"The Swim Feeder is used for all species of coarse fish on all waters and is an excellent method for feeding accurately at long range."
A swim feeder is a bait-holding container attached to your line that gradually allows its contents to escape. It is weighted so that it sinks quickly to the bed of the river or lake and stays there.
You can fill the feeder with the same type of bait that you are using on the hook and, because of its closeness to the hook, this gives a very accurate means of feeding the swim. This is particularly useful for fishing deep waters and fast-flowing rivers, where it is difficult to ensure that hook bait and loose feed end up in the same place.
Whether to use a Feeder or not will depend upon the fishes' feeding habits on the day and how far away the fish are.
There are two types of Swim Feeder: the Open-end (with variations) and the Block-end. They can be used on still and running waters.
Small feeders are good for a 'defensive' approach when fishing is hard. In the past, the Swim Feeder was a crude 'hit or miss' form of fishing - hence the nick-name 'Plastic Pig'. Today, Swim Feeder design and techniques are far more refined.
Open-end Feeders are open at both ends. They are partially filled with maggots or
casters, or particle baits (hempseed or sweetcorn, for example) and the ends
plugged with Ground Bait. The bait is released in two ways:
More recent variations are the cage and frame feeders. These are packed with a mixture of Ground Bait and loose feed and are ideal for Bream, which always appreciate a bit of Ground Bait.
Of the range of Open-end Swim Feeders, the cage feeder is a good choice for Ground Bait. Another recent design, made of soft moulded plastic, planes to the surface quickly on the retrieve - a good choice over 'weedy' or 'snaggy' bottoms.
Block-end Swim Feeders come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Some have quick change, clip-on, non-toxic weights. Others can be made Open-end by unscrewing the end cap. They are attached to the line by swivel, stiff nylon link or a loop of heavy line. As a general guide, you should choose the smallest, lightest feeder you can get away with.
Block-end feeders are closed at each end. The feeder is filled by removing a cap at one end, and the bait is released solely through the holes. Block-enders are normally filled with either Squatts, Pinkies or big Maggots which are able to crawl out of the holes. Casters and Hempseed can be used if the flow is strong enough to wash them out, but on slow waters you may need to enlarge the holes in the feeder and twitch the rod occasionally to coax the bait out.
Winding in a feeder that has not emptied properly is bad practice. It
deposits bait around the swim and disperses the fish, thereby defeating the
feeder's main object.
When filling an open-end feeder do not compress the Ground Bait too much, and avoid stodgy Ground Bait, which tends to stick to the inside of the feeder.
The holes in Block-end Swim Feeders can be enlarged to let the bait out freely. Use a pair of scissors or a sharp blade to join two holes together.
Individual holes can be enlarged using a special tool. These are available from tackle shops.
Both types of feeder come in a range of sizes and weights from 1/4oz - 3oz (7g - 85g). Whether you use the Block-end Feeder or Open end Feeder variety will depend upon the type of bait you want to put in it. The important thing is that the bait is able to get out.
It is worth bearing in mind that there are days (particularly in the winter) when the fish are 'finicky' and will not be tempted by Ground Bait. However, they may still be attracted by a few Maggots delivered by way of a 'Block-ender' rather than an 'Open-ender', which needs to be used with Ground Bait.
A feeder should carry enough weight to get the bait where you want it and keep it there. On rivers, a stronger flow requires more weight but don't overdo it. The ‘golden rule’ is to use just enough weight to hold bottom. Some feeders have fixed weights while others have interchangeable weights which just slide off, making it easy to add or subtract weight to suit the conditions.
The size of feeder you choose usually depends on how much bait you want to put out on each cast. But remember, bigger feeders are more likely to shift with the current.
The feeder is fished as a leger, and you can use any of the usual bite indicators. Quiver tipping is the most popular and probably the simplest. Most rods designed especially for 'feedering' (called 'Feeder Rods') have built-in quivertips.
Fill an Open-end Feeder with Hemp and Caster, and plug each end with Ground Bait. This is ideal for Chub, Barbel and big Roach.
It is essential to get the right combination of rod and line for 'feedering'.
Fast rivers, slow rivers and still waters make different demands on the Rod.
A few minutes after the Feeder has settled, give a half turn of the Reel handle. This pulls the Feeder and Hook Length back, leaving a trail of attractive loose feed around the Hook Bait. The feeder empties better if you get the right mix of Ground Bait. The trick is to mix it fairly dry. then when you cast it in, the Bait readily absorbs water and virtually explodes from the Feeder.
Sometimes a heavier rod with a fine tip is useful. For example, on big reservoirs long distance casting may require feeders of loz (28g) or heavier to achieve the distance and get the feeder down quickly. This is where an extra Top Section with a Fine Quivertip is useful. When casting, the tip will fold over and the 'meatier' part of the rod provides the long range casting power. The Fine Quivertip is then ready to register shy bites.
You need a variety of breaking
strains from as low as 2 1/2lb (1. 1kg) for ultra-light feeders, to 6lb (2.7kg)
for feeders of around 3oz (85g). Your choice of breaking strain depends upon
the weight of feeder but you should aim to get away with the lowest without the
feeder cracking off on the cast.
When you are deciding on the Line strength, remember that a Bait-filled Feeder may weigh twice as much as an empty one.
Remember that increasing the Line's diameter increases the line's
resistance to the flow, making it likely that your Feeder will be dragged out
of position.
Often, a lighter Feeder and lower breaking strain Line, such as 1 1/2
oz (43g) feeder to 51b (2.3kg) Line, holds bottom as well as a heavier Rig of
20z (57g) Feeder to 61b (2.7 kg) Line.
For Feeder Fishing you have a choice of two types of Feeder Rod. Some Rods have several top sections with a Quivertip permanently spliced into each. Others take a selection of Push-in Tips, allowing you to cope with a range of conditions. This system means you don't need to pay for a whole section each time you need a new tip.
Keep a range of Tips of varying stiffness: a Soft Tip for shy biting, canal and lake fish, and Stiffer Tips for when the flow is stronger. Feeder weight and casting distance affect the choice of rod more than Tip.