I’ve had the funny looks, heard the quips, “yer rod’s broke mate,” and watched Yorkshiremen pointing and laughing. But do they know what they are missing? I was brought up in the northwest where, in the 80’s, using a swingtip was the most predominant method for legering on big reservoirs and mill lodges. But, for some reason, it’s a method that is largely confined to small areas of the country. It was one of the earliest methods of fishing that I learnt and one that I always favour when bream fishing. It isn’t difficult to use a swingtip, provided you do the most important thing…… get the set-up right. It’s not suited to all types of waters In the main you need to be fishing in relatively shallow water of less than 5 to 20 feet and it can be difficult in adverse weather conditions, when there is a large amount of surface tow. If the water depth is too great the line exits the eye of the swingtip at an obtuse angle. This naturally reduces the distance the swingtip can travel, making indication far less effective. But these conditions apart, it’s by far the most sensitive method of legering, particularly for bream.
I’d always opt for the swingtip over the quivertip, as you get a better idea of what’s a genuine bite and what is a fin or a tail bumping into your main line. Line bites can range from dramatic quick flicks of the tip, to gentle lifts that barely register and then drop back, just as you are bracing yourself to strike. The bite I look for is a steady rise that’s still going when you hit it. Striking at a liner can be a disaster, particularly if the bream shoal has only recently moved into your swim and they aren’t yet totally pre-occupied with feeding. My set-up is simple and cheap So long as you have a rod designed or adapted for the method. I use an 11  When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community.
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