Best ledger rig

[The Flying Tench]

What rig do you use for ledgering, feeder etc?  I used to use a John Roberts ledger boom

John Roberts Feeder Booms 4 cm/1.5" | eBay

but found the line sometimes got caught up round the boom which stopped the line running freely. So I dispensed with the boom and just used a snap swivel. This often works OK, but on some days for some reason the swivel and the snap swivel get snarled up somehow, time after time. Today was such a day! I have a friend who doesn't use any swivels. I guess what he uses is a paternoster, really.  He just ties an extra bit of line onto the main line and uses that for the feeder. I keep telling myself to switch to that method, but I don't find the relevant knots easy.

What do you do?

[Ken L]

Mine is a fairly simple running ledger.

I have a float stop up the line that I can slide down to make it semi fixed if I can't hit bites.

The lead link is a bead type, then a rubber shock bead and a swivel.

The only change I need to make is to start using an Anti-Tangle sleeve on the hooklink to try to reduce tangles a bit with braid hooklinks.

[Martin56]

Well Tench, if I'm using just a Free running Bomb, I simply use a "Quick Change Bead" as a stop - If you can tie an Eyed Hook, then you can tie this!!

If using "Method Feeder" (again Free running but Inline) the Bead that comes with the Feeder acts as the stop. (spare beads for these can be bought separately for these)

Again only requiring a "Eyed Hook" knot - Just make sure that the knot fits in the little notch on the top in both cases.

The Hook link Loop then slots over the slot in the "plug in" piece. 

PS - when tying the bead to the main line, I leave a Tag of about 5 mm, this helps for a Snugger fit when pushing the bead assembly back together.

[BoldBear]

If there is no (or very little) silt on the bottom I just use simple link legers like the ones in the picture below on the right; else if there’s any silt or weed covering the bottom I’ll add a longer link of line like on the simple leger on the left; however 99% of the time I’d be using a running leger instead of using a water knot.

If on an extremely rare occasion I am using a water knot; then I’ll use a much weaker line connected to the lead; which is sometimes called a ‘rotten bottom’.

 

Of course When I’m after Carp I usually use completely different setups.

Keith

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by BoldBear

[Martin56]

Yep, Keith's input covers most eventualities, however do read the Fishery Rules Board as a lot of them now say that only Free Running AND Inline weights (Bomb/ Feeder) are permitted.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Martin56

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks everyone. It looks as if I'm doing more or less what Ken and Keith are doing which is vaguely encouraging, and I've ordered some of the bead type links. Ken, that's an interesting idea having the float stop up the line to act as a bolt rig if needed. Does that work for smaller fish such as roach?

Keith, the fact that you usually use a link ledger implies you don't often use a feeder. Is there any particular reason for that?

Martin, the quick change bead is interesting, but I'll stick with what I partly know for now.

[Ken L]

It usually turns out that the unhittable bites are either dace or roach and yes, it does seem to work if you have a reasonably heavy lead or feeder.

Thing is, it costs you nothing. Weed doesn't get hung up on it and if you slide it 18" up the line, everything fishes as normal.

You also have the option of not fixing the feeder fully and allowing 2 or 3" of movement so that small fish still hook themselves but show on the tip, if they can't move the lead.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2021 by Ken L

[BoldBear]

6 hours ago, The Flying Tench said:

Keith, the fact that you usually use a link ledger implies you don't often use a feeder. Is there any particular reason for that?

There are two main reasons why I don’t often use a feeder.

1. In the streams and small rivers that I usually fish you just don’t need to use a feeder as you can feed tightly enough by hand or catapult.

2. The splash of a feeder landing on top of fish can put them on their guard especially in shallowish clear water; plus a couple of times I’ve seen a feeder actually startling some Barbel when they dicovered it unexpectedly in these conditions.

I do very occasionally use a feeder when I’m fishing somewhere we’re I can’t feed accurately by hand or by catapult; especially if it’s a lot deeper or at distance. I also occasionally use PVA stocking attached to the hook, usually containing some pellets or hemp.

If the swim suits and doesn’t seem to have any Barbel in it yet then I will also occasionally lay a bed of hemp/pellets using a bait dropper.

Keith

[Tigger]

For me, leger/bottom fishing tactics vary from venue to venue, depending on distance fished, what i'm fishing for etc etc.

For the biggest part I try to avoid using a feeder and I prefer to cast over a baited area instead.  If I can I fish my mainline straight through and use a split shot on my mainline to determine the length of my hooklink, or the distance my weight is up the line from my hook, this really handy as lengthening or shortening the distance between the hook and weight can be done in a couple of seconds.  For this super simple set up I use various weights, link legers, small bombs etc.

Whatever weight i'm using I always attatch it via a weaker link than my mainlne, so if it gets snagged the weak link will snap and I will lose the weight. 

There are situations when I will use method feeders etc but the set up above is my favourite one.

[Whitty]

Keith's post with diagrams mirrors my own general approach(obviously components used are personal choice),one addition i've been using for quite some time on the running rig is a silicon float stop placed above the lead/feeder,this is useful creating a semi-bolt effect,this position can and is varied dependant on resulting bites and is also very useful on rivers where debris is carried down,keeping the majority of it above your lead and hook.Tigger's post is also very apt,as no swim,river,or even day is the same,so often there is no rig fits all scenario,depending on how you see it on the day trial and error can often result in 'the one'...

Edited August 30, 2021 by Whitty
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