Having just made a rake to use on my local canal, i'm looking forward to going down in the evenings and fishing the lift method for Tench (and any rogue Bream or Carp).

I used to be a match angler who would sit on 14.5 - 16m of pole for 5 hrs but i'm morphing into a roving specialist angler in a Mr Crabtree keep it simple style which i'm enjoying immensely!!

I'd like to know what is the range limit when fishing the lift method. I realise it's a close method of fishing but the canal is only 3-4 rods lengths in width at most so i'd like to think I could fish comfortably withing this range. Is this so?

I'll probably be fishing corn or bread - how close does the shot need to be to the bait to give sensitive presentation but still register the classic lift bite?

Cheers

James

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I've fished lift method up to about 3-4 rod lengths out with no real problems in the past.

As a rule I never placed my shot within 3inches of the hook bait and quite often had it even further.

I'm no oracle on the method but this has worked for me with reasonable success

I use the lift method a lot in the summer - probably my favourite summer tactic. I usually have the shot around 2-3 inches from the hook - rarely any longer...


C.

I tried the lift method on the Oxford canal last year and had no end of trouble with the flow. It's a great stillwater tactic but in flowing water it can be a bit of a nightmare. I guess it depends on what your canal is like (I don't have much experience of them). Maybe you could use a very slim float and a very big shot? That might help.

You can fish it 3-4 rodlengths out no problem.

I have used the lift method a fair bit but there are still one or 2 things i'm not sure about.

I have read about 2 ways of setting up the rig.

A ) Use just enough weight to sink the float.

B ) Use just enough weight so there is a little bit of buoyancy left in the float and tighten down on it. Pulling down too hard lifts the bait and moves it a bit.

What do you guys prefer?

Paul

This post has been edited by P@UL: Apr 28 2008, 12:14 PM

INTRODUCTION
the lift method is simplisity its self use a large splitshot as wieght and attach your float via a float band[A](rubber)if its not too weedy you can put your line through the floats eye as well any shortish float will do but a strait waggler would be a good one to use (one without a incert)it works better with your float set over depth [fig2] and with about 2 inches showing above the water so when it lifts[B]it may even fall flat on the water[C]or it can just slip away[D]as the fish moves off.set your weight 4-6in from the hook .the fish has to tilt it's self down to pick up your bait then rite iteself in order to eat it and as it picks up your bait it surports the weight of your anchor shot and as it raises it's head the float will rise up[B]as there's no weight to keep it down in the water(thats why it's best to use a light un weighted float)giving the LIFT[B], now sometimes the fish will move off while picking up your bait pulling your float under.[D]

fig 1



fig 2



Alternative Method

another method that will allow you to fish further out than the standard lift method is a scaled down slider rig with the bulk shot set 2/3 depth and the important telltale shot/counter balance shot with gives the lift indication on the float which is put onto your line free running and the depth is set by a sliding stop knot



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the float used needs to be very boyant (enough to suspend ½ of the anchor weight )
The weight has too be between 2-4" away from the hook (any further and you loose the sensativity of the setup) as thats the dstance the average fish has too dip / bow down too feed off the bottom ,then right themself's to swollow it down .This lifting of there heads is what gives the lift effect as the fish suports the anchor weight (¾ ) ,the boyancy of the float causes it to pop up & even out the water to lay flat whilst suporting some of the anchor weights capacity ,meaning the the fsh feels very little of the anchors weight / resistance .making the whole rig very sensative.the weight needes to be suficiant to hold position on the bottom (anchoring the whole rig in place) you set the float way over depth and wind down to cock the float & in open water the line from the is at a 40-45* angle (unless your fishing right upto lillybeds ect) from the weight .Fishing tight to lilly beds etc you set the float over the weght or just a small angle .

if the fish does feel any weight it bolts dragging the float under & usually hooks itself (this is a unbalanced setup ,but still works) .

i hope this helps

What makes this method work is that the FLOAT supports the weight, not the fish. The weight lifted by the fish is the same as that amount of water previously displaced by the volume of float tip that is lifted out of the water. So if you have a fine float tip the fish should feel practically nothing even if it is lifting a swan shot. Try and read Dick Walker's explanation from years ago.

I can see the logic in that Colin. Quite a simple displacement theory - it shouldn't matter what size float is used then (within reason!), as long as it is matched to the weight to be as close to neutral buoyancy as possible.

Thanks for the great pics and info Chavender.

This post has been edited by James P: Apr 28 2008, 03:08 PM

Surely it can't work like that; if the float can support that weight you wouldn't be able to cock it in the first place, it would repeatedly lie flat when you tighten down to it.

I remember this argument running for about six weeks in the Angling Times in about 1972, so I'm not getting into it again! I trusted Dick Walker's view as the correct one then and, as now an engineer myself, I still do