When I think back to how we fished for bream on the feeder 20 years ago, the only real choice was a plastic open-end model.
Although we caught using them, casting a long way was hard going, and they never allowed us to change the way we fed or presented the bait.
The only other option was a cage feeder, but this was thought of as being no good for long casts into deep water. The contents would spill out too quickly and not end up on the bottom in a little pile, which is where we all assumed the bream lived.
Since then our understanding of how bream feed has changed massively. We now know these fish swim off bottom regularly and, in actual fact, the cage feeder is a better option than the good old open-end. It lets us create a small cloud of bait close to the deck that fish can see and follow down.
Cage feeders rule the roost for bream to such an extent these days that plastic open-ends are rarely used.
Even in deep water they work brilliantly and, with the advent of weight-forward models, casting a long way with accuracy is assured too.
Make a cloud
You’ll get more action if your mix exits the feeder as it sinks. Fish sitting off bottom will follow the cloud of feed down to the hookbait.
Vary the mix
In water more than 10ft deep the feeder requires a heavy, wettish mix. For shallow water, a dry mix that almost explodes out is preferable.
Pick the right type
Plastic feeders come off the bottom fast, while wire feeders, with more exit points for feed, empty faster but can dig into the bottom.
Get the size right
For roach, a two or three-hole cage feeder is fine. For bream, I up this to a five-or six-hole cage to allow me to set a trap with the contents.
