Upstream legering

[hooferinsane]

As the title suggests, one swim that I want to fish, I have no option but to try upstream legering as there are reed beds in the water above it. The flow therefore isn’t massive, but just wondering people’s experience of upstream legering, do you mainly rely on drop back bites on a quiver tip? Will this in fact depend on the weight you are using to hold bottom too? Never done this before, hence the question and advice needed. TIA

 

[xenon]

This is best approached using a swan shot link ledger, as you will need to adjust the weight so it only just holds bottom-bites mostly show up as the quiver drops back

 

[tigger]

For upstream legering your better using a stiffer/carbon tip ( rather than a glass tip), which will sprig back more vigorously as soon as the weiight is dislodged when a fish picks up your bait. This may help hook the fish as the weight moves and the tip pings back but i'm sceptical about that. I actualy prefer upstream legering and depending on the target species I often use an avon rod rather than a quiver tip
Upstream legering is a bit like using the lift method for tench,as in, very often the float when using the lift method just gets dragged under, so, similarly when upstream legering rather than getting a drop back the tip often just gets pulled round as normal.
You will find that upstream legering requires much less weight to hold position than if casting across or downstream in the same spot. You can play about with your length of bottom/hooklength and your weights until you hit what you feel is the best set up.

 

[108831]

I've done a lot of upstream legering for barbel and chub,barbel in particular if left usually still try and steal your rod...

 

[nottskev]

The OP's question is a good one. But, as is often the case, a bit more information would give people replying a better clue what to put in their comments. What species are you after? Are you expecting timid or bold bites? Are you fishing across a wide river with strong flow? A small river with little flow? Some other combination of size and current? As has been said, a stiffish tip and a lead that just holds is the way to go on rivers with a bit of pace and will get drop-back bites when the weight's dislodged. But it's not so effective on slacker water. Btw, when you're trying to get a just-holding weight right, raising or lowering your rod rest to hold more or less line out of the water is the way to "tune" when you've picked a weight that's more or less right it. Lowering the rest will encourage it to move, raising it helps it hold. On smaller rivers, touch-legering - draw a bit of line away from your rod and feel what's going on through your fingers - can be a good way to catch chub from whatever angle, and a pretty exciting form of bite indication.

 

[hooferinsane]

The OP's question is a good one. But, as is often the case, a bit more information would give people replying a better clue what to put in their comments. What species are you after? Are you expecting timid or bold bites? Are you fishing across a wide river with strong flow? A small river with little flow? Some other combination of size and current? As has been said, a stiffish tip and a lead that just holds is the way to go on rivers with a bit of pace and will get drop-back bites when the weight's dislodged. But it's not so effective on slacker water. Btw, when you're trying to get a just-holding weight right, raising or lowering your rod rest to hold more or less line out of the water is the way to "tune" when you've picked a weight that's more or less right it. Lowering the rest will encourage it to move, raising it helps it hold. On smaller rivers, touch-legering - draw a bit of line away from your rod and feel what's going on through your fingers - can be a good way to catch chub from whatever angle, and a pretty exciting form of bite indication.

Thanks, it’s a small river/stream with little flow. Hoping to connect with some large chub there.

 

[tigger]

As Kev said, touch leger is ideal, you need to hold your rod all of the time though, and strike as soon as you feel something or chances are it will be spat out. Don't wait for the tip to move, as soon as you feel a tap or similar strike.

 

[nottskev]

There's of plenty of good advice on fishing small rivers for chub, touch legering included, in this article

Tales of a Suffolk angler.

Bite indication. Chub have a reputation for being finicky feeders; capable of testing and rejecting bait with nothing more than a quic...

suffolkangling.blogspot.com

Luckily, it's not too hard to get a bite from a chub; they're a pretty bold fish provided you haven't scared them before you've even cast in. Keeping off the skyline, staying back behind the foliage and treading lightly are probably more important than your bite indication method in a small river setting. An iconic angling guru, Richard Walker, wrote that chub come un-scared at the rate of about 30 mins per pound. So, startle a two-pound chub and you can forget getting a bite for an hour. Maybe not literally true, but makes the point.

Small river chub fishing is a sneaky business.

 

[108831]

This is another thing I see a lot,why do anglers point their rods in the air,if flows are strong and your fishing the far bank I get it,but often you get better drop backs with a slight bow and using what flow there is to magnify the drop back,on the small river a few of us fish on site people have their rods pointing skywards,even though the river is tiny,thus offering the fish something to give liners to you...

 

[nottskev]

This is another thing I see a lot,why do anglers point their rods in the air,if flows are strong and your fishing the far bank I get it,but often you get better drop backs with a slight bow and using what flow there is to magnify the drop back,on the small river a few of us fish on site people have their rods pointing skywards,even though the river is tiny,thus offering the fish something to give liners to you...

What's 'another thing' you see? You making some comment about my rod in the top pic? There's some very good reasons for why it's at that angle, unlike the lower pic, which you don't know, and I posted it to suggest it's better to fish behind cover than smash it down, as some of the anglers on local small rivers tend to do.

 

[108831]

Not really a comment about your rod Kev,more a question brought on by me seeing the picture,lol,your swim dictates your rod position and tactics,many don't change the high rod position for any of their river fishing was my point mate...

 

[nottskev]

Not really a comment about your rod Kev,more a question brought on by me seeing the picture,lol,your swim dictates your rod position and tactics,many don't change the high rod position for any of their river fishing was my point mate...

