A few hours out yesterday.....

[Tigger]

1 hour ago, The Flying Tench said:

Your catches demonstrate that float is best, certainly on your river, but my problem is seeing the float even with the hopefully-very-visible ones I bought recently! But I'm interested in what you say about freelining. Does this involve having maybe one swan shot on the line, where you can allow the bait to trundle through the swim, ie a semi-moving bait?

I haven't met anglers on the Thames who float-fish for chub, but several people have said they don't use a feeder cos they think the chub can feel the resistance.  So they cast the line, with just one or two swan shot, into the flow and wait to see where it settles, I think on the basis that that is where other food will settle also.

Have I got the right end of the stick about how you freeline?

 

Yes John, I think you have the right idea, although, I catty feed out as though i'm float fishing if using a hook full of maggots or corn etc.  You can fold a piece of line over your mainline and add or remove shot to it as and when you feel the need.  I use a shot on the line as a stop on my main line, to sort of make a hooklength and fish straight through with 6lb line.  You can lengthen or shorten your hooklength simply by moving the shot up or down the line.  As an alternative to a shot on the mainline you could use float stops/leger stops if you wanted.  You cou,d attatch your link via a couple of leger stops also.  There are several or more ways of setting up the rig, all ultra simple.

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks, Ian. Yes all makes sense.

[Tigger]

1 hour ago, The Flying Tench said:

Thanks, Ian. Yes all makes sense.

 

Good luck with it John, you'll have let us know how you get on!

[Tigger]

Due to high levels, nasty weather and the usual mundane kinda stuff, today is the first time out trotting for a spell.

I won't harp on about the levels, temps etc but just say I caught a few chub, nothing big, but they all put a bend in the rod.

A couple of pics from the day...

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Tigger

[Tigger]

 

The car temp gauge said 2 degrees as I pulled into the farm yard neaxt to the river.  A nasty northerly wind made it feel seriously cold!

Anyhow, I won't go on about the weather etc, i'll just say I finished up having a decent little session with 6 grayling, a sea trout and 4 chub.....

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by Tigger

[The Flying Tench]

Good stuff, as ever Ian. I don't recall you catching a sea trout recently. Out of interest what is the float you are using there? For some reason the tip looks a bit thicker and more visible than my recollections, though that may be just me.

[Tigger]

21 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

Good stuff, as ever Ian. I don't recall you catching a sea trout recently. Out of interest what is the float you are using there? For some reason the tip looks a bit thicker and more visible than my recollections, though that may be just me.

 

I don't think i've had a sea trout for a couple of months John, don't take pics of them usually.  I very rarely take any pics of grayling either, but with grayling it's because they never keep still and are fickle things and very easily pop their cloggs.  

The float is a Dave Harrell no3 bolo.  They have a shorter fatter body than the others, but do have very good sight tip, quite thick and hollow so it stands out nicely.  I think those floats start at 4grm and go to 8grm, maybe more.  I often use a 4grm but the one in the picture said 6grm on it and yet a 3.5grm olivette and a no1 dropper cocked it just right, all the tip showing with a bit of shoulder.  That gives you plenty of scope to read a bite when dragging bottom, and when holding back helps to stop it being dragged under.

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Tigger

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks Ian

[Tigger]

I forgot to post this on wednesday.......

Man was it cold in the wind today!

Ok, the temp was only 3.5 degrees when I got there, but it was the wind chill which was the problem.  

I had a 15 minuite walk to my first port of call, caught a tiddler first trott, nothing more after another three trotts through, so I had another 10 minuite walk to my next stop.  I had several very decent chub quite quickly before i'd just had enough as my hands were literally aching painfully with cold!  Te walk back was worse as the wind was in my face.  All in all, i'd been out of the house for less than 2hrs but was very happy to get back and thaw out with a cup of tea and some little m8's of mine infront of a woodburner....

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Tigger

[Tigger]

I had the last hour of day light out this afternoon, used a rod I haven't use for about 3yrs.  Anyhow, the fishing was average, just a few, but very welcome chub to bend the rod round....