Santiago wrote:I know several young anglers that are quite adept at trotting stick floats and avons on the Thames and catch loads of roach and dace. And they're so good they nearly always catch many more than myself. But saying that, they have veered towards another aspect of fishing, not carp though, for they're now into fly fishing for wild brown trout and grayling.
On another note, I 've noticed that many Thames anglers using stick floats tend to fish further out than those that use small avons. Perhaps I'm just imagining this! But if my observations are real, what's the explanation?
I can't answer that. Some swims are better fished close in, and running a float off the rod end is best. Where as some you might have to fish further out to get some depth or flow. Also length of rod would play a big part. In also depends on the skill level of the user.
I once had a favorite method, which I will call far bank stick float fishing. On a river up to 30 metres wide and obviously in favorable wind conditions. I would fish the stick float, rather than a waggler. It is possible to hold the float dead still for short periods. I loved this method, I used it more in pleasure sessions and it has caught me loads of Chub. About 3 years ago fish the Ouse at Newton blossomville in the winter. Nobody on the water had had a bite.. Most were ledgering as I was. It was just one of those days when you knew a static big bait just wasn't going to work.
I set up a float rod and fished a stick right across the river. Shotting was 2 or 3 AA directly under the float, with a bulk of No8's 2feet fromthe hook and droppers below. Water was gin clear and I fished a 14 hook and double 6mm breadpunch. Took me ages to get my first bite (which I was very surprised to get) caught 2 chub of 4lb 12oz and 4lb 7oz. the only one to catch. I wouldn't have caught on the waggler because it was one of those days when they wouldn't have chased a bait.