Starting Carping Part 9 - The Method

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The Method… Now and Then!

The mix

The mix I use now is still pretty much the same, but it contains more basemix, and less trout pellet, mainly to try and make it different to the other proprietary mixes. It also contains a lot of spices such as turmeric, garam masala, garlic powder, chillies, salt and pepper - all fish attractors in their own right, as well as giving a mix that is a bit different to the norm.

Dave's mix - different it certainly is

Things like Horlicks, chocolate powder and lemon tea are all worth adding too. Don't worry about all the different flavours, carp don't taste in the same way we do, chocolate and fish might be really nice to a carp...

Tuna brine block defrosting in the dry mix

I like to use a lot of fishy things - every time I go to the supermarket I keep an eye on the 'nearly out of date' section, for things like mussels, prawns shrimps and whelks, and build up a supply in the freezer. These then get liquidised and go into the mix along with a few lumps, which gives an amazing amount of attraction into the water, as well as a few options for hookbait. Be aware that it will normally attract every eel for miles around!

Additives

I try to use as little water as possible when I prepare the mix, using things like oyster sauce, fish sauce, fish and nut oils… anything that will add attraction to the mix. One thing I do is to keep a few containers in the freezer and every time we open a tin of tuna or sweetcorn, I put the brine into them. I also add leftover pepperami and give it a quick whizz in a blender before it goes into the groundbait.

The rig

The rig I use to fish the method has changed, for a couple of reasons I now tend to fish it helicopter style.

Presentation - When fishing clear waters I always have a slight nagging doubt in my mind that the end tackle is a bit blatant after a fish has cleared the feeder, fishing it helicopter style means I can have the bait slightly back from the feeder, which in itself can be a better method for fish that are wising up to the normal short hooklength buried in the bait.

The rig components

Safety - If you notice, unlike a helicopter rig, there's no bead above the swivel, so if I should snap it's only the hooklink the fish is left with. I haven't found that it affects the hooking potential though.

Flexibility - Due to the quick connector, it's dead easy to swap from a 'normal' rig and back if needed.

I only use method feeders when I really have to; get the mix right, and you can easily fish to medium range by using a 'grippa' style lead - it also gives a much neater presentation when the mix has gone.

The rig assembled

A method I use quite a lot now is to feed an area with a very dry mix, basically just the liquidised attractors and only just enough water to make the powder sink. With a spod you can get a real carpet effect, rather than feeding balls of bait, which give little piles all over the place. I then fish a PVA bag of dry mix but with a good glug of the liquids in the bag. This will give a wide area of attraction to get the fish rooting around, and a nice concentrated area around the hookbait with attraction moving up in the water column.

I still think 'The Method' is a vastly underrated way of catching big fish, as well as lots of fish. There are so many ways to use the concept, you just have to think a little about what you're trying to achieve.