Ok, Alan. Fair enough. I was a bit too sensitive there, lol. I do pride myself on my sneaky small river tactics.

 

[tigger]

Ok, Alan. Fair enough. I was a bit too sensitive there, lol. I do pride myself on my sneaky small river tactics.

Kev, did you get that reel?

 

[nottskev]

Kev, did you get that reel?

PM on its way. Soon as I write it.

 

[108831]

Ok, Alan. Fair enough. I was a bit too sensitive there, lol. I do pride myself on my sneaky small river tactics.

My fault,I should have thought how my post would have looked Kev,my wife and I had just had a wrestling match with our autistic son for half an hour(a headbutting tantrum),and I posted on tenterhooks hoping he wasn't going to kick off again and waiting for his medication to take effect,at 67 I shouldn't have to be taking part,but he's my boy and I don't want him hurting himself....

 

[Andydj]

As the title suggests, one swim that I want to fish, I have no option but to try upstream legering as there are reed beds in the water above it. The flow therefore isn’t massive, but just wondering people’s experience of upstream legering, do you mainly rely on drop back bites on a quiver tip? Will this in fact depend on the weight you are using to hold bottom too? Never done this before, hence the question and advice needed. TIA

Deadly method. Very good for catching wary Chub. To work well, try and fish with a lead that only just holds bottom. If you use a Swan shot link leger you can make fine adjustments and even add AA shot to get it just right. Use a quiver tip that is light enough to give you a gentle curve when you tighten up. Bites will usually give you a drop back or bounce the tip if you have balanced it all correctly. A sideways sweep of the rod will hook you plenty of fish!
So much nicer than bolt rigging!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

On my local stretch of the Hampshire Avon there are a few swims were upstream legering is necessary.

To fish these I use the softest actioned rod that I posess together with the softest tip I can get away with on the day.

I take a double length of 4lb BS line trough a tiny swivel and use 3 or 4 AA shot on this link. Thread the swivel onto your main line amd ise to Drennan (or equvalent) float stops to form the length of hook lenght that you need.

I tend to leave a foot or two of main line before attaching my hook lenght as this is stiffer and helps to avoid tangles.
The hook length itself is as long as needed on the day; longer if bites are few and far between and shorter if the fish are coming fast.

Cast upsteam and let the line form a slight bow and feel for the bites.

Remember when feeding to feed well upstream otherwise you'll be drawing the fish away from your hookbait.

Good luck . . . . .


Some years ago I took Ron Clay onto this syndicate stretch where some of the members used to say that this swim held some "uncatchable" chub . . . . fishing this method Ron took 7 chub to just under 6 pounds in a morning . . . .

 

[Mark Wintle]

I used this method a lot on the Somerley stretch of the Hants. Avon around 20 years ago, using a softish medium feeder rod, 8lb line and a feeder with hemp and casters, with casters on the hook, usually three on a 14 or 12 tied to 7.9lb Silstar. Bites were usually dropbacks and I alway let some slack out. Catches were a mix of chub to 5lbs and barbel to 9lbs. The feeder got the bait where I wanted it and pulling chub and barbel downstream out of the weed was easier than pulling them into the weed.

 

[Andydj]

On my local stretch of the Hampshire Avon there are a few swims were upstream legering is necessary.

To fish these I use the softest actioned rod that I posess together with the softest tip I can get away with on the day.

I take a double length of 4lb BS line trough a tiny swivel and use 3 or 4 AA shot on this link. Thread the swivel onto your main line amd ise to Drennan (or equvalent) float stops to form the length of hook lenght that you need.

I tend to leave a foot or two of main line before attaching my hook lenght as this is stiffer and helps to avoid tangles.
The hook length itself is as long as needed on the day; longer if bites are few and far between and shorter if the fish are coming fast.

Cast upsteam and let the line form a slight bow and feel for the bites.

Remember when feeding to feed well upstream otherwise you'll be drawing the fish away from your hookbait.

Good luck . . . . .


Some years ago I took Ron Clay onto this syndicate stretch where some of the members used to say that this swim held some "uncatchable" chub . . . . fishing this method Ron took 7 chub to just under 6 pounds in a morning . . . .

That's light line for the Avon. Do you use that in the summer when the weed is thick?
I had 4 from the Avon yesterday. I use 8lb line in Summer. I do much the same as you but I tie in a small swivel and tie a 4 inch length of 8lb braid to that with the hook on.
I only just got the best one out, a great long 5 that will be a comfortable 6 later on. It dived straight in the weed and even with getting below it and applying steady pressure it was difficult to get out.
No doubting the effectiveness of what you have described here though.
I tend to watch a quiver but I also crook my finger over the line. Takes a bit of the pressure off watching the tip and you are able to react more quickly to bites. I can fish like this comfortably all day.
Cheers.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

On this stretch of the Avon (above Breamore) there are very few, if any, barbel so the 4lb B/S works fine. The largest fish I expect there are chub up to around 5lbs these days and lots of decent hand size roach and dace, hence the lighter line.

I also found that thinner lines are easier to control when fishing upstream.
I tend not to fish this section in the summer preferring autumn and winter . . . in fact winter whenever possible. In the summer the kids from the local village have permission to swim in this deeper water by the bridge often jumping in from the bridge . . . .