The Demise of Float Fishing??

[Alan Whitty]

Probably few Clive, without changing the depths and shotting, I'm not chastising those that don't do things, I am however saying that don't say I tried the float and didn't catch so went on the feeder, float fishing isn't just putting a float on, it is a heading with loads of sub-headings, all with variations that the angler is in full control of, like feeding, shotting etc, unlike the feeder which generally means to most, fill it up and chuck it our, how many vary their feeder sizes, or even part fill small maggot feeders, time casts, to get the right feeding regime, I watch YouTube videos where people cast every three minutes for hours, not catching, well they don't deserve to catch, because if they used their brains they would be worrying they might be overfeeding if no fish are present, or spooking them with repeated casting, fish don't always think a feeder going in is a dinner gong....

 

[flightliner]

Before the season ended I took a young teenager floatfishing for Greyling on the river Don.
This young man fishes exclusively for Carp on a local water and does extremely well doing so, his methods are or seem to be exclusively Carp oriented so was the reason why I took him for some float fishing with the float.
We only took one rod between us, mine that we shared after taking two fish each. I took the first shift and tho the river was carrying a foot of extra water i soon had two small Greyling in the margin before handing the rod to my young friend.
He took to it like a duck to water running the float downstream, after seeing he was doing ok I, saw in hand began clearing a fallen tree upstream that would impede anyone running a float thro that particular swim.
It took me a good half hour and during that time i kept checking the lad was ok, he was catching so I left him to it and carried on with my work.
When I returned he'd had two Greyling (both bigger than mine) and a sizeable Trout.
We moved downstrem to a spot that Notts kev as used in past visits but the extra water was playing up with our efforts where we both failed to catch so we moved below a bridge but further down than I normally would.
I was surprised to find that the winter floods had completely washed away a whole concrete section of footpath.
It was my young friends turn with the rod so I once again set to work with my saw on the spot where the concrete path ended by clearing away some tree branches as the swim there just projected a little way out towards midriver giving a float angler a nice run thro, then or at some later date.
While doing this my young friend had two more Greyling, afterwards I had one, so the final tally was 5-3 to my young friend.
I was impressed with how he handled the float rod, maybe there "is" hope for the future of float fishing— I really do hope so!

 

[@Clive]

Probably few Clive, without changing the depths and shotting, I'm not chastising those that don't do things, I am however saying that don't say I tried the float and didn't catch so went on the feeder, float fishing isn't just putting a float on, it is a heading with loads of sub-headings, all with variations that the angler is in full control of, like feeding, shotting etc, unlike the feeder which generally means to most, fill it up and chuck it our, how many vary their feeder sizes, or even part fill small maggot feeders, time casts, to get the right feeding regime, I watch YouTube videos where people cast every three minutes for hours, not catching, well they don't deserve to catch, because if they used their brains they would be worrying they might be overfeeding if no fish are present, or spooking them with repeated casting, fish don't always think a feeder going in is a dinner gong....

I realise that I hadn't made myself clear. I was thinking about when feeder fishing and bites aren't coming. How many refine their rigs compared to those who just sit it out? Feeder fishing doesn't have to be sedentary. I like to use a 3 or 4 foot hook length when swing tipping and watch for the flicker of the tip as it settles back. When quiver tipping I'll bounce the lead or feeder back towards me to try and incite a bite as the hook bait moves.

 

[Alan Whitty]

I like all (or most) methods - float, pole, leger, feeder - and I like fishing a variety of waters for a bag of fish or a few bigger ones. My ambition was never to catch a monster or specialise in one species, just to be able to turn up more or less anywhere, choose a swim, weigh it up and make a reasonable stab at catching on whatever method. But float fishing is my favourite for many reasons, and one is that it's so busy compared to sit and wait styles. Another is the pleasure of reading the bites and hitting them at just the right moment, which can vary from giving it a second's delay to reacting in a flash when the float blinks. Picking up the rod when the fish has already hooked itself misses out on a lot of the enjoyment.

I fish with a great variety of methods and enjoy them all, to me certain species are much better fished for on the float, from a personal enjoyment viewpoint, so if I'm going tench fishing, I'm going to either take the hit and catch less, or not visit these venues, likekewise seeing pictures of massive crucians taken on the method feeder, and big roach on the helicopter rig on barbel rods is abhorrent to me, you can do, but don't expect a pat on the back from me, you ate more likely to have me turn my back on you because to me fishing is about being a little sporting, and catching a 4lbs roach on tackle that you would land a 10lb tench on has no sporting value, where you don't even strike a bite, sit back and direct the methods and tackle used, me landing quality fish on tackle that matches your intended quarry if it swims restrictions allow...

