River roach rigs

[Kappa]

I don't know why, but I've never enjoyed touch legering. I can see why it's an effective technique though, especially after watching Rich using it to pluck out an enormous chub last winter!

 

When chubbing I often use the tip as an early indicator of a bite and then pick up the rod and feel for a positive take (a bit like with pike I suppose), which works well if they're in a shy mood and you need to feed them lots of slack line to stop them rejecting the bait - so perhaps I'm a semi-touch legerer

 

I've never fished the upstream worm, but I have the upstream nymph with fly gear. Easily the most difficult fishing I've ever done!

 

Nearly the weekend - soon be roach time again

 

Ha! I'm the opposite, I'm an awful tip angler! Touch ledgering just feels right to me but it is hard work with very shy fish with cold hands!

 

Rich

[Steve Burke]

Andrew, do you touch leger with one or two hands? In other words do you feel the line with the same hand that holds the rod?

 

This is the way that I prefer, although apparently I'm in the minority. I prefer it as I've then got one hand free and can move it around or even put it into a pocket.. If I need to feed line then I push the rod towards the fish.

 

It's worth giving this a try if you touch leger the "normal" way. You may then be converted to the method.

[Anderoo]

Andrew, do you touch leger with one or two hands? In other words do you feel the line with the same hand that holds the rod?

 

This is the way that I prefer, although apparently I'm in the minority. I prefer it as I've then got one hand free and can move it around or even put it into a pocket.. If I need to feed line then I push the rod towards the fish.

 

It's worth giving this a try if you touch leger the "normal" way. You may then be converted to the method.

 

Neither - I use both hands to hold onto my cup of tea

 

When I fish the tip I try to position it so it's directly in my line of vision, so I don't have to stare right at it all the time, if the fishing is slow I can look around and still see bites developing in my peripheral vision. The rod is always in 2 rests. Again, it's probably just a strange quirk of mine but when legering I really don't like holding the rod. Even while allowing a bite to develop my hand is hovering over the handle rather than holding on!

[JV44]

I don't know why, but I've never enjoyed touch legering. I can see why it's an effective technique though, especially after watching Rich using it to pluck out an enormous chub last winter!

 

When chubbing I often use the tip as an early indicator of a bite and then pick up the rod and feel for a positive take (a bit like with pike I suppose), which works well if they're in a shy mood and you need to feed them lots of slack line to stop them rejecting the bait - so perhaps I'm a semi-touch legerer

 

I've never fished the upstream worm, but I have the upstream nymph with fly gear. Easily the most difficult fishing I've ever done!

 

Nearly the weekend - soon be roach time again

 

 

Had a go yesterday for a couple of hours as i finished early ,same unhittable bites so tweaking things and going in a while,I touch ledger one handed until my hand freezes then wimp out and watch the tip ...Rusty is coming out to play as well if he has finished proving he is a driving god in four wheel drives ..................

[Vagabond]

I've never fished the upstream worm, but I have the upstream nymph with fly gear. Easily the most difficult fishing I've ever done!

 

When Steve commented on how exacting a method the upstream worm is, I immediately thought of the analogy with upstream nymphing, the induced take and all that.

 

I urge you to try the upstream worm - you will find your nymph-fishing skills are transferable. I enjoyed your accounts when you were learning to use the nymph - hope you continue the exercise this coming spring

[Anderoo]

Yes, I will continue my practice in the spring. It's slow going though as I only do a handful of short sessions each spring, and half of those are spent re-learning skills I've forgotten since the previous year! When it works though, what a great feeling

 

I worked on the roach rigs yesterday. The paternosters give the unhittable bites. The gravel pit-style helicopter bolt rigs don't work at all in flowing water, not only do they not hook the fish, they also seem to put the fish off taking the bait in the first place. However, following some advice from Mr Wintle, the 'balanced mini running feeder with backstop' rig (as it shall become known!) transformed the impossible rattles into fat, silver roach.

 

It's a little cage feeder on a link swivel running on the mainline with bead, swivel, 2' hooklength. A few inches above the swivel on the mainline is another bead and a splitshot, trapping the running feeder. Cast straight out, keep the rod high, feed out a bow of line so the feeder is balanced against the flow, and the bites are a really exaggerated donk, bounce, slack line - I was hitting a very reasonable 75% of bites yesterday.

 

So thanks again Mark, and everyone else who gave me plenty to think about

 

PS before anyone starts crying 'death rig', the hooklength is 2lb and I'm swinging this out 5 yards onto a clean riverbed.

[lutra]

Yes, I will continue my practice in the spring. It's slow going though as I only do a handful of short sessions each spring, and half of those are spent re-learning skills I've forgotten since the previous year! When it works though, what a great feeling

 

I worked on the roach rigs yesterday. The paternosters give the unhittable bites. The gravel pit-style helicopter bolt rigs don't work at all in flowing water, not only do they not hook the fish, they also seem to put the fish off taking the bait in the first place. However, following some advice from Mr Wintle, the 'balanced mini running feeder with backstop' rig (as it shall become known!) transformed the impossible rattles into fat, silver roach.

 

It's a little cage feeder on a link swivel running on the mainline with bead, swivel, 2' hooklength. A few inches above the swivel on the mainline is another bead and a splitshot, trapping the running feeder. Cast straight out, keep the rod high, feed out a bow of line so the feeder is balanced against the flow, and the bites are a really exaggerated donk, bounce, slack line - I was hitting a very reasonable 75% of bites yesterday.

 

So thanks again Mark, and everyone else who gave me plenty to think about

 

PS before anyone starts crying 'death rig', the hooklength is 2lb and I'm swinging this out 5 yards onto a clean riverbed.

Sounds similar (siding bolt rig) to the way a loop rig works.

 

 

Yes some may say its a death rig, but like you say if it used sensibly and with a light hook length ............

 

It can work well on the river, but can also be handy on weedy pegs as it keeps the feeder up high when playing fish (unlike say a paternoster rig).

[Mark Wintle]

I haven't bothered with a backstop shot. I did try the fixed loop but no advantage that I could detect so I've stuck to a running feeder. The vital part is ensuring that the feeder only holds momentarily. Getting the feeder to move makes a huge difference. It's almost stret pegging with a feeder. Glad that Anderoo is having some success. Whether I'll get onto the Thames again this season depends on the conditions but I hope so.

[Tigger]

Sounds similar (siding bolt rig) to the way a loop rig works.

 

 

Yes some may say its a death rig, but like you say if it used sensibly and with a light hook length ............

 

It can work well on the river, but can also be handy on weedy pegs as it keeps the feeder up high when playing fish (unlike say a paternoster rig).

 

I've used that rig for years. As you will know you can put extra loops at the front of the large one in the mainline to stiffen it for anti tangle purposes on the cast and in the current. Some people don't approve of it because of the death rig theory.

[lutra]

Some people don't approve of it because of the death rig theory.

2 fingers to the safe brigade. Any rig is only as safe as the angler that is using it.