The Trent at Collingham

A really good piece Matt, and very informative as well.

A good read Matt, but as a bit of a novice could you explain the paying out the line to hold the bottom. I'm sure it does make sense but I just can't get my head around it?

From my point of view a lot of anglers when casting out their legers on fast rivers tighten up when the lead or feeder hits the water.

This makes sure your bait lands where you don't want it.

Let the line go slack and then the lead will descend straight to the bottom. Then give a bit of slack to put a decent bow in your line.

You can often hold bottom with a small amount of lead when you do this.

This also has the effect that when a fish picks up your bait, a drop back bite is seen or felt. The rod tip often waggles around. When this happens - strike.

I am sure Matt will agree with most of what I say.

All I do is cast out with the line clipped up and as the rig flies through the air, I hold the rod with the tip pointed vertically.

This serves two purposes. Firstly, if I hold the rod in the same position every time I can be sure that the rig has travelled exactly the same distance at the point it hits the clip. Also, the force of the rig pulling the line tight against the clip is absorbed by the rod bending. This protects the line in the event of an over zealous cast.

Once the rig hits the water I unclip the line from the line clip and allow line to leave the spool freely. I want the rig to drop through the water without being pulled offline. I feather the line using my finger on the lip of the spool. This prevents tangles. I find that heavy monos (10lb plus) are quite springy and if left unchecked will jump off in coils. This is why I prefer Krystonite. It's the best behaved line I've used.

As the feeder lands I allow the flow to pull more line from the reel (again, while feathering the spool). I let out around 15ft feet of line which creates a bow.

The bow means you will be able to hold bottom with less lead. This is because there is less pressure on the line because of the angle and because it has more give than if it were tight. The line near the rig will be pinned down and this means that the Barbel are less likely to notice to be spooked by it.

If you?re fishing two rods (I always do on the Trent) you need to watch how the line sits in relation to the other line and rig on the other rod. You need to ensure you can land fish on either rod with disturbing the other. If you?re not sure, fish with one rod at first.

Because of the bow, when a fish takes the bait it should dislodge the rig and this will show as a drop back on the rod tip. Ideally you should strike before the rig settles again. I find the fish are more likely to hold onto the bait because the hooklink is slack while the rig is moving.

You'll find that Barbel will often bolt as the rid resettles and the hooklength tightens, but this isn't always the case.

Bream will often sit there sulking - even the big ones. Many a time I've reeled in for a recast and found a Bream on the end. At that point I will remember the knocks I'd had twenty minutes previously!

Ron, you said exactly what I was typing, buit using less words. I need to learn to be more concise!

good article Matt!

Cheers Lee. We ought to get some photos this weekend and you and/or Ron could put together a Don Valley Specialist Group piece!

That should help a few less experienced anglers Matt, an excellent article, not too technical but clear, just what the budding barbel angler needs to read, well done Matt.

Every time I read an article about the Trent it gets me wishing I could get on there again, I used to love fishing the Trent but its just too far from me now for a days fishing. I'll have to talk my fishing mate into a bed and breakfast trip because he loves the Trent as much as I do. You've unsettled me now Matt, its all your fault!

Ah well Matt, those of us in the DVSG think alike.

I don't think barbel always bolt as such when they pick up a bait. I have been privilaged on several occasions to watch barbel feeding in a group. They move along the bottom feeding like cows in a field, turning over stones, sucking them in and then blowing them out.

The leading fish will grab somthing and then dash towards the back of the group of fish. This gives the thumping bite we often all experience when barbel fishing.

Barbel are not tackle shy although I think that a line entering the water can spook them. Hence the reason for putting a bow in the line if you can do it. If you don't have the space this is a very good ploy.

Where I have had the space I have often cast well downstream the create a much steeper angle of decent of the line which I feel puts fish off less. This, coupled with a long hooklength, I think, helps.

Actually I think I should say - "less steep angle of descent".

Backleading may also help.

Thanks for the expanation Matt & Ron.

I would have thought that the more line that was in the water the more drag would have acted on it and so a bigger lead would be needed?

It works just the opposite actually; less weight is needed. If you let enough slack out the line is going directly downstream of the lead/feeder and being pushed towards the bottom.

One word of warning though, don't use this method when fishing close to snags, or the fish will be in the snag before you can take up the slack.

How do you strike succesfuly if you have around 15ft of slack line, also I don't understand how you would get knocks or drop backs with slack line either?

I believe it works but just can't see how it would.

Well done to Matt and Ron for this explanation. On further reading I have now started to be a lot more precise in making up a hooklink. I am now getting the bait to sit 'exactly' how I want it to on the hook.
Excellent information from the D.V.S.G. and long may it prosper.

Paul, if you strike hard the line can cut through the water but the best way is to forcefully lift the rod and the tension in the line will keep enough pressure on the line to set the hook. It's not hard to do and it doesn't matter much if you get it slightly wrong.

The drop back bites are caused by the fish dislodging the lead or feeder. As the rig moves in the downstream in the current the line slackens slightly until the rig resettles and the flow put tension back into the line.

Does that makes sense?

It does indeed.
Think my brain is going to hurt a bit by Sunday.
This is going to be totally different to the waters I've fished before.

It will be well worth the effort to get to the fish-in just to see the loop method demonstrated first hand.

Line follows its own curve in the water. It will only cut through it (like cheesewire) if there is something solid on the end (like a barbel!) or a very, very heavy weight. So striking, or lifting into a bite, even with a loop of line formed between rod and rig, is much the same as striking with a straight line to the rig.

Also, this may make it clearer. When fishing a stillwater at longish range (say 50yds or so) your line is never going straight to the lead/feeder no matter how tight you think it is. It always hangs in a loop.

When you strike the line doesn't come shooting out of the surface does it, even when you've hooked a big fish?

No, it follows the curve, or the sag.

Loop method? I thought that was taboo!