Having my Middle Severn Angling tackle shop on the banks of the river at Bridgnorth, I see a lot of customers heading off for a day’s sport stocked up with pellets and feeders in search of barbel and chub.
There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and few could deny that this approach will work, but they’re missing out on a far more enjoyable day by neglecting the float, which has to be one of the best ways to catch these hard-fighting fish!
Standing in the river or sitting on your seatbox, and carefully running a waggler or stickfloat downriver waiting for the bright orange tip to bury really gets the heart pumping, and when the strike meets with something very angry on the other end the excitement goes up another notch or three!
Here's how I do it...
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Waggler or stick?
I prefer wagglers, as they let you cover more water. I rate the DH Angling Truncheon Wagglers – the insert versions for meat and corn, or the thick-topped ones for maggots.
Have bait options
You don’t need lots of bait. I’ll take a few pints of hemp and casters and a few tins of meat and corn, feeding both combinations on each run down the river.
Use baits for big fish
I favour three main hookbaits: either three maggots when the fishing is proving a little tricky, or two pieces of corn or a big piece of meat when targeting barbel and chub.
Go easy on the feed
Too much feed can easily make the fish back off. I’ll give them just one pouch of hemp and casters and one of meat and corn with a catapult on each run through with the float.
Don’t go too light
Fish in fast water aren’t hook shy. Most of the time I use 0.16mm DH Angling Pro Rig Line as a hooklink, to a size 12 Super Spade hook for maggots, or a size 6 for meat.
Get shotting right
All my shotting is placed around the float to avoid false bites when dragging bottom. I also don’t like to dot the tip right down, as bites will be very positive indeed!
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