Gizmos From The House of Gadget

Phil Hackett has long been known as Mr Gadget due to his penchant for crazy and not so crazy inventions. Some have been so good they were nicked by well known tackle companies after they saw them. Some never saw the light of day.

But you can't fault a mad inventor who only a few short years ago went from being a window-cleaner with no qualifications to gaining a degree in Environmental Studies, a Masters degree in Countryside Management and now works as a lecturer in Further Education.

He now describes himself as a madder than mad inventor due to the time he's spent in academia.

Phil Hackett (Mr Gadget)

His areas of interest within the Environmental discipline are primarily Ecology (terrestrial and aquatic environments) but extending into all environmental, health and social areas. He has carried out research into the progression of introduced fish stocks in a recovering river after long-term pollution.

Research urban park bird populations and the links they have with British native trees. Researched the ecological biodiversity of several Manchester parks, and is currently researching (on going) roach populations in regards to their potential life span. He was a consultant expert witness presenting evidence on ecology at a local public inquiry. Actively been involved (Hands on, in the dirt) in habitat improvements through out the Manchester area.

Phil has campaigned on many issues locally over many years from the proposal to incinerate cattle carcasses that potentially had the BSE agent within them to local air pollution and health issues. He has actively participated in the local campaign group arguing for increased sustainable facilities and regeneration for the area. It is his firm belief that local issues should be decided by the local people who live there. Not by officers, councillors and/or council committees who live in leafy parts well removed from the problems faced by local people.

His fishing interests are simple. He just enjoys whatever he's fishing for, whatever the species. He's fished for all species of coarse fish over the years except one, the catfish. Of all the fish he's caught one fish stands proud in his mind, a 10 lb 2 oz bream from an extremely difficult Cheshire mere in the early eighties. It was his first double and the campaign for that fish cost him two summers without seeing or setting a hook into a fish. He still can't describe the elation he felt after netting it. Never since has he felt like that about any other fish that he's caught.

How To Make Mega Feeders
This is how to make some mega feeders I invented some years ago. The top drawing is of a groundbait feeder the bottom a maggot dropper. I originally designed the maggot dropper for roach when and old friend, the late Roger Harker, and myself were fishing Worthington Lakes in Wigan.

Phil's sketch of the Mega Droppers

'Lake' is a misnomer as they were in fact reservoirs, which when full during the winter, were 40+ft deep. The problem we were having was that catapulted maggots took a long time to sink and tended to fetch the fish up in the water. As we wanted the fish on the bottom, a radical solution needed to be found.

To compound the problem we could only use loose feed, as groundbaiting on the lakes was banned because they were drinking water reservoirs. To avoid breaking the rules, and so that we could get feed down quickly to the bed, I developed the mega maggot dropper. These droppers allowed us to get a pint of maggots down in about 8 casts. The groundbaiter was a natural progression of the dropper. This came about again because I was fishing a local deep reservoir at range, where the roach responded better to a loose-feed bed than they did to balls of groundbait on the bottom

My own opinion is much the same as Graham's: it is much better if you have an evenly spread bed of feed rather than a bed of large balls of groundbait in your swim. The fish are more likely to find the hookbait before they get full off several balls of groundbait and then sod off laughing at you! I guess the thinking behind it is much like the way free-range chickens feed, ie, picking up individual food items and moving on to the next.

I have subsequently used the method for bream and tench on a couple of waters and it works reasonably well. I even tried it on the river for barbel and chub and caught fish.

The Groundbait Feeder
Take a six-inch length of 2 inch polypipe, cut two 60 degree angles at one end, heat up the angles with a gas stove and bend them in so that they meet, holding them in place until they set.

A variety of Phil's feeders

There is some flattening of the tube when this is done but don't worry about it, as it just makes the feeder more streamlined when it's retrieved. Put two small holes of at least 3mm diameter, 5mm either side of the meeting point. Take some fuse wire and stitch through the holes several times, placing a large swivel on the second and all other subsequent stitches.

I recommend that at least three stitches are needed for this process, as there can be up to 4-6 oz of weight in the feeder when full.

To put a flange on the base of the groundbait feeder heat the base up and rub on a flat surface, this turns the plastic down and over, making the flange. It helps to keep the groundbait in as it flies through the air.

The feeder must have lead added to it because polypipe floats. Buy or make some lead strips, drill some holes in the pipe lengthways and insert part of the lead strip through the holes. You need at least 10mm on the inside of the pipe to bend over to keep the strip secure. The strip must also weigh at least ¾ oz to sink the finished feeder.

Maggot dropper
As described above, but you also need a cap to fit it, some power gum and a leger stop. The tube then needs to have some largish holes (6-8mm) drilled in it to let the maggots out.

For the cap I use a domed plastic cap from a deodorant dispenser. The cap does not have to be a perfect fit as the power gum cord will keep it secure in flight. Drill a smallish hole in the centre of the cap to take the power gum and four larger maggot emptying holes around the crown of the cap.

Cut two 60 deg angles at one end

To fit the power gum cord you will notice that there is a gap in the stitched fusewire, insert one end of your power gum through this gap, making sure you have a least 16 inches of it, as its going to run through the feeder doubled. After inserting the power gum, even the lengths up and insert both ends through the cap hole. Place a ledger stop on the power gum, tensioning it up until the cap is tight but not to tight as you can't open it to fill with maggots.

How To Use The Feeder And Dropper

You'll need a spod rod or at least 2.5 lbs carp and/or pike rod. DO NOT USE ANYTHING LIGHTER UNLESS IT'S FIBRE-GLASS. You have been warned!!!

Fill the feeder/dropper and cast out, wait until the feeder/dropper hits the bottom, close the bale-arm and tighten up to the feeder/dropper. Pull the rod in a long steady sweeping movement turning you body to the left or right in the process. You will feel the feeder/dropper emptying during this process. What is actually happening is that the water pressure is building up through the water flow holes as you move the rod in this sweeping movement. Subsequently the feed is being ejected out of the holes and/or the base depending on which feeder is being used.

Believe you me, it is explosive to watch what happens during this process, maggots being ejected in a swirling vortex behind the dropper. By varying the speed of the pull, after a little practice, you can place them in a small or a large area at will. With the groundbait feeder the key to success is not to make your mix too stodgy, a light fluffy mix is best and don't pack the feeder too tight. A half inch thick compressed plug of is, however, required at the base to stop the feed flying out on the cast. Initially, I suggest that you make this separate and place it in after you've filled the feeder. When you become competent at filling it you can get the compression on the fill right to keep it in without having todo it separately.

I have successfully used both the groundbait feeder and the maggot dropper at ranges of up to 80 yds for roach, bream and tench, with all manner of baits - maggots, casters, sweetcorn, hemp, meat, boilies, chopped worm, etc. I have also used the groundbait feeder as a dropper on rivers for chub and barbel quite successfully. If you use this method on the river it requires a heavier mix of groundbait as a plug.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect and for me there's no more perfect a way of delivering good quantities of bait by rod and line than this. But I would say this wouldn't I, because I designed and refined the method.