The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Its just float fishing but with your float set over depth. It can be referred to as laying on and in running water, when used to search down a swim, its stret pegging. It is highly effective for overcoming drift on a 'still' water and ensures a positive 'bite' when the bottom shot are moved.

On a slope, when fishing accurately, you can shot your float correctly then add a single shot that is just enough to sink it or, when lifted will cause the float to rise noticeably. Them you can gently retrieve your float so that it just cocks and you know you are fishing at the correct depth. Drop offs are great feeding areas and fishing on that slope can be deadly and with this method very sensitive too.

Just to throw in my ha'penny worth ... and maybe this will help ?



I thought that 'the lift method' for tench was popularised by the Taylor brothers who developed it from 'laying on' ... the lift method using a much shorter length from hook to bottom weight, so that any take up of the bait by the fish would cause the float to lift. There's also the different ways of attaching the float.

With a longer length, and in running water ... if the fish takes the bait and runs horizontal to the bed of the water the float will slide away rather than lift ... rather like 'stret pegging.'

When tenching the shot can be close to the hook but carp are wary of vertical lines and a longer - up to 30" - hooklink can be employed and if the float is set well over depth the line is further sunk toward the bottom. You still get dramatic bites either lifts of just sail aways. Using a semi-lift method as I described it is more sensitive for crucians, roach etc.

This is my interpretation of laying on, the hook length between E & C can be variable, I`ve had some several feet to combat strong drift.

I think I'll call it "laying on" when the hook link is long and "the lift method" when it is shorter than 5 or 6 inches.

I think the longer hook link with "laying on" will be beneficial because the line going up through the water to the rod will be further away from the bait than with the short hook link used with the "lift method", thus preventing carp from spooking as Dave says.



That sliding float idea looks good, Northern Eel. Thanks for that. I'll give that a go too some time. I'll have to have a go at making some though because I don't fish with shop bought floats anymore.

It's this MD:



Fish it in anything up to six to eight feet depth of water, twelve to eighteen inches over depth, big torn off lumps of spam on a size six. Cast out, float lies flat, tighten line till peacock quill 'cocks' and then tighten again till it shows just an inch. Deadly. Float either slides away or pops up and then just wait for the bivvy boys to cry foul when you start catching all the fish!

Never new what it was called, but it is a good method for a variety of bottom feeding fish, I generally use a driftbeater float, with the line tightened down so only the sight bob is visible, I've got some big olivettes to use instead of a string of shot as I get bit paranoid about crimping the line aswell as losing loads of big shot.

I crimp the swan shot over a piece of tubing slid up the line, to protect it, and do the same when bulk shotting/trotting the rivers.

Tengisgol wrote:It's this MD:



Fish it in anything up to six to eight feet depth of water, twelve to eighteen inches over depth, big torn off lumps of spam on a size six. Cast out, float lies flat, tighten line till peacock quill 'cocks' and then tighten again till it shows just an inch. Deadly. Float either slides away or pops up and then just wait for the bivvy boys to cry foul when you start catching all the fish!

How much shot should you use? I assume the normal shotting weight is irrelevant and you just use enough to get to where you want to be and to hold still?

Float legering