England feeder team gold medalist, Dean Barlow, explains what is needed to keep catching during the colder months.

Winter is definitely here! Now more than ever it is necessary to scale everything down, not just for pole fishing but for the feeder too.

Those big feeders and thick hooklengths can go away until the sun shines again. Species like bream and roach can still be caught effectively with a more refined feeder approach, using smaller feeders, lighter lines, leaving the rig in for longer periods and, in particular, cutting back on the amount of feed introduced each cast.

My typical rig for this starts with 5lb Feeder & Method Mono onto which I thread a homemade feeder link. This is a free running link made from powergum with a bead and a swivel crimped to each end. Being free-running, it complies to most fishery rules and also CIPS international rules. A twizzled loop on the main line then acts as a further boom to keep the delicate hooklength from wrapping around the feeder.

My hooklength material is the ever-reliable Drennan Double Strength. I will typically start on 0.108mm but wouldn’t be afraid to scale down to 0.09mm to tempt those wary silvers. Hook choice is a size 18 Kamasan B560 if barbed hooks are allowed. If not, the B911 F1 is a great barbless alternative.

Baits such as pinkies score well in the winter, both on the hook as well as for feed. Timing your bites is also very important. You’ll often find a pattern emerges when you tend to get a bite. It could be every five minutes, 10 minutes or more. Once this pattern has been established I tend to keep an eye on my watch and recast after a certain time has elapsed.

All these things should help your catches through the colder months. Tight lines!