Fishing Rivers

[Craig Robins]

Hi all,

Recently i was allowed on my local river (aire) by my mum and being fourteen i was excited. when me and two friends set up with stickfloats we couldnt get the float to surface i a ledger lots of shot then only a little shot and i still couldnt get set up right!!

Help please!

thanks Craig

[Peter Gowman]

Hi Craig

Don't know that river at all, however in no particular order, a few tips.

You could be overshotting your float, i.e. too much weight for your float and it will never surface.

You could be fishing too deep and the hooklength is dragging or catching the bottom.

You need to select a float with suitable bouyancy for the speed of flow. If it's fast, turbulent water you need something more like a grayling float (very bouyant), right down to a small stick for slow, smooth glides.

Choice of float size would also be determined by the size and weight of your hookbait and choice of targetted fish species.

I am sure that there are many other good hints that more knowledgeable users of this forum will pass on.

Stick with it, the learning process is part of the fun at your age.

[Bradford Angler]

I would suggest if it is the first time you have fished the aire with a stick (however, the Aire is quite grown up by the time it gets to you, as opposed to up here in Yorkshire) I would plumb the depth and then choose a float of approx 1 BB per foot of depth you are fishing.

 

eg 8 feet 8 BB shot,

 

this is a bit heavy, but you will get bites, as you get happier with it set up, aim for 1 no 1 per foot then down to 1 no 4. Also only fish out from the end of the rod to start with and let the float run parrallel to the bank, no overhead casting . .

 

where exactly were you fishing ??

[Craig Robins]

Thanks both of you for the replies.

I was fishing the Aire in Beal near Knottingley and did plumb the depth and i tried all types of shot and 3 types of floats even if i had the plummet on the hook the float was being dragged under by the current how do i stop that?

Thanks again Craig

[Peter Gowman]

Hi Craig

As I said in my post above, if the water is fast and turbulent you need a very bouyant float. Grayling floats were designed for this type of water. I would advise you to ask at your local tackle dealers as they will know the water and the best tactics to fish the water.

I'm sure that there will be other users of this forum that can help you with the stretch of water in question though. Hang in there, someone will help.

Best of luck.

Peter.

[John Ellison]

If my memory serves me correctly the river at Beal is something like 14 to 16 feet deep, now that is DEEP. The deeper it gets the harder it gets to control your tackle and being almost all roach fishing, they want it right or they won't want it!

I'd try 5BB at least bulked 18" from the hook with 2 No. 8 droppers and introduce bait using a baitdropper only just as far out as to clear the stones at the bottom of the shelf. If you loose feed, your bait will finnish up half way to Goole as the river is quite pacey. Roach won't take your bait if it appears to be going by on a motorbike. You have to slow the bait down or lay on in the winter. If you are really struggling use a small maggot feeder cast slightly upstream and fish the bow. Single maggot on a 20 or 22 barbless should get you catching.

good luck.

[John Ellison]

Craig, When I said 5 BB capacity, don't use BB shot. a spread of No. 4's is much better.

[davidP]

Craig, this may be a silly question, but did you have the float attached top and bottom or just bottom end only (like a waggler)?? If it's bottom end only then as soon as there is any resistance to the line coming off the reel then the float will go straight under. If it's attached top and bottom then it will only go under for three reasons:

1. You're snagging bottom

2. You've ever-shotted the float

3. It's a bite!

[Craig Robins]

I had it through the top using a float rubber then i tried top and bottom using two float rubbers but nothing happened even though i set the depth right and shotted correctly ! i just think i chose a too strong currented river for my first attempt.

Any Ideas/Help?

thanks Craig

[Bradford Angler]

I match fish the beal length fairly regular . . the best option is probably go and watch a match. You will see that most of the goods weights now fall to the lollipop float (about 4gr) on the pole and feed using a bait dropper.

 

The Cass lads fish matches there through most of the summer end and into the winter.

 

I fish it as is mentioned above, with a large bodied 4 SWAN - yes 4 SWAN avon (home made) with the bulk around 4 feet from the hook with a couple of droppers.

 

If is an immense body of water and tows very heavily . . Feeder doesn't account for much and the roach and bream like it on the float.

 

Last year the lollipop took the money and the year before the "toppers" were the order of the day.

 

Best option is on this part of the River, don't nancy about with the gentile 4 no4's and the like, good for good piece of wood.

 

Check the float regular as the falling bait fools the better fish . .

 

Look up a good video on fishing the stick - Dave Harrel made one on the severn (?) adopt this but think bigger, you water is not as fast but there is much more of it.