I've just returned from a satisfying day on the Heronbrook Teams of Four Winter League. I had drawn on the Island Pool and won my lake with 53lb of F1s, mirrors and common carp – using 2mm Sonubaits' Fin Perfect micro pellets in a feeder, with a grain of corn hair-rigged on the hook.

The key thing on the day was the size of the feeder I used. I am convinced I did better than the anglers around me, because the feeder didn’t spook the wary fish. I used a tiny cage feeder with only 10 grams of lead attached. It was hard casting it at times the 25 yards needed to reach an island, because of a side-wind, but it was a case of being patient and focused on the job in hand.
My weight was 18lb in front of the angler who finished second on the lake, and an angler next to me, who also fished the feeder, had only one fish all day.
After the match he came up to me and asked to see my feeder rig. I showed it to him and he said he was convinced I had caught so much better because it was so small and the fact it didn’t scare the fish.
Noise can be a double-edged sword when targeting commercial fishery carp. In summer the more noise the better in many cases, but in winter it becomes a lot harder and fish don’t like a racket going on a lot of the time.
I used a Preston Powerline .15mm hook-length and a size 18 PR36 hook with the corn hair-rigged.
The interesting part of the rig was above the free running feeder, where I positioned a couple of braid stops, so the feeder could only slide six inches, and above that, some two feet further towards the rod, I pinched on a couple of BB shot.
This was to pin down the line to the lakebed. People may ask why I use two BB shot and not a single AAA instead.
The answer is simple: Sometimes I like to spread those two BB shots out, say a foot apart. Having two shot on the line instead of one gives you more ‘presentation’ options, if you get my drift.
I believe that fish will spook if they see the line. Using weight to ‘back-lead’ the feeder rig keeps the line pinned down and it makes the fish more confident.
Try my back-leading idea next time you fish a commercial fishery for carp this winter. It is definitely worth a few extra bites.