Thanks for that CC and Lark.

There were a couple of harrison rods for sale in AT a 13ft and a 15ft...

Archie Braddock wrote a chapter in John Baileys 'Roach-The Gentle Giants' about fishing the Trent in winter with the stick.His tale of trying to secure a no13 shot in freezing temps as a dropper makes for fingers feel numb just reading it.However he claims the bites dried up when all he could fix was a larger shot as the drop shot.Even as a bright eyed teen I could hardly see a no. 13 never mind attch it!I'll try the stotz though, I always had real problems with 'hemp bites' on the Trent used to drive me spare.

Lark, if Cleggs shop didnt have what you are after try Fishing republic at wombwell, theyve got about the widest range of floats in any shop I know.

Cleggs son (I think) has also recently taken over the tackle shop in Chapeltown, now called 'Bag up supplies', they had the clegg alloy stems in stock, until I bought most of them ! - but they are steadily getting a realy well stocked shop together and no boubt will have the full range in soon.

Also, to my great delight, they have drennan float fish in stock, ive just bought about ten years worth of the stuff this afternoon !

I'll echo Mark's comment on trotting with what appears to be an "oversized" setup.

I was finally convinced of this many years ago on the Hants Avon by Eddie 'Dob' Chislett. In awe I watched him inch a massive float, shotted with a bulked string of SSG and 3BB as a dropper, down a high and mighty Avon with full control and netting some fine roach. He was fishing in conditions I thought were almost impossible and would have had me searching the sidestreams for slacks.

I've also watched him trot the finest of stick floats as well.

Horses for courses!

I wonder what my "mentors" of the past would have achieved with the 'lollipop' floats and associated gear available today??

Ron, to me a proper stick float is just that, one made with a wooden body and a balsa top. Take a look at the old Ivan Marks floats for a pattern.
The more modern ones with a light metal stem are okay, I prefer those by Allerton if and when you can get them.

I get my Sensas lollipop floats from, well I'll tell you next time I see you, and I'll give you a few to try.

One of the reasons a lot of people get 'shelled' casters is, I think, that they have their first shot too far away from the bottom of the float. I keep one large(ish) shot directly below the float so that as soon as your rig lands in the water it starts to cock immediately, so you are 'fishing' from the off, so to speak. It is reasonable to think that the 'shelling' comes from bites very early into the trot before the float has had time to cock itself and therefore you don't get an indication. This happens especially when you are well into the session and have been feeding a fair amount so the shoal has come high up in the water, and high up into your swim to intercept the loose feed.

Talking of feeding, I nearly always feed before I cast, how about you?

The only time I vary that is when the fish are coming thick and fast and then I'll feed both before and immediately after the cast.

I feed and then cast. When the fish are really coming my left hand looks like a flail.

However in a shoal of roach, the bigger ones stay deeper down, and it's those I'm after.

Cheers Beecy, I'll give it a look the next time I'm around there.

Ron.......i heard it was yer right hand!? ;)

I fished one of the Avon stretches today that Dave Howes used to frequent and catch big roach from many years ago. The Avon was up a foot, pushing hard and holding steady. No.8 shot? No, a 5AAA goose quill Avon 25 yards across, all the line out of the water to inch it through, smallest shot on the line a no. 4, and aching arms after three hours. Was it worth it? 11 roach to a pound plus a dace on bread, and the chance of a 'two' says yes, and my admiration for the sublime Avon trotting skills of the best roach angler to ever fish the Avon re-inforced. It was quite a contrast from the 3 hours on a commercial in the morning, pole fishing! The advocates of long rods will be surprised to know I was using a very light, soft 13ft rod (Normark Titan) yet it was perfect for the job, no problems hitting the bites at range at all.

Have you ever thought why when you have been catching fish and you loose your hooklength and have to start again why things never seem to be the same,shot slightly out or something of that nature.
Thats is why i use rigs and i always have two the same

a simple tip for hooklengths

I have marks on my side tray in inches, so I allways know my hooklengths are exactly the same length and my shotting distances are the same

the marks wear off and have to be re done every now and then, when I get round to it i'm going to glue a length of tape measure to it.

GREAT thread this seeing as were all having a trip down memory lane can anyone remember the Newark needle float and pin weight i think Walt Bowers invented it also it seems there are a lot of good stick float anglers commenting but for those less skilled if you dont get the bait going down in front of the float and in a straight line it dont make no difference what shotting pattern you have cause you will only catch the odd mug fish

graham try the reverse button style were you have your heaviest shot nearest to the hook still strung out as normal makes presention and control better when trotting down .fish will sit waiting for food items coming down in the current to them hold back slightly when fishing in winter they are not so keen on chasing a bait in winter great on the pin

Cracking thread,learned so much,has to be the best i`ve read.
Thanks to all

John, get yourself a Sensas hook tying 'machine' which clamps to the desk. You pre-set the length of the hooklength and from then onwards every one afterwards is exactly the same.

My one can make hooklengths upto about 16" so anything over that I tie by hand, and measure them on the desk to get the same lenght.

I keep my rigs ready tied on pole float winders, but my hooklengths are stored in Tubertini hook wallets.

I've read through this and taken many things into my mind for future use.
Really a great thread,we should have more like it.