Smallest pellets for hair rigging?

[Steve Brand]

Was wondering what Is the smallest pellets any of you might use on a hair rig, bearing In mind small baits are advised for low clear rivers.
I fished a stretch close to south Muskham on the trent today and after 3 biteless hours with pellets from 15mm down to 8mm decided to go down to an even smaller bait.
I hair rigged a small bait band and carefully scored a groove In a 6mm pellet using a strong 16s hook I was amazed when my first cast produced a confident rap on the tip which I misssed.
Recast and again good positive bite that produced a good sized roach of around 12oz, next cast a decent bream around 5 lb then another good roach a good 14oz fish.
To be fair I cast this rig out more In hope than having any confidence In catching ok I didnt manage a barbel it was the middle of the day bright sunshine and a low clear river but I view any fish as a result even when barbel are my preference .
Its certainly a tactic I will be using again In the future the pellet was a high oil halibut type pellet and lasted a decent amount of time without breaking down to much, probably not a long session method but worth a go might even get a barbel when they are feeding hard on small pellet feed.

 

[David Craine]

I have hair rigged treble boiled hemp seeds on 3 lb mono hair,by threading them on using a needle,I suppose I could have superglued them on,the mono was attached to the bend of a size 12,which itself was on a 10lb low dia flouro hooklength. I was after anything, wanting a Barbel, but anyway, I cast them in behind a feeder filled with hemp,and plugged with crumb, within a minute I had a twitch that resulted in a really good sized river Roach, not what I was expecting, but very welcome. I continued and had several more to the same tactics.
As you pointed out Steve, the river was quite low, I would not have experimented with that rig otherwise.

Dave.

 

[Ash Morton]

Loads less hassle glueing, I've tried the small pellet approach a few times in the day this year on Trent and its brought me a few extra bites, plenty of small chub and a few decent roach too tho, I was glueing 3 4millers, with small loose feed in the feeder

 

[Steve Brand]

glueing pellets

Loads less hassle glueing, I've tried the small pellet approach a few times in the day this year on Trent and its brought me a few extra bites, plenty of small chub and a few decent roach too tho, I was glueing 3 4millers, with small loose feed in the feeder

It Is possible to band even 4mm pellets with a micro bait band and a banding tool although I did not manage to put a groove In a 4mm so they may be prone to coming off a bit easier.
I tried glueing and dont get on with it to fiddly with really small pellets I find banding better for single 4/6 mm pellet must try tying multiple bands for a two three pellet approach .
Think small pellet on hair and hemp feed would work well dont think the fish are spending to much time inspecting the bait.

 

[Karl Heptonstall]

Two 3 or 4m pellets glued on a hair works very well fished over hemp or pellets or both. As said before you do want a high oil pellet so it doesn't break down too quickly, even still I wouldn't leave the bait out too long.

 

[Sam Lloyd]

Guys here on the matches use the lasso rig for fishing 4mm pellets.

 

[Paul Hamer]

I've been using the lasso rig with 5-6mm pellets and had quite a few barbel recently, excellent rig using a size 12 hook

 

[Steve Brand]

I've been using the lasso rig with 5-6mm pellets and had quite a few barbel recently, excellent rig using a size 12 hook

Size 12 you after sharks LOL just got some of the drennan specimen plus in a 16s to try I do put two rods out one targeting the bigger fish and one for out thats going usualy end up catching on the out thats going rod

 

[Paul Hamer]

Size 12 you after sharks LOL just got some of the drennan specimen plus in a 16s to try I do put two rods out one targeting the bigger fish and one for out thats going usualy end up catching on the out thats going rod

If it cant fit a 12 in its mouth I don't want to catch it