The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

If you want to make it ultra sensitive , as I used to do , set the float so the tip is just under the water , then when a carp picks up your bait it is so much easier to detect , as the float appears from under the water . No matter what picks the bait up you are going to get a lift indication , its just so much more easy to see when the tip moves up out the water by only a quarter of an inch , believe me its better , caught lots of carp when stalking that way . Kindest regards . Woolly Bear .

P s I always attached the float by a rubber at the bottom and most times the float would come off when the fish went into pads , I would pick it up later on the bank where the wind was blowing into . W B .

Snape wrote:

AshbyCut wrote:

Snape wrote:I generally go with this set up

My problem with this picture, Sir, is that it seems to show the line from rod to float as loose. If that were the case the float would rise and lay flat on the surface (on still water), defeating the object of the exercise. There has to be a taught line between the rod and the float, but just enough to sink the float and not move the shot. The greater the angle of the line between the float and the shot, the greater the weight would have to be to stop the baited hook from dragging ... and we start to enter 'float ledgering' or 'laying on' rather than 'lift.'

Very true AC. I think the picture has been doctored as the line is tight initially above the float then goes slack and the line looks a different colour. The picture has been altered for some reason.
So yes, I fish it like this but tighten up on the float.

thats one of my pictures .i'll admit it ,i'm useless at freehand drawing with a mouse ,the line from the float too the rod isn't dead tight but only under moderate tension and .all the tension is from the anchor shot too the float ,its this tension that sets the height at which the float sits ,the line from the float too rod tip stops the float from drifting and fine tunes the tips height and makes sure it holds position and if it was too tight it'd pull the float's anchor shot out of place and upset the balance ,the balance of the set up is not as one most would suspect i.e the float ,its the critically balanced anchor shot ,the line from shot too float is the lever and the float(bouyancy) is the counterbalance .and the counterbalance of the bouyant float is set just before the tipping point (equilibrium) so the interaction of the fish lifting/displacing the shot altering the balance and the float lifts and the line from float to rod slackens.

i fish the lift method in most forms weather its shallow water & simple bit of peacock quill to deepwaters & bodied wagglers (fixed or sliding) and sometimes even the "floating" float method where the float runs free on the line (line passing through eyelet only & no locking shot ) and you fish with the rod tip underwater ,good on windy days.

Sorry not to cite you for that picture Steve. I searched google images and that came up. I have looked again and see it's in your photobucket.

Prince of Durham wrote:Now you see I always thought that you set the float to the correct depth with just a dimple showing and it didn't then matter if the line between float and rod tip were tight? As shown by Mr Wilson in Snapes image.

A variation of this would be 'dead depth' fishing as outlined by Len Head in his book 'Tench' He suggests using big baits which have enough weight to cock a small float which is then set at dead depth so just the dimple of the float shows. No shot at all.
Also 'dobbing' which I have had success with which is similar to dead depth but slightly over depth with a small float attached with a float rubber only and no shot. The weighty bait (luncheon meat, paste, big lob worms etc) is lowered into a hole in the lilies and the line tightened so the float half cocks. Tench takes like this can be very positive.

What would a day at university be without a little fishing related procrastination?

I took a hour off this afternoon to make a little striped peacock quill float for fishing the lift. The gold paint is still drying. I tested it before applying the gold paint. 3BBs very nearly sink it and 1 swan does. Hopefully you will see it again in my journal next to some winter fish, hopefully a carp.

Fred J popularized the lift method in the 50's after watching the Lea roach anglers and noticed that they also often caught tench using the method. The Lea fisherman, including my late father, used this method before the war - how long before I don't know but at least from the 20's that he could remember personally.

Quil set few inches above the hook, held in place by a very small shot either side of the little o ring, then about 6-8" place a single shot big enough to drag the float under, simple.
Then all you need to do is keep moving the float up the line until it does not dissapear anymore.
Fish comes along, head down, sucks the bait in and levels off lifting the weight off the bottom, the float can do only one thing at this time "LIFT" and go flat, either strike now or wait until the tench or carp beats a hasty exit pulling the float down.

The easiest and most effective way to float fish for tench or carp, float fish normal tackticks and they may not even move the float at all.

to the guys that take time to scan/post the trad methods......truly great stuff.

Always older posts to catchup on, thousands of them

Jim