Shotting patterns

[The Flying Tench]

Various books and articles advocate different shotting patterns, but don't always give a very clear argument for why. Two thoughts:

Trotting. I've recently read something that advocates 'shirt button style' and does give a rationale, being to keep in touch with the hook so the slightest bite is registered. OK, broadly, but a small point - should account be taken that the flow rate is faster near the surface? Does this mean that slightly heavier shot (or closer spacing) be used near the surface than lower down?

Fishing shallow in still water. I've known several good anglers, including recently on AN, advocate that there should be no shot between the float and the hook. I can see the point that the falling bait has to look as natural as possible. But this is at the expense of not keeping in touch with the hook. Is there anything that can be done to combine the desired natural fall with keeping in touch with the hook? If you are fishing at 3 feet depth, might there be an argument for having a light shot at 18 inches? And is there a case for casting so that the hook and bait go ahead of the float keeping a straight line, or is that unwise as the fall of the bait won't look natural as it will be pulled sideways towards the float? 

[Tigger]

 

For what it's worth, and just my opinion of course, when trotting I virtually always use bulk and a dropper.  Occassionaly i'll slide shot around but I usually always finnish up back to the bulk and dropper.  The flow and depth of the water will determine how big a float and what shot sizes I use etc. Again "JMO", all that shirt button shotting is just a load of old tosh, it might look fancy but it certainley never caught me any more fish, quite the opposite infact. Most fish on the river feed on or close to the bottom and so it makes sense to get the bait down there asap, you can still hold back to alter the presentation of your bait.

On the rivers I fish that catches me all the species that inhabit them from gudgeon to dace, grayling and perch etc.

 

The still water method with no shot on line line is great, but, as with other methods it is only productive in the right conditions.  I often use the method when fishing on the deck, just float legering really, even loose the float and just watch the line as it hangs from tip, or where it leaves the water with maybe a little slack laying on the surface.  It's a method you will need to practice and you will just instinctively know when your getting things right .

 

[BoldBear]

On my local Barbel stream the Barbel are often moving up and down way off of the bottom; as well as moving along on the bottom and we do use shirt button style shotting patterns quite a lot of the time especially if we think the Barbel are getting a bit wary of baits being presented on the bottom; or we are chasing Chub or Dace at any depth; although I’m often using bulk shotting plus droppers to get my bait down fast just like Tigger does.

Here are the shotting patterns that I’ve used although I’m usually using the bulk shot pattern on the right.

 

Heres a figure showing the standard shotting patterns that I use on relatively shallow lakes which can show bites from high up in the water right down to the bottom.

One golden rule that Ivan Marks once said is ‘never place a shot in any position without a specific reason for it being there; if it doesn’t serve a specific reason to be in that position then it shouldn’t be there in the first place’

Keith

Edited May 18, 2021 by BoldBear

[Tigger]

I couldn't cope with all that faffing about with all those no6 shot Keith.

I very rarely go any lighter than no1's and more often than not the bulk is bb's or AAAs with a bb or no1 dropper.  I can still slide them about on the line if I have a mind to. Even shotted as a bulk set up by holding back will still alter the bait presentaion.