The Forgotten Arts – Long Range Waggler Part II

Bits and bobs

Two reliable catapults are essential, both identical and both with spare elastics. Catapults take a real beating when fishing the long range waggler, their constant use at the extreme end of their capabilities means the odds of the sickening “snapping” noise closely followed by you getting a face full of bait are on the short side. There’s nothing worse than to be catching well only for your caty to break and you can no longer get your feed out to the required distance, been there and done it more than once, make sure you don’t make the same mistake. I used to use the Trev Tomlin River Kings and found them excellent, but just for the availability of spare elastics and pouches I have switched to the Drennan Match caty’s. I have also used The Fox versions and the new Preston Pinpoint range looks good but until I am satisfied that I can walk into a tackle shop and know that the spares are available, I’ll stick to the Drennan versions. Always use the mesh style pouches not the solid versions, the mesh gives longer range and seem less prone to tearing.

Some may have noticed that I haven’t made the big song and dance about mainlines that is usually associated with any feature to do with float fishing. The reason for this is there are so many differing types with again so many differing strongly held views on their performance I don’t think it is such a big issue any more, not like the days when Maxima ruled the roost for any method of fishing where a sinking line was needed and it was Bayer Perlon for the rest.

Use what you have faith in, as long it sinks with a bit of persuasion or a squirt of line sink theres no need to worry. Just ensure that there is plenty on your spool and it is filled to the brim, this makes long range casting all the more easier. I have just switched to the Preston Direct mono and am finding it just the job, its only been on the spool two weeks so as for longevity I am unawares at the moment, but it does seem to have less stretch making hitting bites at distance with a forgiving waggler rod easier and with a good spray of line sink or half a dozen turns of the reel handle it disappears like a torpedoed cruiser.

On the subject of line sink sprays I have always used the Maver stuff, only because 8 years ago I bought two bottles and I’m still on the second, never let me down anyway, sometimes I have to give the spool a repeated application halfway through a session but that’s about all really, and its in a recyclable pump action style bottle as well in case your environmentally aware.

Last but not least, and in the long run the most important bit of kit and probably the cheapest, a good plummet. I still use the good old bell shaped ones with the cork strip, its pointless fishing anywhere using any style unless you know how deep your peg is, where the features are and the depth your fishing at in relation.

The session

Firstly, get set up and get organised, if you can fish from in the water then you’ll be at an advantage as this will give a rod lengths extra range before you start. Bait trays, platforms and the inevitable multitude of oil rig style attachments are great for having things to hand and save wading back and forth to get a piece of kit when needed. In tight pegs I use a bait apron but where I can, like in the photo I like to spread out a bit, giving plenty of room for ease of casting, feeding playing fish etc.
Next plumb up and find a probable fish holding area. The drop off on gravel pits is ideal but if all you have is a gently sloping shelf ending in a level bottom decide on a range where you can feed comfortably at range and through your feeding and the “queue” method of attraction as discussed in part one you will create your own feature. Once you’ve got an accurate depth, accurate being the important word, wind your float up to the top ring on your rod and measure off against the rod using the rings as a marker or a spot of Tippex, thus ensuring that if you chop and change the depth your fishing at you can always revert back to the true depth of your swim at a moments notice without having the disturbance of re-plumbing.

Get Organised!

To bombard or not to bombard, that is the question !

The next step is to make the hardest decision when it comes to fishing the long range waggler on stillwaters, how to initially feed. Do we introduce a bombardment, getting down a good bed of bait and trickle in over the top or do we go for the little and often approach and build a swim, hoping that ten minutes in, the bream, tench or carp don’t arrive early and wonder off as there wasn’t enough feed in the swim to keep them interested. Well there is no wrong or right answer because that’s fishing for you, no two sessions are the same and those fish, you know how they are, they want different things on different days, but here’s how I do it and it works well for me anyway.

First I’ll make one cast with no feed and no bait on the hook just to check how the float and terminal tackle behave with the wind, undertow and ripple. Then I’ll make one cast with a hook bait to check again. Then I’ll feed a pouch full of pellets, a pouch full of maggots/caster and a pouch full of hemp just to get a little feed on the deck. Its at this point where you realise where the real skills of a method like this are learnt, as to catapult different bait’s the same distance with accuracy you really do have to be a master with the catapult. I’ll fish over this for the next 10-15 minutes trickling in 10 maggots, 10 pellets and a few grains of hemp a cast. If I am then satisfied that there are no quality fish in the swim already, I’ll go for it and introduce at least 6 orange sized balls of groundbait full of freebies, in the warmer weather I’ll up this to between ten and fifteen balls.
This will scare off any small silver fish initially that may have been present but within minutes they will return enticed by the huge free meal and thus your queue of attraction starts. From this point on I will feed every cast without fail but only loosefeed, no more ground bait goes in unless I hook a fish that does a war dance throughout the swim spooking the rest of the shoal, moving them further out or spreading them. In this instance I will feed two orange sized balls of dry ground bait that breaks on impact clouding the water, with the effect of hopefully enticing the spread fish back into the peg or at least colouring the water giving the silverfish confidence to feed again and starting the queue of attraction for a second time.

