And i do know rd, that you attach your bag on the lead too
I suspect the above may be due to how a bag largely releases in one hit, where as a feeder will be more gradual, this can sometimes encourage fish to come to the feeder and give those knocks, if they aren't shying off the feeder.
Another variation here on the timing of the bangs and rattles, rather than indications when the bait has been in a while:
When Barbelling and i have had bangs and rattles instantly on the feeder landing, then they stop, then start again immediately following the next cast then stop, to turn out to be Barbel is rare, once only to date and i only proved it to myself by going down to an 18 inch hooklength, did this instantly result in a Barbel, rather than being the suspected and more usually confirmed culprits of smaller silvers as equally as they would attack it on the deck after a while. I wouldn't mind betting that Barbel actually learnt the need to get in on the act, following other species more adapted to feeding mid water, were taking a liking to pellets. Barbel have always been able to do this with fly hatches and will turn upside down midwater to exploit a hatch.
Chuffed with myself that day for making the switch, after reading the tip and the situation, but again, no strike needed. So, based on that lack of frequency of it happening in my 20 or so years of Barbelling and whilst i do know that Barbel will cleverly exploit the feeder emptying too quickly and even mid water sometimes, i feel safer in the knowledge that some of the taps and bangs when the feeder has been in a while could easily be smaller silvers. Sometimes when actually waiting for those indications to stop and not reacting to them, results in a Barbel, as they have pushed out the silvers and the indications go quiet, until that proper indication of the tip hooping over.
What i would have done that day, if i hadn't ran out, was tape up 2/3 the feeder to empty slower (small pellets usually) and keep the hooklength the same, i think i could have achieved the same outcome, proved one thing though, on that day, they didn't care that the thing feeding them was a feeder, but they still knew that it meant trouble, but in exploiting the feed in the manner they were (on the drop mainly), they thought they were able to exploit it safely.
Interesting too to me, that it happened on the Severn, where during the boom years, they used shorten hooklengths right down a couple of inches at times i have heard and read.
Waffling again i know, but i love Barbelling and the thinking it sparks off, but one mantra i have adopted in my Barbelling, is to try and never be in a situation where i am letting the fish get away with it, no matter how surprising it may be in how they are getting away with freebies and specifically where the hookbait is in relation to the freebies. What we do causes the Barbel to learn over time, so trying to be a step ahead of them in having a plan for that next cast and beyond is where i have gone in recent years,
