“Polly’s method of the month” – how to feed a margin line

10 april, 2017 | Match & Coarse | Tips | News

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With the weather now on the up, it is easy to get carried away. Many anglers over feed and also bait with the wrong thing too. In my new monthly blog I will be talking you through a particular method, how to fish it and more importantly, how best to feed to help you put more fish in your net.

As we now move into spring, a very good method that never fails to work on commercials is to feed a margin line and the way I do this is very simple.

I will mix up a bag of Dynamite Swim Stim Betaine Green carp groundbait with half a bag of Dynamite Swim Stim Red Krill. I initially mix the two groundbaits quite damp, before leaving to mix soak. After a few minutes, I will push the lot through a Dynamite riddle to produce a perfect, lump-free mix. Riddling is very important as it stops the fish from filling up on any large lumps in your groundbait.

I use this mix for two reasons; Firstly, fish all over the country have seen Green Swim Stim and love it and secondly, when it is mixed with the new Swim Stim Red Krill, the two work beautifully together… the perfect ‘margin’ combination.

This combination I tend to feed at regular intervals in to the margin, adding a few dead red maggots so the larger fish have something other than just groundbait to hold them in the swim for longer. By feeding this every 20-minutes, I know l’m not in danger of overfeeding that line. I will then fish over it with two or three dead reds on a size 14 or 16 hook.

Regarding the swim, it is important to find two-feet of water, especially if the margins look clear, because don’t forget we are only just into spring and the fish will soon spook in shallower swims.

If the water looks very clear, fish a couple of feet away from the bank, but no further as this is a margin tactic. Also, bear in mind that as the bankside vegetation starts to grow and the water warms, the fish will be starting to explore and move around, actively looking for food.

The rig I’d recommend would be a MP7, 0.3gr with 0.18mm Power Micron mainline to a 0.16mm or 0.14mm hooklength. Loosefeed-wise, a tangerine-sized ball of groundbait, lightly squeezed with a few dead reds mixed in, fed every 20 minutes is perfect. It normally works better later in the day, but it’s a tactic that never fails to work.

Never feed too much, because you will start to foul hook the fish, it is always safe to stick to the 20-minute rule. Don’t get carried away!

On a final note, keep your elastic on the lighter side, as the fish don’t fight as hard until the water really warms up. I would use a Matrix Hollow Orange lightly set.

Catch you next month, with another Polly’s method of the month…