The Lift Method

[jacksharp]

Ah, I got the image in my post now.

The line, float and weight setup looked exactly like this but in my younger days it was just the reel line straight through to the hook and normal shot. The float would be about a 6" peacock quill and the hook a 12 or 14 with maggots or a piece of lobworm as bait. I don't seem to remember overweighting the float either, just the weight required to cock it but all together a foot or 18" from the hook. I always used this method when tench fishing and it was very effective with the float sometimes lying flat, or cocking or just sliding away altogether.

 

[nicepix]

Hi nicepix,

Consider the following diagrams:

The diagram on the right has a shot further up the line; so when the bottom shot comes up off the bed the higher shot will still be having a stabilizing effect on the float which will be preventing the float from rising quite as far; wheras in the diagram on the left their are no further restrictions on the rising float once the bottom shot comes up off the bottom.

Also; the less upward pull from the rising float than the less weight will be being supported from the bottom shot after it lifts off the bottom.

simples; ( well that's the theory anyway, I think )
.

Keith

I can understand what you are thinking, but I don't agree with that logic.

The float will rise according to how much shot has been lifted by the fish irrespective of what other shot is on the line further up or indeed locking the float. There won't be the hinge that is shown in the second diagram until the float has fully risen according to what weight has been lifted by the fish, by which time the bite will have been well and truly indicated.

If you look at the Drennan illustration you can see that he uses the method I describe with bulk shot situated around half way down.

I used this method the other day and it really is simple in that the drift acts to set the float and once the lower anchoring shot is disturbed by a fish, in this case bream, the float literally rockets upwards. If there is no drift you set the float by gently winding in until the required state is achieved.

 

[jacksharp]

If I were to use the traditional lift method I would use all the shot in one place about 6" from the hook. However I would use as light a float as possible as I think that lifting a couple of swan shot would put off a lot of fish.


.

 

[barbelboi]

With the 'original' lift method you would use a weight in ratio to the size of float and/or conditions.
Jerry

 

[nicepix]

Didnt know they made an album, only got the single,
Yes I know I am splitting hairs all these work as lift methods.
Does anybody use the flat float method?

I use a variation of it when carp fishing in shallow water. Sometimes I'll use a fly fishing strike indicator as the float or a sliver of the plastic wine cork you get these days. Both are lightly fixed to as they will slide up the line of the fish buries itself in weed.

By fishing it well over depth and having the last foot or so of line nailed to the bottom with appropriate shot or beads of Blu-Tac I can allow the float to drift as the line forms a bow. When the float slides across the surface I know that a fish has taken the bait.

This rig offers minimum resistance to a taking fish.

 

[jacksharp]

With the 'original' lift method you would use a weight in ratio to the size of float and/or conditions.
Jerry

Yes, I know, a weight or weights, sufficient to just sink the float. So the bigger the float, the more weight needed and the more chance of spooking the fish when it mouths the bait.

 

[guest61]

The float will rise according to how much shot has been lifted by the fish irrespective of what other shot is on the line further up or indeed locking the float. There won't be the hinge that is shown in the second diagram until the float has fully risen according to what weight has been lifted by the fish, by which time the bite will have been well and truly indicated.

If you look at the Drennan illustration you can see that he uses the method I describe with bulk shot situated around half way down.

This is my experience with this method, but there are two reasons that I prefer this (Drennan) set up and they are, that its quite easy to adapt this to become a slider - not always reserved for deep water and also to fish at distance.

That said, I do like using this method but have to agree with Keith M and Jack Sharp that you have to chose the right place for using it - Gresford Flash, oh the memories.

 

[nicepix]

If I were to use the traditional lift method I would use all the shot in one place about 6" from the hook. However I would use as light a float as possible as I think that lifting a couple of swan shot would put off a lot of fish.


.

They don't lift a couple of swan shot all by themselves. The float lifts part of the weight.

 

[jacksharp]

They don't lift a couple of swan shot all by themselves. The float lifts part of the weight.

True, but the heavier the weight the less my confidence in the method.

 

[barbelboi]

I wouldn't worry too much Jack. To feed off the bottom the tench must hold it’s body in a head down position. By using it’s pectoral fins to keep position the turbulence will move the baited hook away from it’s mouth. The fish could sometimes attempt to follow the moving bait and cause the float to move sideways without dipping. The way to go is not to reduce the weight near the hook but increase it, to anchor the bait so the fish can catch it. This is the whole purpose of the lift method as I understand it.
Jerry

 

[jacksharp]

I wouldn't worry too much Jack. To feed off the bottom the tench must hold it’s body in a head down position. By using it’s pectoral fins to keep position the turbulence will move the baited hook away from it’s mouth. The fish could sometimes attempt to follow the moving bait and cause the float to move sideways without dipping. The way to go is not to reduce the weight near the hook but increase it, to anchor the bait so the fish can catch it. This is the whole purpose of the lift method as I understand it.
Jerry

Sounds logical to me Jerry. Have you tried those self-locking leger floats that you just cast in and wait for the float to surface and just wind down till it's half cocked?

 

[barbelboi]

If you mean 'Polaris' type floats yes, many years ago, I'm not a fan of them though.
Jerry
PS - A bit of useless information, many years ago when peacock quill was used in the lift method, some used to trim the quill to counter balance the weight to their exact requirements.

 

[jacksharp]

Yes, Polaris, I remember now.

When I first started fishing, aged 5, with my dad and grandad, my old fella was a postman and he had to deliver to a posh mansion that had peacocks so he got loads of quills to make floats. We also used crow and seagull quills to make floats. Often the peacock quills were just left unpainted.

We didn't have rods but my dad and grandad used to find long straight branches from poplars, etc and just buy the mono, hooks and weights from the tackle shop. Float rubbers were cut off a length of valve rubber. At the end of the day the "rods" were stashed in the undergrowth and the rigs wound round a cork tablemat and taken home.

Bait was always bread or worms and my dad landed a 4-and-a-half pound tench on his "pole". Happy days - how different from the palaver of today, particularly carp fishing.