Although the feeder has wide application in stillwaters, the orthodox application of the swimfeeder is in streamy water, where its use is in ensuring a constant flow of bait down the current. A general rig arrangement is exactly the same as a sliding link with snap link swivels, the swimfeeder merely replacing the lead. In summer, feeder fishing in fast-running water is more effective the more often you cast and the more bait you use. This is particularly true when using maggots and the minimum bait to use is 4 pints (2.28 litres). Cost is obviously a limiting factor, but this is one technique where you can buy your bait.
Streamer Beds
Streamer beds are particularly good feeder swims, as careful positioning of each cast between streamer tresses ensures that the loose feed continually follows the same narrow band. Accuracy of casting with a feeder, and then ensuring it remains put after settling, gives the most efficient presentation possible. To prevent rolling, oval blockends are good for streamer work, and you may also want to carry a selection of clip-on leads to cope with brisker than normal flows. Use as long a tail as possible, up to 3 ft (90 cm), so that the maggot hookbait is free to follow the same undulating path as the streamer tresses. The density of the vegetation will be the limiting factor for how long that link can be before it becomes a handicap. Always fish the feeder free-running. Fixed blockends do not travel easily through streamer roots.
3 Swivel Casters
Main Species
The species of interest to the summer river feeder angler are roach, dace, bream, chub and barbel, and for all those species, except barbel, ready-tied super spades, in sizes 12 to 16, to 4.5 lb (2 kg) nylon are recommended. For barbel, a size 12 super spade is appropriate, but tie it to a minimum of 6 lb (2.72 kg) invisible line.
As well as maggots, feeder techniques are effective with all other baits, using open-ended feeders loaded with suitable loose feed. Obviously, open-ended work is best utilized in the streamier flows, where the current does the important bait distribution work. Of the larger baits, bread flake fished on a longish tail, in conjunction with a mixture of liquidized bread, grilled hemp and milk powder for visual attraction is a favourite. If you are using a flavoured bait, make sure that the feed is similarly flavoured.
Open-ended feeder work with particles is carried out in conjunction with "exploding" groundbait plugs, which blow the particles free of the feeder. This is achieved by the simple expedient of mixing the normal liquidized bread/additive combination with a quantity of dry sausage rusk. Only moments after the cast, the rusk absorbs water so quickly that it rapidly expands, causing an underwater bait explosion. The most used particles with the open-ended feeder are casters and sweetcorn.