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Maggot feeder

M

Michael Radford

Senior Member
I want to try the maggot feeder on the severn and the trent for barbel. what rod and reel would you recommend and line breaking strain probably need a big chuck with up to 80grms on the trent what oz tips needed £200 budget
 
I use my light barbel rods for maggot work 1.75 infinitys. Tbh you probably don't need a quiver either imo... I even step up with an heavier rod too. Using a magaligner with anything 3oz (korum combr feeder) and over, coupled with uprated line etc. If it's just black cap feeders a lighter set up will suffice. Reels; whatever balances the set up.
 
I use the Drennan Acolyte 13ft distance feeder, fantastic rod that punches out feeders very accurately and has a lovely playing action...however saying that I have also used the Drennan specialist Avon rod 1.5Ib which worked just as well, I just like the extra foot on the distance rod for the bigger rivers
 
I use maggot feeders on the Trent from anything from 2.5oz to 5oz depending on the flow. 12lb GR60 or 16lb ProClear mainline. 1.75 Chimera 2 for up to 3oz feeders, and 2.25 Chimera 3 for anything heavier.

No need for a quiver tip in my opinion.

Cheers,

Joe
 
Drennan Acolyte distance feeder rod. Best Barbel rod I’ve used for the Middle Severn. Large casting weight, plenty of power and large eyed quiver tips perfect for river fishing. Alternatively, the older Drennan DRX river feeder rods are also very good, as are the Super Feeder rods (older 13ft models are available, but only 12ft in the latest range).
 
interesting Sam, I have a couple of drennan distance feeders and cant stand using them on running water. I bought them for stillwaters but when I tried them on the Thames in the winter I found the last third a bit to soft. I have some of the heavy cadence #3 feeders in both 13-14ft and found them to be a bit beefier.

but I have to say those drennans are cracking rods, I've never seen a feeder go so far when ive chucked out with one of them!
 
I generally use a Daiwa Theory 2.25 with a 3 oz tip on the Swale for maggot feeders if I suspect the barbel are having it but rarely go above 50g feeders as no huge chucks
Depending on swim - 10lb Sensor or 12lb Big Game - hooklink I've settled on currently is Guru N-Gauge 9lb b/s
We have plenty of good chub and I'm happy catching them so prefer the sensitivity of a tip rod.
Also use a Preston Carbonactive and Drennan Puddlechucker Carp Feeder if I think it will be mainly chub - both will handle barbel but can be hairy in snaggy swims, whereas the Theory has power in abundance. But with £200 you won't go wrong with any of the earlier suggestions
I like the look of the Cadence rods and might be tempted next year.
Got me thinking about tactics tomorrow, blooming cold up here.
 
Still a little un certain. when maggot fishing do barbel self hook,do you hair the maggots, what oz tips for running water to see bites fo barbel and chub. I have been looking at the diawa 12ft6 castizm goes up to a 3oz tip and will chuck 70gsm would that work for the severn and trent
 
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quiver tip depends on the flow where you are casting. It pays to carry a range with you. I normally use somewhere between 2oz and 6oz on the Middle Severn, depending on levels, flow etc. With a long hooklength some bites are wrap around, others are more subtle drop backs, hence the need to use as softer tip as possible. I use a semi fixed rig so most self hook.
I hook maggots directly onto Drennan Super Spades in sizes 12 to 20 depending on the number I’m hooking at once. Don’t be fooled, Super Spades are very strong hooks.
Again, with feeders I carry a range of sizes and weights to match my feeding and swim. The Drennan Vari-weights are very good for normal level conditions. The idea again being to use the lightest you can get away with, without the flow moving the feeder.
 
Paul Richardson said:
I generally use a Daiwa Theory 2.25 with a 3 oz tip on the Swale for maggot feeders if I suspect the barbel are having it but rarely go above 50g feeders as no huge chucks
Depending on swim - 10lb Sensor or 12lb Big Game - hooklink I've settled on currently is Guru N-Gauge 9lb b/s
We have plenty of good chub and I'm happy catching them so prefer the sensitivity of a tip rod.
Also use a Preston Carbonactive and Drennan Puddlechucker Carp Feeder if I think it will be mainly chub - both will handle barbel but can be hairy in snaggy swims, whereas the Theory has power in abundance. But with £200 you won't go wrong with any of the earlier suggestions
I like the look of the Cadence rods and might be tempted next year.
Got me thinking about tactics tomorrow, blooming cold up here.
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Thanks for your reply. I have an early 12ft carbon active probably 15yrs old with 3 tips light, medium,heavy do you know if it got beefed up at all on newer models
 
Not sure Michael as I bought mine second hand. It's a fantastic rod but personally I wouldn't use it for targeting barbel on my river as just not enough power to put the brakes on a barbel in modest flow. I have had them on it and in the right swim ( minimal snags) it will land them but it's always in full parabolic curve and no reserve power - that's why I like the Theory as it is has loads of power if needed, yet on Saturday neither the chub nor barbel were playing and I used it catching modest perch all day in a snaggy swim on maggot feeder, but was confident that if a good fish did show up I could cope with it. I got the Theory for £50 second hand. I also have a Fox Royale 1.5tc which is a great allrounder at decent money,
But definitely worth a try on the Preston - it is an excellent rod for chub.
As maggots are not selective I fish a simple black cap feeder on a running rig between float stops so I can easily adjust hooklength, which is important.
No hair-rigging, 2-4 maggots on the hook, and just keep the feed going in , I've found it can take upto 2 hours to get fish feeding, normally bits, then chub , then barbel if they're feeding, so take plenty of bait if using big feeders.
It's busy fishing and you constantly need to ring the changes but can be very productive when other methods struggle.
 
