Casting when using very long hook lengths

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

During the summer months I typically use a long hook length (3 to 5ft) when ledgering for chub and barbel on the Ribble.

However, if the bank behind me is steep and/or there are overhanging branches then casting can sometimes be compromised while trying to avoid snagging the hook.

To overcome this I sometimes divide the hook length into 3 and tie the hook length with a piece of PVA tape.

On fast rivers such as the Ribble do you think the hook length will quickly straighten out in the flow?

How would you overcome the problem?

 

[Wag]

You could try the beachcasting trick of putting a bucket/tub behind you on the bank, lowering the terminal tackle into it then casting as normal. As long as the cast is smooth it shouldn't tangle up.

Overhanging trees are another issue altogether.

 

[dezza]

For barbel fishing on the Trent, for years I used a 3 to 4 foot hook length of fluorocarbon. I often thought about using PVA string to loop up the hook length prior to casting, but at the end of the day I never got around to it.

Yes I agree that casting can be a bit of a bind but you don't need to cast very far for Trent barbel in most places. A gentle lob is all you need.

 

[Neneman Nick]

Why use such long hooklengths ???

 

[Cakey]

down to us carp boys again then .........open bail arm ,rod on a rest ,catapult lead out bait soon follows :wh

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

but at the end of the day I never got around to it.

Here you are Ron, a round tuit -

Tony miles used to tie hook links up with PVA string up to 6ft long to fish underneath floating weedracks.

 

[cg74]

As asked by Neneman Nick, why use such a long hook length, if you don't excede 3' casting is straight forward.

Though if you feel the need to, here is how I cast zig-rigs, that can have upto 10' hook lengths.
I always shield the hook with pva foam and then lay it on the ground, coil the line in a circle of about a foot in diameter and cast with the lead a few inches clear of the deck, reason for pva on hook is to increase drag too make sure the lead always stays infront of hook (avoiding tangles, hopefully), also in flowing water I reckon that the pva foam will serve to lay the hook length out straighter.

Nearly forgot, make sure the hook is 3"+ away from the coil of line, else it'll get caught up.

 

[geoffmaynard]

Attache a small PVA bag of freebies to the lead and nick your baited hook into it. This effectively halves the length of the hooklength and introduces free samples as a bonus.

 

[cg74]

Geoff, sounds good in theory but I'll bet it'd become a tangled mess by the time pva has melted, though the idea of using a small pva bag with freebies instead of just pva foam looks good for on rivers.

 

[fred hall]

I too fish the Ribble for barbel and chub. For the last few years my usual rig has been a 40/50g Kamasan blackcap feeder filled with 3mm pellets and a hair-rigged Halibut pellet boilie on a 30 inch (ish) hooklength. Last season it seemed less effective so this time I've swapped to an open end feeder filled with a mix of pellets and groundbait, same hook bait and hooklength. Only 1 blank so far (yipee) but no records broken! Would you aces out there advise a different hooklength?

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Buy a bait boat to get the lead out and you won't have to cast at all. Come on Cakey you were a bit slow there mate!

When I was last at PJ's he had a bait boat the size of the Mauritania, he doesn't use it much because he can't get the crew he said.

 

[Alan Tyler]

I haven't seen the Ribble, but if it's anything like its sister, the Hodder, then any baitboat capable of getting back against the flow would need twin diesels, and be worse than having the entire Henley regatta perform eskimo rolls in your swim. Would be great fun, though...

If you put a morsel of pva foam on the hook-point and then bagged the lead, feeder and hook, would that help ensure the hooklength was laid out straight?
Would a straight hooklength necessarily be a good thing? -Some reckon a bit of slack gives the fish time to pick up momentum as they turn away with the bait, giving a bigger bolt effect, and clearer bites.

 

[Cakey]

and they dont work ................ask PJ ha ha ha

 

[geoffmaynard]

Geoff, sounds good in theory but I'll bet it'd become a tangled mess by the time pva has melted, though the idea of using a small pva bag with freebies instead of just pva foam looks good for on rivers.

Well it's what I use and it works for me. As long as there's not a lot of weed of course.
In a weedy swim I only use shortish hooklinks - a foot or less. Any long hooklink in a weedy swim has the likelihood of getting caught up in the weeds a foot or more above the bottom. If there's a bed of free samples there, the fish will be looking down for food and not up. A shorter hooklink reduces the chances of that scenario.

 

[Cakey]

my way works in the rain...............:wh

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Some good ideas there boys, thanks.

Perhaps I should add that typically I use a big cage feeder with up to 6oz of lead on it.

 

[Cakey]

Perhaps I should add that typically I use a big catapult

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Hahahahaha

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Maybe I should mention that I use a bleedin' useless Viper Mk3 Bait boat, and Cakey is right, it don't bluidy work!!!!

At least I get a reply to my e-mail (after waiting a week) that suggested I tested the fuse [well, Mr. Cakey already did that for me] or alternatively ensure that the connectors are pushed into the control box properly, [didn't think of that though did you Mr. Cakey!]

I'll check it out this weekend when I get home and if it still doesn't work . . . . . . . . Back It Goes!

 

[Kevin Perkins]

I'll check it out this weekend when I get home and if it still doesn't work . . . . . . . . Back It Goes!

Harland and Wolff are clearing their slipways as we speak...............