 

[nottskev]

Before the season ended I took a young teenager floatfishing for Greyling on the river Don.
This young man fishes exclusively for Carp on a local water and does extremely well doing so, his methods are or seem to be exclusively Carp oriented so was the reason why I took him for some float fishing with the float.
We only took one rod between us, mine that we shared after taking two fish each. I took the first shift and tho the river was carrying a foot of extra water i soon had two small Greyling in the margin before handing the rod to my young friend.
He took to it like a duck to water running the float downstream, after seeing he was doing ok I, saw in hand began clearing a fallen tree upstream that would impede anyone running a float thro that particular swim.
It took me a good half hour and during that time i kept checking the lad was ok, he was catching so I left him to it and carried on with my work.
When I returned he'd had two Greyling (both bigger than mine) and a sizeable Trout.
We moved downstrem to a spot that Notts kev as used in past visits but the extra water was playing up with our efforts where we both failed to catch so we moved below a bridge but further down than I normally would.
I was surprised to find that the winter floods had completely washed away a whole concrete section of footpath.
It was my young friends turn with the rod so I once again set to work with my saw on the spot where the concrete path ended by clearing away some tree branches as the swim there just projected a little way out towards midriver giving a float angler a nice run thro, then or at some later date.
While doing this my young friend had two more Greyling, afterwards I had one, so the final tally was 5-3 to my young friend.
I was impressed with how he handled the float rod, maybe there "is" hope for the future of float fishing— I really do hope so!

I was sorry to miss out on coming up to meet you on the Don at the back end, Mick, but health stuff wiped out the last month. If you come down after barbel with me this summer, bring that saw - a lot of trees got rearranged this winter!

 

[flightliner]

I was sorry to miss out on coming up to meet you on the Don at the back end, Mick, but health stuff wiped out the last month. If you come down after barbel with me this summer, bring that saw - a lot of trees got rearranged this winter!

Will do my best Kev!

 

[Philip]

catching a 4lbs roach on tackle that you would land a 10lb tench on has no sporting value

No sporting value ?????

Sorry can't agree with that Alan. Your discounting literally everything else that would be associated with catching a fish like that simply based on the rod and line being used...like nothing else matters.

Like me saying catching 50lbs of bleak to win a match has no sporting value as he used 1lb line for a 1oz fish...over gunned or what ! ..."no sporting value" in that either then right ...

 

[Alan Whitty]

No, there is no sporting value in breaking, unless you are competing in a match, in fighting against the angler there is no sporting chance for the fish, bleak, gudgeon, minnows are not fished for, for sporting/fighting reasons, also try fishing with 1lb line for roach of say 12ozs, it could break you, yet catching a 4lb roach on 5lb line that roach would be hard pressed to break you...

 

[peterjg]

Another thought re the polaris float. I must admit that there are some drawbacks with this method, but it can and often does work very well. Now before you all pee on my bonfire can I explain: if you draw a scaled up picture of a polaris set up using say 6 inches to represent a depth of 6ft with a 6inch hook link the float will move straight away if pulled in a straight line. If it's a standard set up with 6 inches of line on the deck the hook has to be moved approx 25 inches before the float dips - yes I know that there are other factors such as line angles, resistance, line diameter, water currents, etc but it does roughly show why it can (if set up properly) work so well.

 

[@Clive]

Another thought re the polaris float. I must admit that there are some drawbacks with this method, but it can and often does work very well. Now before you all pee on my bonfire can I explain: if you draw a scaled up picture of a polaris set up using say 6 inches to represent a depth of 6ft with a 6inch hook link the float will move straight away if pulled in a straight line. If it's a standard set up with 6 inches of line on the deck the hook has to be moved approx 25 inches before the float dips - yes I know that there are other factors such as line angles, resistance, line diameter, water currents, etc but it does roughly show why it can (if set up properly) work so well.

That makes no sense at all to me.

 

[Philip]

No, there is no sporting value in breaking, unless you are competing in a match, in fighting against the angler there is no sporting chance for the fish, bleak, gudgeon, minnows are not fished for, for sporting/fighting reasons, also try fishing with 1lb line for roach of say 12ozs, it could break you, yet catching a 4lb roach on 5lb line that roach would be hard pressed to break you...