If I start a session and find quality fish present I won’t go with the bombardment so as not to spook them but instead feed a pouch full of each type of bait every cast until I am happy that a good bed of bait is down on the deck. Then I’ll cut back and start trickling bait in again increasing or decreasing the amount when necessary should the stamp of fish get larger or bites more frequent. If they are really going well I’ll put in a golf ball sized ball of groundbait every 5 minutes as well. If you are fishing a depth of 8 feet or more you can really get away with murder and start dropping orange sized balls of ground bait down on them as at this depth and they don’t seem to mind at all, if you have a swim of silver fish over a shoal of grazing type fish such as bream, tench or carp this tactic is often a must to ensure some bait reaches the quality fish on the deck.

The key to this method is get those silver fish there first and then they will attract the bigger species, it really is a case of “Feed them and they will come”.

The fishing robot

When this method is in full swing you should become the perfect fishing robot, a blur of continual motion as you cast, sink the line, feed and hopefully strike at the next bite. Never leave the float out there stationary for more than 5 minutes without a bite, one turn of the reel handle will move the bait, lifting it in the water and then it will gently flutter back down bringing it to the attention of any fish in the vicinity. The more work and effort you put in the more you will get out, and because your continually busy you’ll find the session will fly by. Remember to take a rest every couple of hours, I always have a seat waiting on the bank for a quick sit down and a cup of coffee, this method can be very demanding when your working hard at it and watching a float at distance can put a lot of strain on the eyes, good sunglasses and a visor are essential to help alleviate the strain. Just remember to “feather” the line on every cast as the end tackle nears the completion of the cast, ensuring everything straightens out nicely and thus avoiding infuriating tangles.

Advanced thoughts and techniques

A lot of anglers are obsessed with having a stationary bait when fishing stillwaters, this especially applies to float fishing. This is a wrongly held belief in my opinion and if your float (and your bait as a result) are moving a little then don’t worry about it, as long as its not ripping through at a rate of knots then it can actually work in your favour. Although they are called “stillwaters” they actually are quite turbulent places under the surface, especially big pits when there’s a good blow on and as a result a good wash forms.

Under the surface when you add feeding fish into the equation, bait is being flung in every direction through the movement of the fish and undertow, so as you can imagine the fish don’t see a moving bait slowly tripping along the bottom or drifting over their heads as anything out of the ordinary. In fact when your float and bait are slowly moving in a swim see it as a form of stillwater trotting, as long as its not ripping through at a rate of knots its an excellent way of searching out a swim and you’ll often find those bonus fish lying just off the main area of feed.
If your float is moving too much for your liking due to surface drift (following the wind) there a couple of things you can do. Firstly you can switch to a longer float and sink the last 6” of your rod tip thus getting your mainline further out of the top layer of the water so it won’t be so affected by the drift. Secondly you can “lay on” (fish over depth) up to 18” if necessary and even drag a no.8 or no.10 shot along the bottom as well as the bait to slow the movement of your float. If “undertow” (float is moving against the wind) is moving your float in an undesirable fashion then again “lay on” but remember when laying on you may need to switch to a thicker topped waggler to prevent it being dragged under as the bait, line and shot, (if your dragging a no.8 or 10) catch the bottom.

Give it a go

This is not the most efficient or productive method of fishing in the modern anglers armoury but it is one of the most engrossing and relaxing. When you become that well oiled waggler fishing machine you get lost in it and the time flies by. The method will often find fish that don’t fall to any other method and will often find fish that no-one even knew existed, one of the reasons I became proficient is that it would outfish the bloodworm and joker on my local Edgbaston Reservoir during the winter months in the late 80’s if you worked it right, as the roach we were catching on the waggler at 20 meters were three times the size of the worm fish and in the summer the bream would follow the larger roach into swim meaning that you could stay with those on the feeder, covering all bases, and if the bream didn’t show you would take the money with a double figure net of quality roach.

Quality Roach on the float

I set aside days especially for long range waggler fishing, like I do long trotting, as when I start I realise that this is truly an art, something that takes practice, effort and patience, but once mastered you will amaze yourself and onlookers with the angling pictures you will paint with this forgotten art, give it a go, and paint your own long range waggler scene.

Some may of noticed I haven’t mentioned on the drop fishing, this is because like slider fishing I think it deserves a piece of its own, so it will be coming soon.