Most of the time I will use a pva mesh stocking when fishing pellet, or the same when using boilie. The other night I ran out of mesh ( schoolboy error) and cast out a single pellet and started to feed using the caty. I then landed 4 barbel in a couple of hours. Is this because they are wary of the pva, or small pockets of feed? Or just coincidence and right place, right time? I know how I'll be fishing next time out anyway.

I don't think a bag would spook a barbel, i just think the noise of the pellets hitting the water surface and spreading the bait over a wider area really got them in the feeding mood

If you do think the bags are spooking the barbel then why not leave ready made up bags in among a box of pellets so the bags takes some of the colour and smell from the pellets themselves

I can't see a bag visually spooking a fish, apart from maybe landing on its nose during the cast. I do wonder whether, in stilwater, the presence of dissolved PVA might have an effect on the fish though.
They are, after all, breathing the damn stuff in.

Alright jonny you know how i fish mate i like to use a feeder with a long tail just coming round to the pva[after seeing the results you've been having lately mate].Me personaly i dont thing the mesh it self is in the water long enough to spook fish by the time it desolves,and as for pockets of bait personaly i think that they will get spread about on the bottom as well in the current next time out leave youre pva at home mate and fish useing youre catty again see how you get on,but like i said mate the results youve had lately while the rivers been fishing realy hard keep doing what youve been doing.
cheers gilster

I think that you may be right there 2 hoops. That's how I will be fishing next time out, especially with the river being low and clear at the moment, cheers.

I fished two rods yesterday - one with a pva mesh and one without. Caught two fish on the former and none on the latter, though did have a couple of plucks (probably chub anyway).

I've been reading Trefor West's book recently and he get's excellent results hand-feeding, rather than using pva or a feeder.

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Cheers,

Rich

Thanks for the reply Richard. How many barbel anglers use either a feeder or a pva bag-stringer of some kind?
Just a theory that barbel especially the bigger fish are wising up a bit to certain bait presentations and maybe not the actual pva. I had quite a bit of success using singles in the colder months. Time will tell if it works for me in the summer too.