So in your eyes a 12oz Roach on 1lb line would be a more sporting & meritable capture than a 4lb Roach on 5lb line ?

 

[peterjg]

Deleted

 

[Alan Whitty]

I never saw the word memorable on my post Philip, but being sporting in my eyes is giving the fish a chance, not cranking the poor thing in, this is the problem, a 4lb roach is a very noteworthy fish, so is chased after, whatever tackle being used, at Linch Hill they caught and possibly still do catch 3lb plus roach, made a massive thing of it too, until you read they are using 15lb line, is the capture as noteworthy as a carping by-catch, you tell me...

 

[Philip]

I said meritable not memorable Alan.

Merit of a capture goes far beyond just what line is being used.

 

[Alan Whitty]

But I didn't, so it really wasn't applicable to my post, and sadly what you believe has merit is different to my own, and fishing for roach with 10lb line has no meaning in fishing, unless your chasing the Drennan Cup and stardom, another waste of space...

 

[Philip]

You said catching a 4lb Roach on tackle that could land a Tench has no sportingh value, is abhorrent to you & you would more likely turn your back on them. .....so pretty much the same as saying it has no merit for you in alot less words isnt it Alan.

Plus I notice this morning you say fish for Roach on 10lb line...yesterday it was 5lb line, a couple of hours before that it was tackle you could land a 10lb Tench on ...so your literally just making up random goalposts as you go along.

Bottom line - yes we clearly judge merit on different things. I dont base it solely on just what line a person is using, there are so many other factors that should be taken into account as well.

 

[hague01]

Another thought re the polaris float. I must admit that there are some drawbacks with this method, but it can and often does work very well. Now before you all pee on my bonfire can I explain: if you draw a scaled up picture of a polaris set up using say 6 inches to represent a depth of 6ft with a 6inch hook link the float will move straight away if pulled in a straight line. If it's a standard set up with 6 inches of line on the deck the hook has to be moved approx 25 inches before the float dips - yes I know that there are other factors such as line angles, resistance, line diameter, water currents, etc but it does roughly show why it can (if set up properly) work so well.

Quite right. A polaris is merely another form indication just like a quiver tip.Any form of holding bait still on the bottom requires some form of anchoring weight. After that, the hook length can be anything. Whether static or floating is a matter of choice. I do not put a zig rig on a weight with a polaris because as you say, the line should be vertically below the float to the weight. Therefor floating bait will be close to the decending mono. A quiver tip or polaris moves when the weight moves not the bait. That's where float fishing just touching bottom outscores both for sensitivity. But for me, just me, nobody else, the convenience and ease makes it a no trainer.

 

[@Clive]

Quite wrong because the float doesn't just sit there. It moves with the current or wind drift until it drags the shot or is anchored by it. Either way this causes tension in the rig so that when the shot is displaced, as in when a fish takes the bait, the float is released from that tension and immediately reacts.

My standard rig for fishing where there is a strong drift or tow is a float with a long antenna and sight tip, with the bulk shot about two-thirds down and three small shot spaced 2" apart with the closest about 8" from the hook. The rig is fished overdepth so the three shot anchor it and the size of the shot varies, but are together just enough to anchor the float without sinking it.

Typically the float cocks to the bulk shot, settles to the indication shots and when a fish takes it immediately rises. More than 9 out of 10 bites result in a lifting float, a disappearing float is the exception.

When there is little wind drift or tow the method still works, but for a different reason. When you sink your line it doesn't stop sinking just under the surface. It continues to sink between the two points; rod tip and float. As it sinks it drags the float closer towards you effectively causing drift. The tension is not loaded as quickly as with wiind or tow and you don't need as much anchoring shot, but the tension still creates an immediate reaction to a fish taking the bait.

 

[Philip]

I am amazed on a thread about the demise of float fishing that no ones mentioned Stret pegging yet !....its usually good for a bit of debate as there are so many different opinions about what it actually is.

For me its fishing direct off the rod top downstream on a tight line ...rod top>float>bait all pulled out in a straight line downstream with bulk shot holding the bait down on the bottom.

...I keep trying to convince (..fool..) myself its the reason I need to buy a 16+ foot float rod to add to the tackle mountain...

 

[The bad one]

In answer to the original question not in my case. Since the river season closed I've been out about 8 times and bar one time all I've done is float fish. I love stillwater float fishing, it takes me back to when I was a kid and simple fishing.