It’s fair to say that 99 percent of those who use a flatbed Method feeder are targeting species like carp or bream on commercial fisheries. Although this tactic is most commonly used by match and pleasure anglers for smaller fish, some specimen anglers also adapt it to catch larger crucians, tench and even barbel.
However, a handful of anglers are pushing the boundaries of what this approach can achieve, and Attila Forbauer is one of them. In recent weeks, he’s landed some truly enormous fish on the continent, including carp to over 60lb and even huge sturgeon, all using the humble Method feeder.
“As a keen Method feeder angler who’s always trying to push the limits of what’s possible, I set out on a trip to Hungary to visit some of the country’s best specimen venues,” Attila told us.
“The aim was to demonstrate that a precise, targeted approach to specimen angling can often be more productive than piling in loads of bait and waiting long periods for just a few bites.”
His first stop was a large carp lake where the usual approach involves bait boats and big beds of bait at extreme range. Determined to prove his point, Attila arrived with his match fishing seatbox and a pair of 15ft Preston Monster Xtreme Distance feeder rods.
“Without any prebaiting, I began casting a 90g ICS Method feeder to 145 metres,” he explained.
“I didn’t have to wait long, as after just 15 minutes, the rod tip flew round, and following a 25-minute battle I slipped the net under a stunning 60lb common carp.”
THE BEST DISTANCE FEEDER RODS ARE PERFECT FOR CASTING A METHOD EXTREME RANGES.
From there, Attila headed south to a private syndicate lake renowned for its massive sturgeon, where he had managed to secure a guest session. Rather than switching to heavy carp rods like most anglers, he once again stuck with his trusty Method feeder setup.
“I lost a good fish on my first cast due to a hook pull, so I stepped up to a size 4 hook and recast. Not long after, the tip pulled round again,” he said.
“Bystanders couldn’t believe what they were seeing, a soft feeder rod bent into a full circle while the prehistoric fish stripped line like a submarine. After taking 100 metres of line, it finally began to slow. down and I could gain some control.”
One of the venues bailiffs realised what was happening, so both he and Attila jumped into a boat to help manoeuvre around the lake as the incredible battle unfolded.
“When I finally saw that huge, armoured body in front of me, my heart nearly stopped,” he recalled. “I wouldn’t have been more scared if I’d hooked a crocodile!”
"I managed to use a borrowed catfish net to slip underneath the incredibly long fish before we headed back to the bank."
“After the excitement, I let the fish rest in the water for half an hour before preparing for what was a memorable photo session. I had to stand waist-deep, wrestling the magnificent creature just to lift it.”
