Rip Up The Rule Book - For Skimmers

Steve reveals how a feeding strategy that seems all wrong has been fooling big nets of silverfish.

FEEDING loose micros into deep water can be the kiss of death when you’re fishing for F1s and carp, as it leads to lots of line bites and foul-hooked fish.

But for skimmers it’s a very different story.

This is a method that I first came across a few years ago after making a trip up to Hayfield Lakes for a silverfish match.

My plan was to target skimmers over groundbait and dead maggots and pinkies.

In theory it was a good plan, but despite trying lots of different ways of feeding the swim, after two-and-a-half hours I’d managed just one small skimmer.

With time running out I knew I had to try something different to pull fish into the swim.

I’d been told that Kinder potting 2mm micro pellets worked well for the skimmers on there, but I had dismissed it – frankly, feeding loose micros into 10ft of water seemed like madness to me.

But with nothing to lose I decided to give it a go so I quickly attached a Kinder pot and filled it with micros.

Two feeds later I had a bite, then another and another, and within 20 minutes I was getting a bite every put-in from small skimmers.

Wetted-down 2mm coarse pellets and expanders for the hookbait.