In this, the 3rd and last part of my FAQ on The Method, I'm going to look at what tackle is needed.
RODS
There are many rods on the market today that can be used in Method fishing. What you are looking for is a rod that is rated around 4oz casting weight that will handle reel lines up to 10lb+ and hooklengths in the 4 to 8lb range. The ideal length would be around 12ft, with a medium/heavy action. Prices range from around £30.00
to £175.00 plus.
Leeda's Zoo Creature Drayton Method is a typical purpose-built method rod of 13ft. It has four sections and two push-in quiver tips. It will handle reel lines of 5 to 8lb with ease, although the recommended hooklength range is 4 to 7lb. Price is around
£79.00.
REELS
First thing you want to know is what line the reel will hold; 150yds of 9lb is about right. As with the rods there are many reels to choose from and you
don't need to break the bank to get a good one. Most reels have a rear drag and a gear ratio of around 5:1. Prices start from about £25.00 and go to £100.00 or so.
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Mixing for The Method
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Typical reel for Method fishing is the ABU Garcia Cardinal Agenda AG4F. It has a spool capacity of 250 yds of 8lb line, has an aluminium body and two ball bearings plus a bale arm roller bearing. It retails at about £38.00 making it easy on the pocket.
LINE
Reel line for Method fishing needs to be 6 to 10lb breaking strain, with 8lb the ideal. You can use braid but it's not needed with Method fishing because of the type of bites you get and fishing with your line tight. There are no hard and fast rules as to what line you should use, it's more down to what make you have faith in.
Hooklength line should be of a lighter breaking strain then the reel line. But not too light; around 6lb is about right. The length of the hooklength will vary with how well the fish are feeding. This can
mean a hooklength from around 3 to 10in is needed and it sometimes pays to bury your hooklength in the groundbait. As with all fishing a low diameter/low visibility line helps.
FEEDERS
There are many types of Method feeder on the market so it mainly comes down to personal choice. They come in various sizes and weights, the heavier ones being ideal for long casting with heavy gear and the smaller ones for close in work on lighter tackle.
HOOKS
A good strong hook is needed when Method feeder fishing for carp (remember, you can use the Method for other fish as well). The Mustad eyed Method feeder barbless hooks are an excellent choice. These range in sizes from 6 to 16 and are ideal for most types of Method fishing.
ROD RESTS
When Method fishing your rod rests are just as important as your rods, etc, because of the way you are fishing (if fishing quivertip style) and
the bites from the carp can be hard and fast. If you don't have the right sort of rod rests you stand a good chance of your rod being pulled into the water. There are some good Method feeder rests on the
market and one of the best is the Seymo adjustable carp rest. When used with a good butt rest this will stop any carp from dragging your rod in. But make sure your reel's drag is set so that, if necessary, the fish can take line.
I hope you've enjoyed this three part series of mine on fishing the Method. I will be taking a friend and his daughter to a lake soon to show them how to fish the Method. I'll be taking them to a lake I know that is just right for this style of fishing and I may just finish the series with an article and pictures of our day.
