With bites are at a premium in winter I pin my faith in double Sonu Fin Perfect expander pellet, hair-rigged and fished on the bomb, when commercial water carp are the target.

To prepre the pellets, which I reinforce with supermarket-bought gelatine, follow these simple steps.
1. Boil a kettle
2. Pour some boiling water into a pellet pump. Add an eighth of a sachet of gelatine powder and stir vigorously.
3. Add a quantity of Sonu Fin Perfect expander pellets and pump to drag the gelatine liquid through into the pellets.
4. Leave the pellets in the water for five minutes.
5. Now drain the pellets off, knot down in a polythene bag with no air inside it, and put them in the back of the fridge.

Chilling the pellets overnight helps the gelatine to work as they become slightly rubbery but they remain very soft, which is what the carp want when the water is so cold and they have difficulty feeding. I mount the pellets on a hooklength of .15mm Preston Powerline and a size 18 Preston PR36 hook with a boilie stop to secure them in position. You just need to be careful when mounting them because of their soft texture.

Give jellied pellets a try this winter. Follow my simple ste-by-step guide and you’ll earn a few extra bites.