bite indicators

[SNicholson]

Most of my fishing and a lot of my angling knowledge came from time spent on the river bank with the old man (my granddad.)But my father fished too, only course fish, never sea or game (fluff chuckers he called fly men) and almost always bream and roach. It was dad who taught me to fish the bottom, often with a float but when casting out to far to reach spots he used the ledger. Of course bite indication when fish took delicately was difficult with a greenheart or cane rod. To get over this problem I was taught to touch ledger, on days with little breeze to watch for the slight ripple where the line enters the water or to use silver paper, paste or a small cork on the line near to my pin with the rod pointing to the bait. All these methods worked and still do - I take great pleasure in using them and always smile up to the heavens thinking about dad when I use them. This changed in the 1960s when a visit to an uncle living in Sheffield only 10 minutes walk from that great fishermans shop Bennets gave me the opportunity to spend my paper round money on a Bennets "real wood" 11 foot split cane rod. When buying the rod there on the counter was a butt bite indicator, fully adjustable for strength of pull by the clever use of elastic bands. Its eye ring slipped open like the sliding clasp on a ladies necklace.
Clever design, made available because this was a time when ledgering was just becoming an acceptable method by die in the wool float anglers.With this bite indicator I caught bream on our yearly weeks holiday to the broads and fat roach from the middle of Albert park lake.
I still use butt indicators on my cane rods - even when fitted with screw tip rings, quiver tips seem out of place on a cane rod. The last few years I have used those side winder butt fixing quiver tips to good effect and I now make my own from 1.5mm solid glass sanded to a fine taper and whipped to a bent 2 inch strip of alloy which is secured to the rod by a turn or two of tape. For very light ledger work at distance what do other cane rod users use?

[Aitch]

Whilst at Redditch this year I saw some beautifully made splitcane swing tips... sadly I cannot remember who the maker was.. they were't cheap, I suspect one could be fashioned from a broken top section of a fine tipped rod... I also use a sidewinder and on occasion weighted bobbins

[Wallys-Cast]

Swing tips are really good if pointing the rod at the bait but if fishing to one side I simply watch the rod tip or feel for the taps and trembles.
I do miss a lot of bites though, usually day dreaming or watching nature. Not a big problem to me, sometimes just being there is what its all about.

Wal.

[SNicholson]

I like the idea of a swing tip made from split cane, I might have a go making them from scratch - although to be honest even a weighted swing tip has its limits when river fishing.
I hate to miss bites, I am getting worse as time passes not easier about missed fish. Dont get me wrong I enjoy all days out fishing but on returning home ponder on what was lost and why - every trip still a learning curve. Years ago , when on the bus home the old man always asked -"what did you learn today" - so many hours learning and so much left to learn its a good job fishing is so good.

[MGs]

I've made a cane swing tip and caught fish using it. However, I prefer using some form of bobbin, forked stick between the butt ring and reel

[Ljm183]

Got this Bite indicator in my Winfield collection.

2 sizes in the one pack. .

Still sealed, never used

[Duckett]

I have no idea why but I never took to swing or quiver tip ledgering - my brother is great with both. I also learned touch ledgering, to use a Fairy washing-up liquid top (Mum did not approve of other brands!) and a bit of folded tinfoil.

I know I probably miss lots of opportunities to catch as a result but ledgering still doesn’t engage me though I do touch ledger and freeline from time to time.