Phil's Method Leads (click for bigger picture)
|
Making Method Leads
In my last article I described how to make wooden lead moulds for very heavy leads to fit open-ended feeders. Well I've been playing around with leads in the workshop this time, making flat leads of 2, 3 and 4 ounces.
Historically, the way to do this is to take an Arlesey bomb, a hammer and flatten it. This method works fine and serves the purpose it's intended for, but, me being me, I wanted to take it a stage further and make oblong flat leads. This I did quite easily using a similar design as the one for the feeder leads. See Fig. 1a. & 1b. & 1c.
However, whilst on the Ribble the other night and not getting many bites due to a steep drop in temperature, I started think about how I could combine a heavy lead and balls of mashed bread groundbait as feed. The obvious answer was method feeders, but I didn't have any with me and don't own any anyway, because the ones I've seen are too light for use in the Ribble when it's carrying water. I did however have some flat leads with me and was in fact using one on the pellet rod.
I squashed a ball of bread groundbait around it and cast it out and it worked a treat. As I sat watching the motionless tips, my creative head kicked in and asked the question, “Could I improve on this idea and make leads with more grip for the groundbait to adhere to, without sacrificing any weight or the flatness of the lead?”
Fig 1a and Fig 1b (click for bigger picture)
|
If I could, it would eliminate the need to carry so much weight in feeders and leads which can be, at times, as much as 4 lbs, as I pointed out in my last article. It would also create 'Method' type leads, suitable for fishing the Ribble when carrying extra water. The thought process then went into overdrive and worked out a rough design that included short arms coming off the lead to give it more grip for groundbait.
At home the next night out came the tools and the 2 X 1 timber and I started to carve the mould for this lead. Fig 2 shows the design of the mould I made and the finished lead.
The process for carving is much the same as I described in my first article using the same tools. However, a sharp Stanley knife is useful and needed for cutting the arm slots in the mould. To remove the ¼ inch pieces of wood for the arms I use a fine bladed metal screwdriver, the type you buy in a set of six on the market or hobby shops.
When cutting with the Stanley knife it's very important for your own safety to keep body parts, ie fingers, well away from the direction of where you're cutting. Failure to adhere to these rules will undoubtedly lead to ashen face, weak knees and a long wait in casualty for stitches.
When casting, and to stop the molten lead from running up into the section where the loop is and gunking it up, it's advisable to push a slither of wood into the slot above the loop. Provided the process is carried out successfully, without any mishaps, you should finish up with a lead as shown in Fig 2c.
Fig 1c
|
I have eluded briefly above to the possible advantages of these method leads, not least the potential for reducing the weight I have to carry. Other advantages I can see is the fact that you can impregnate the ground bait with just enough micro, mini or middy pellets to stimulate the fish into feeding without giving them a meal.
I said earlier I use bread feed only, which I make (soft bread only) by whizzing in the blender, or if its hard and dry, I use a small liquidiser I got from a car boot sale. I've found that it's not a good idea to whiz hard, dry bread in the whizzer, as it takes the edge off the blades and, if it jams, ruins the drive housing of the blade adaptor. I'm on my second set already for the model I've got, and it's not yet twelve months old. Oops!
Fig 2a and Fig 2b (click for bigger picture)
|
Whizzed bread, when water and flow start to break it down, breaks away in very small pieces, giving more cloud particles than pieces. This acts as an attracter rather than a food source per se, bringing the chub out of their resting and hidy holes.
The pellets should have settled near to the hook pellet because they are heavier than the bread cloud, stimulating the fish into feeding mode by giving them a snack, ultimately looking for something more substantial…….and bang! Round goes the rod end on the hook pellet.
Well that's the theory behind them anyway! Less weight for me to carry, no compromise on flatness or weight of the lead and the ability to feed bread groundbait whilst using them.
Fig 2c
|
For the rest of the season I'm going to give them a trial and see whether they improve or reduce my catch rate anyway. I'll keep you posted as to the results as time goes by.
Ron Troversial Clay
