When it comes to river fishing, the majority of anglers opt for a running line with rod and reel tactics, but the pole boasts the same benefits it does on stillwaters, and a few extra, when used on flowing water. Get pole fishing on rivers right and you can catch plenty of fish, so many in fact you won't want to get the rod and reel out your bag!
For speed and precision, nothing beats a pole, whether you’re after a net of small fish or a few specimens. Here's five brilliant tips to help you fish the pole on your local river...
Chop and change rigs
To get the hookbait down quickly in deep swims, a heavy float is needed – in deep water, 3g is ideal. It’s also worth setting up a lighter 2g or 1.5g rig to offer a slightly different presentation, which might just get you a few extra bites or catch a bigger stamp of fish. Shotting on these is an olivette 2ft from the hook with four No10 dropper shot spaced beneath. This lets the hookbait sink much slower near to the bottom, where the fish should be.
FIND THE BEST POLE FOR THE JOB BY CHECKING OUT OUR 2023 POLES BUYER'S GUIDE.
Use styls to dot right down
The less float bristle you have on show, the more bites you will hit. However, trying to shot a bristle with even small split shot is tricky! The answer lies in micro styl weights. Shot the floatas normal to leave the whole tip showing, then add four or five tiny styls to leave just a speck showing. If the wind gets up, you can always remove a few styls to let you see more of the tip.
FIND THE BEST RIVER FISHING VENUES NEAR YOU BY CHECKING OUT OUR LATEST WHERE TO FISH GUIDES.
Use a ‘pingy’ elastic
Striking in deep water requires a reasonable elastic through the pole to set the hook – we’re talking a No4 or No5 solid here, set on the ‘pingy’ side. This not only helps with the hookhold, but also allows you to swing fish in when you may be using a rig as long as the top four sections of your pole. Set the elastic too slack and you’ll have to net everything using extra pole sections too!
GET MORE TIPS FOR RIVER FISHING ON THE POLE IN THIS FANTASTIC EXPERT ARTICLE.
Always cup in your groundbait
Groundbait is a must on rivers, but don’t be tempted to throw it in by hand. Doing it this way tends to mean bits break off as the ball sinks, which only attracts little fish. Popping each ball in via a cup means that the ball goes straight down without breaking up too early.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAT COMFORTABLY FOR RIVER FISHING BY CHECKING OUR OUR BUYER'S GUIDES TO SEATBOXES AND CHAIRS.
Go past the feed
Sometimes the fish can be fussy and won’t always sit right over your feed. When you get a lot of small indications on the float, but no proper bites, add a 0.5m extension to the pole and go past the feed. Often, the fish are here, hanging off the bait. Giving them just the hookbait can bring you a run of bites.
NEED MORE TIPS FOR RIVER FISHING? TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ARTICLE.
This page is a free example of the amazing content Angling Times Members get every single week. Becoming an Angling Times Member gives you access to award-winning magazine content, member rewards, our back issue archives, bonus content and more! Join our fishing community and find out more today!