Paul Richardson said:
Not sure Michael as I bought mine second hand. It's a fantastic rod but personally I wouldn't use it for targeting barbel on my river as just not enough power to put the brakes on a barbel in modest flow. I have had them on it and in the right swim ( minimal snags) it will land them but it's always in full parabolic curve and no reserve power - that's why I like the Theory as it is a powerful rod with loads of power if needed, yet on Saturday neither the chub nor barbel were playing and I used it catching modest perch all day in a snaggy swim on maggot feeder, but was confident that if a good fish did show up I could cope with it. I got the
As maggots are not selective I fish
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Yes i always found mine fairly soft i always felt i was striking the feeder first.
 
Sam Lloyd said:
quiver tip depends on the flow where you are casting. It pays to carry a range with you. I normally use somewhere between 2oz and 6oz on the Middle Severn, depending on levels, flow etc. With a long hooklength some bites are wrap around, others are more subtle drop backs, hence the need to use as softer tip as possible. I use a semi fixed rig so most self hook.
I hook maggots directly onto Drennan Super Spades in sizes 12 to 20 depending on the number I’m hooking at once. Don’t be fooled, Super Spades are very strong hooks.
Again, with feeders I carry a range of sizes and weights to match my feeding and swim. The Drennan Vari-weights are very good for normal level conditions. The idea again being to use the lightest you can get away with, without the flow moving the feeder.
Click to expand...
Always used Drennan Super Spades when I used to bag up with caster/maggot, on the BA. Totally reliable.
 
Michael Radford said:
Still a little un certain. when maggot fishing do barbel self hook,do you hair the maggots, what oz tips for running water to see bites fo barbel and chub. I have been looking at the diawa 12ft6 castizm goes up to a 3oz tip and will chuck 70gsm would that work for the severn and trent
Click to expand...

I hair rig maggots (approx 4-5) using ESP hair braid and some superglue. Size 11 drennan superspec barbel hook. My approach with maggot fishing for barbel doesn't differ from feeder fishing with pellets and boilies, I use the same running rig and terminal tackle, albeit a size 8-10 hook for pellets/boilies.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
I hair rig maggots (approx 4-5) using ESP hair braid and some superglue. Size 11 drennan superspec barbel hook. My approach with maggot fishing for barbel doesn't differ from feeder fishing with pellets and boilies, I use the same running rig and terminal tackle, albeit a size 8-10 hook for pellets/boilies.
Click to expand...
Why do you hair rig them? Surely just so much easier to mount them on the hook.
 
Michael Radford said:
Still a little un certain. when maggot fishing do barbel self hook,do you hair the maggots, what oz tips for running water to see bites fo barbel and chub. I have been looking at the diawa 12ft6 castizm goes up to a 3oz tip and will chuck 70gsm would that work for the severn and trent
Click to expand...
There is now one answer to any of this, except you might be over thinking it a bit. Yes I know it's the Trent, but they are no different to any other fish in any other Rivers, any 1.75 Barbel Rod will suffice, except in the most extreme conditions . Way before hair rigs maggots have been directly placed on hooks they are simply made for the job, just hook then in the blunt end without bursting them, just practice.
Feeling old...:oops:
 
Neil Smart said:
Why do you hair rig them? Surely just so much easier to mount them on the hook.
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I feel the hair rigging them gives a better presentation, and therefore I feel more confident. I guess that’s what it all about, we all prefer to use the methods we are most confident in. I do sometimes mount them on the hook (in fact I pretty much always do for chub and tench) and I’ve caught that way, but tbh I don’t find hair rigging them a faff.

I was shown how to fish maggot and caster for barbel by the master himself, Stef Horak, and he hair rigs maggots when barbelling, I guess perhaps why I feel confident using the methods I nicked from him, a better barbel angler than I’ll ever be!
 
I was shown how to fish maggot and caster for barbel by the master himself, Stef Horak, and he hair rigs maggots when barbelling, I guess perhaps why I feel confident using the methods I nicked from him, a better barbel angler than I’ll ever be![/QUOTE]


And who would argue with that Joe?
I do what I do as I was shown by a mature angler in our club who would empty swims and the simplicity of his approach, yet attention to detail were brilliant. Best couple of hours I ever spent on a river was sat behind watching him. Could never claim to be half as good an angler as he is but ten times better than I was.
 
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