Several of the Drennan team had a productive session last week, testing items of gear set for future release. It also gave them plenty of time to give some of the existing rods a workout. Of those, the Series 7 10ft Puddle Chucker Carp Feeder really shone.
“I’m a massive fan of short rods and asked for a pair of 10ft Puddle Chuckers as soon as I joined Drennan,” Jon Arthur explained. “They’re ideal for carp and F1s and my biggest fish so far with one is a mirror carp of about 14lb, which put up a hell of a scrap!
“They have just the right amount of backbone to accurately punch a Method or pellet feeder tight to far-bank islands up to 40 yards away, yet still bend right through when you play a fish. This really helps to avoid hook pulls when a fish charges around under the rod tip.
“I’ve also been using a 10ft Puddle Chucker a lot lately when ‘under-arming’ a feeder on the pole line. It’s a great method on windy days or deep water. You get some violent bites with this tactic, even from F1s, so I always match it up with a BR 9-30 reel with the freespool lever engaged. That trusty freespool facility has also stopped my rod being pulled in several times today!
After a great bomb-and-pellet workout at Boddington Reservoir in Northamptonshire, Dan Varney had to agree:
“I never realised just how good a 10ft Puddle Chucker was until Jon put me onto them,” he commented. “The carp in here are angry fish that never give up, but this little rod has been brilliant!”
Talented Dorking team man, Dave Harpin, turned up later on in the afternoon and managed a few carp of his own… after pushing Dan off his seatbox!
A simple 1/2oz to 3/4oz bomb setup was best, with a Series 7 BR 9-30 Carp Feeder reel loaded with 8lb Method & Feeder Mono line to a 12-18in 0.20mm Supplex hooklength and a banded pellet on a size 14 Power Hair Riggers hook. Feed was simply a couple of pints of 8mm coarse pellets loose fed as regularly as possible, with one or two banded 8mms on the hook.
