Back-leading. Safe rigs.

[Graham Elliott 1]

Despite many years barbel angling, as I mentioned on another thread, I am not the most technical angler. Never really found it that neccessary. However I know there are a number of highly technical anglers on the site.

I would appreciate some advice on back leading. During recent months and the summer in clear water I have had some goes with a sliding bullet shaped back lead on pressured big fish waters.

I pretty much have all my end rig based on sliding tackle, getting either a wrap around or indications spotted on the rod tip.

I started with using a float stop a few feet up the line below the back lead. Trouble was as 99 percent of my casting is underarm the back lead usually ended up about half way out when fishing far bank swims....

Next step was adding a float stop a few feet above the back lead. It seemed to solve the puzzle......however. I dont feel confident that in the event of breakage above this, that it will definately slip off, leaving the fish unhindered by the back lead.

Advice please

[the blanker]

Originally Posted by Graham Elliott 1

Despite many years barbel angling, as I mentioned on another thread, I am not the most technical angler. Never really found it that neccessary. However I know there are a number of highly technical anglers on the site.

I would appreciate some advice on back leading. During recent months and the summer in clear water I have had some goes with a sliding bullet shaped back lead on pressured big fish waters.

I pretty much have all my end rig based on sliding tackle, getting either a wrap around or indications spotted on the rod tip.

I started with using a float stop a few feet up the line below the back lead. Trouble was as 99 percent of my casting is underarm the back lead usually ended up about half way out when fishing far bank swims....

Next step was adding a float stop a few feet above the back lead. It seemed to solve the puzzle......however. I dont feel confident that in the event of breakage above this, that it will definately slip off, leaving the fish unhindered by the back lead.

Advice please

Could you use a small bore rubber bead tightish on the main line above your backlead.

[Simon K]

Graham,

I used to do that with float-stop and a coffin-lead, but found 1. it's a pain to cast beyond an underarm/sidearm swing and 2. sometimes you want the backlead much closer to you to keep the line down across faster midstream current.

Now I use a clip-on (aka Captive) backlead which you just literally clip on to the line after casting and let it slide down into the water where you want it. Let it slide down in front of you, then by raising the rod-tip and line you can ease it out to where you want it. The line will straighten to the main lead as you do this. If you want some slack you can do this after.
I keep several different sizes available to suit the different rates of current I'm likely to fish in.

Once you're into a fish the act of lifting the rod/line will allow the lead to slide down and abut the main lead. Most of them have silicone sleeves enabling the lead to detach if the backlead gets snagged.

Makes things nice and easy.

After trying all sorts I've come to settle with Atomic Nutz Backleads as being the most relaible. Guess what they're shaped like?

[Sean Meeghan]

Balls.......

---------- Post added at 22:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:59 ----------

If I feel it's necessary to pin my line down above the lead I use a lump of tungsten putty around a stop knot tied in power gum. This way I always know for certain where my "back lead" is. If I'm snagged the putty pulls off easily and my ledger bead will always pull over the stop knot.

On the rivers I fish I've never felt the need for a clip on back lead even in gin clear conditions. A long hook length keeps the bait well away from the main line and the lead and associated gubbins.

[Simon K]

The long hook-length does perform the same function, but difficult to cast with any distance and tangle-prone. I use it for near-margins.

The great advantage of a back-lead is gathering the weed etc away from your main lead thus it doesn't get pulled out of position. Pinning the main line down across current reduces drag full-stop.

It's true that not all rivers will need a backlead and on some rocky-bedded ones it's probably not even an option.

[Graham Elliott 1]

Hi Simon

I though Sean was being very unpolitically foul mouthed and was going to cry foul to the mods and have him committed to a single species promotional backwater... Until I did a search. They ARE shaped like testicles................but of course woefully minute compared with what I understand and view as normal.


Presumably the backlead used must be significantly lighter than the main weight to avoid dragging?

[barbelboi]

Very much with Sean on the long hook lengths. I quite often go up to 4' of Drennan sink braid or Incognito flouro depending on conditions.
Jerry

[Simon K]

I thought he just didn't agree with my post?

Yes I like the shape (similarly with the coffin lead) because it doesn't roll, also the clip itself, unlike many I've tried, doesn't unclip itself from the line while you're playing a fish with the line bouncing around. I tend to use 1oz fishing across "normal" current, 0.5oz near-crease and 1.5oz in flood. Main leads 2 to 3oz, but I am bolt-rigging.

[Graham Elliott 1]

Like the Sean plasticine idea. Cuts out my reservations about using float stops.

The lighter backleads you indicate, less weight than I thought are normally applied, also solve the dragging concern.

You are never too old to learn.

[Sean Meeghan]

Sorry Simon couldn't resist!

I use Kryston Heavy Metal putty. Partly because Uncle Dave gave me some and partly because it's actually pretty good stuff. It's nice and sticky and can be just rolled round the line to give a sort of lead core (lead clad?) effect. Perfect for stopping hook lengths lifting in the current.

How's that for product placement!

I'm not convinced that stuff above the lead actually does anything with weed. Line in the water takes up a downstream bow (think side view of sails on an old sailing ship). Any weed on the line will make that bow bigger and will ride down the line to the furthest downstream bit of the bow. Unless you're using a really heavy weight and the line is really taut the weed will never reach the lead.