Feeder Essentials: Middy Sawn Off Shotgun Feeder
I was up at Middy HQ in 2016 for a meeting, and while I was there I spotted a small plastic feeder that I definitely wasn’t supposed to see! David Middleton tried to hide it but he knew I had clocked it.
He promised me the exclusive on the finished feeder and here we are today testing the only Sawn-Off ShotGun feeder in the UK – Pressure on not to crack off then!
The original Shotgun feeder was a concept developed by Middy and Rob Wootton. It was an adaptation of a pellet feeder that had a brilliantly clever spring-loaded system that pushes the pellets out of the feeder, creating the perfect trap – an ingenious system that has caught a lot of fish. But as with everything, time moves on and Middy set about refining the ShotGun concept.
What it has come up with is a lovely little wedge design of pellet feeder with the ShotGun system. They are the ideal size for cold-water work, raking a nice little pinch of micro’s as well as your hook bait.
The small size that I used is available in 20g and 30g while the larger model 30g and 40g. both feature a slightly weight forward design to aid casting distance and accuracy.
The feeders both use a splayed opening to allow them to be easily filled, but more importantly allow easy access for the fish to find your hook bait.
One thing that I have struggled with when using pellet-style feeders in the past is believing the bait actually comes out. You only need to slightly overwet your pellets and they will lose all life and refuse to come out of a feeder! At least with the ShotGun system you know that the pellets will exit the feeder every time, no matter what pellets you use or how you prepare them.
A neat little touch, and it may be a small detail, is the tiny indentation for your hooklength. I found it best to load the feeder with pellets so that it was level with the frame. I then placed the hook bait so the eye of the hook was poking out of the indentation before putting another shallow layer of pellets on. A nice squeeze and there you have it, perfect presentation every time.
I must admit I am finding it hard to find fault with the Sawn-Off ShotGun feeder. It’s a lovely little setup that will catch loads of fish.
RRP: £2.99
Verdict
The evolution of the popular ShotGun feeder, and a welcome one too.
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