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Bolt rigs for roach etc


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Interesting, Andrew, but why did it produce drop-backs? Was it on still water?

 

From what you've said my first mistake was I fished quiver tip with a very flexible tip, thinking that the feeder would produce the bolt effect.

 

Incidently, did it work with all sizes of fish, or just the bigger ones?

 

I've been messing around with the helicopter bolt rigs for roach/rudd for a couple of summers now, in an attempt to convert short, snatchy bites into fish. I ended up using a heavier feeder than that, 30g I think. I first started with popped up maggots but found I got a lot more bites with bottom baits.

The trick seems to be keeping a very tight line between the feeder and the rod top, which is easiest by pointing the rod at the rig and using a very heavy bobbin right up by the rod, and fish for drop backs. Very exciting when it's working!

john clarke

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Interesting, Andrew, but why did it produce drop-backs? Was it on still water?

 

From what you've said my first mistake was I fished quiver tip with a very flexible tip, thinking that the feeder would produce the bolt effect.

 

Incidently, did it work with all sizes of fish, or just the bigger ones?

 

Yes, on stillwaters - were you on a river? I don't think the method I described would work on flowing water, I'd then be looking to fish upstream with a balanced feeder and quivertip.

 

It can only produce drop-backs really. The line is bowstring tight, the bobbin is very heavy and clipped onto the tight line right by the rod. When the roach picks up the bait it either hooks itself against the weight of the feeder or the tight line, and the heavy bobbin takes up the slack and keeps tension on the line as the fish moved away.

 

It's not foolproof, sometimes you get a jangle on the bobbin where the fish hasn't hooked itself. But for those times where you're getting bites on more conventional methods that you just can't hit, it's definitely more productive. It works with all sizes, but seems to work better as the fish get bigger.

 

The bites are very dramatic - worth a go for that alone!

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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There are circumstances where more traditional methods are just not worth the effort.

Yes I understand that, but Roach are such a 'delicate' biting fish it seems just wrong to apply a bolt rig to catch them, surely we can put aside these tactics for such a fish? We probably wouldn't want to catch Crucians by the same method, would we? Well I wouldn't, surely pitting our angling skills against such is the fascination, even if it means so many missed bites against the successes.

 

It's not a business is it, it is a pleasure catching specimen Roach, not a chore.

 

And for me worth the effort.

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Delicate biting fish....lol.

 

They can be delicate biting fish but that can apply to all species of fish if they're wary...even pike!

 

If the float ( my favourite method) isn't working then you have tp try other methods to get a result. Regarding bolt rigs for crucians, isn't that how Martin Bowler caught his record cru?

Edited by Tigger
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I think Anderoo has done a lot of that, if I remember rightly (bolt rigs for crucians).

And floating line with a bite indicator attached to the leader for trout.. the bounder ;)

 

I'm a more traditional type so probably would forsake a few fish for a quill float but part of angling is to figure out the best method for detecting bites and then converting that to fish landed, sometimes you have to move away from tradition to do that. It can be very rewarding aspect in itself.

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It's never a 'six', let's put it back

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Ha, yes I've caught decent crucians over the last few years with little bolt rigs, I've also caught them on the float - catching them on the float was more fun but it's not always an option.

 

My biggest 2 roach were also on the float and most of the other better fish on a running balanced feeder and quivertip, but again I don't see why I should limit myself to those methods. If others prefer to, fine with me :)

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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And floating line with a bite indicator attached to the leader for trout.. the bounder ;)

 

I'm a more traditional type so probably would forsake a few fish for a quill float but part of angling is to figure out the best method for detecting bites and then converting that to fish landed, sometimes you have to move away from tradition to do that. It can be very rewarding aspect in itself.

I was doing that just last weekend - great fun :)

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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