I’ve been experimenting with the brand-new Sonu F1 feed pellets and they have already helped me to a match win at Bannister House Fishery when I netted 93lb of mirror and common carp, thanks to a trick I employed to soften them for the hook.

On the eve of a match I take a handful and put them in a plastic bag and add just enough water to submerge them, then leave them overnight. This softens them enough to take a hook and I have been using the Preston PR32 in a size 16.

At Bannister on the day of my match win, I drew peg 16 and plumbed and found three spots of identical depth on the far bank where I could target the carp. I used a medium-sized Preston cadpot and dripped in a few 6mm feed pellets. It is a positive approach but you end up with hordes of nuisance silver fish in your peg if you try to feed micro pellets at Bannister.

The pole was rigged up with a number 10 latex elastic in the top two on a Preston Pullakit with a .13mm Preston Power main line to a .11 Power hook-length. The float I love is the PB Inter 7, which is very stable even in shallow water with a thick wire stem and a thickish bristle.

By lifting and dropping I tempted the carp to have a go and it was a nice, steady day’s fishing.

I’ve always been a big fan of Sonu’s F1 Groundbait so these new F1 pellets are just what the doctor ordered and I’m sure I’ll have more success with them this summer.