Tackle Index Guides
Match Fishing guides
Match fishing is about catching steadily for five hours, not one big fish. That means getting the small things right: depth, feeding rhythm, the right hookbait and a rig that suits the peg.
These guides cover commercial fisheries and natural venues, written for anglers moving from pleasure fishing to their first open matches. Each one gives you the answer first, then the step-by-step detail.
Start here: recommended order
- 1Method Feeder Fishing: Setup, Bait, Casting and Bite StrategyThe method feeder is the most reliable way into commercial carp and F1 fishing. This pillar covers feeder types, hooklengths, hookbaits, loading, casting to one spot and the feeding rhythm that keeps bites coming, with fishery rules kept front and centre.
- 2How to Set Up a Method Feeder RigStep-by-step set-up for a fishery-friendly method feeder rig: free-running feeder, quick-change bead, short hooklength and a banded or hair-rigged hookbait. Includes inline versus elasticated choices and how to stay within commercial fishery rules.
- 3How to Prepare Pellets for the Method FeederMethod pellets that are too dry fly off on the cast; too wet and they won't break down. A practical starting method for micros and bigger pellets, how to adjust for size, brand and temperature, and how to diagnose and fix a bad mix on the bank.
- 4Pole Fishing for Beginners: Your First Session, Step by StepYour first pole session, start to finish: the basic kit, picking an elastic, attaching a rig, plumbing up, feeding, shipping the pole back safely and landing your fish. Includes overhead power line safety and simple fish care.
- 5How to Plumb the Depth When Pole FishingGet the depth right and everything else on the pole gets easier. How to set up a plummet, find dead depth, map slopes and shelves, sweep for snags and then deliberately set your bait on, over or off the bottom, with an original depth diagram.
Quick answers
- How do you set up a method feeder?
- Thread the feeder on the mainline so it can run, add a quick-change bead, then clip on a short hooklength with a hair-rigged pellet or boilie. Mould feed around the frame, push the hookbait in and cast to the same spot every time. Read the full guide
- How do you plumb the depth on a pole?
- Hook on a plummet, lower it to the bottom and set the float so just the bristle tip shows. Then adjust up or down depending on whether you want the bait on the deck or just off it, and check a few spots for slopes. Read the full guide
- How long do you soak pellets for the method?
- It depends on the pellet size, brand and the weather, so start with the maker's guidance. Small micros usually need only a brief wetting and resting; if they break up or won't hold, adjust the water and time. Read the full guide
Guides by topic
Method feeder
Setting up, loading, casting and reading bites on the method.
Pole fishing
Plumbing up, elastics, rigs and your first session on the pole.
The short version
- Pole or feeder first?
- Depends on the venue. Many commercial pegs are won close in on the pole, but the method feeder is easier to start with and catches all year.
- Do I need to fish matches to use these?
- Not at all. The same skills catch more fish on a pleasure session.