snap links and links
The Feeder Snap Links and the longer Feeder Links Guru have brought onto the market, allow conventional groundbait and maggot feeders to be swopped around quickly too. The Guru Feeder Snap Links do a great job if you want your feeder free-running close to the mainline, while longer Feeder Links create safe, free-running paternoster style rigs.
Paternoster set-ups are popular for bream fishing, where the feeder is kept much further away from the reel line and hook. In both instances, these links will also accept leger weights if the swim needs a rest from being fed for a while.