River Roach

C

colsmiff

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
campaign time has come. The tackle is being sorted, Tuesday has been booked off. And I am heading down to the Weaver for a trotting session. The river is quite deep here (up to 12 ft a rodlength out) and can be turgid. Is there any advantage to varying from the standard No4 shot per ft of line?
I suppose the free offerings will not move very far so a quick drop would be advantageous?
 
M

Matt Brown

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
There's no standard way of shotting a float.

Faster water requires more shot per foot.

If the wind is such that it's playing with presentation then more shot will be required.

Fishing further out will make the float harder to control so gain, more shot will be required.

I've not seen the Weaver for many years but from memory it is similar to the middle reaches of my local River Don. 30 to 40 yards wide, slow and as you say around 12 ft deep.

I would start on about an 8 No.4 stick float and have 3 No. 10 droppers through the last 2.5 feet of line above the hooklength. The slower the flow the smaller the shot you need when targeting Roach as they will often follow a bait down even if they are only taking when the bait is near the deck.

It's critical to try and get the hookbait to match the fall of the loose feed through the last third. Had the flow been greater then swapping the dropper shot for No.8's or even No.6's would be the right move.
 
M

Matt Brown

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Above the dropper shot I would taper the shot until I'm using No.6's. That means I'd have a couple of No.8's then as many No.6's as it takes to shot the float properly.

That's a lot of No.6's but means you can either group the shot 2/3 of the way down (so 8ft from the float with the rig set at 12ft) or even them out shirt button style. The latter would give you a slower drop which is useful if the Roach are moving up and down the water column.

When it's warmer or through mild spells in winter, Roach will often move up off the bottom, sometimes to right below the surface. The best Roach anglers will be constantly tweaking the rig's depth and shotting pattern to keep in touch with the fish.

Getting this and you feeding right would take a lifetime of experience but it's important that if you have a quiet spell, you mustn't carry on fishing exactly the same way.

The float needs really dotting down or the Roach will drop the bait and you'll either miss bites or worse still - not even see them.

In this weather catching Roach is going to be hard work. Also, because of the slow flow you might be better off fishing the pole and Pinkie over groundbait.

It would be well worth watching some matches. You might learn something that will stick with you for the rest of your life!
 
C

colsmiff

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Thats exactly what the Weaver downstream of Northwich is like. Having been canalised it only really gets flowing after significant rainfall.
Theres a lot to take in, I was planning to use a bulk shotting pattern given the depth of the water, and then a light shotting pattern nearer the hook. Not many people use the stick float around here, many favouring the pole or tip rod, but then skimmer and bream are the main match targets.
I was considering a lightish groundbait, to get the free offerings towards the bottom. See what happens on Tuesday.
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
Find out at what depth the fish are feeding first, as Matt says don't assume because its 12ft deep they are feeding at that depth, they may be feeding quite shallow. You need to be adaptable on a river and be prepared to change set ups but the advice Matt gave you will be fine, I always like to have no.8's or even no.10's near the hook when roach fishing. If they are feeding at full depth then a pole is probably a better proposition on a slow moving river.
 
J

john ledger

Guest
Rather than use No4 shot i use groups of No8 in sets of four three two and one with a No10 dropper.Much less resistance through the water when you strike.
Obvously use bigger shot in bulk for chub in fast water
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
...and there was I Terry,looking for one of your one liners.
 
J

jason fisher

Guest
we could have had a really good thread with this one but matts knackered it by giving a nigh on definitive answer
 
T

Terry Comerford

Guest
There's one liner on the far bank in the pic Fred,........ well OK, its a boat.

I'm with John, groups of smaller shot, lots of 8s usually, some 10s.
 
M

Matt Brown

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
I too will use No. 8's on floats up to 5 No.4 but that's a lot of No.8's on bigger floats!

Jason, cheers, the fiver is in the post (for making me look good!) :)
 
C

colsmiff

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Thanks for all the advice regarding shotting, I would be inclined to agree with Matt about using No.8s on a heavy float, especially if the shot ends up bulked 2/3rds of the way down the line! Will probably start with a strung out pattern and adjust from there.
 
C

colsmiff

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Unfortunately, I couldn't reach the river yesterday, since the County Council dcided that it would be resurfacing all the tracks at Anderton nature Reserve this week.
Hopefully get out over the next couple of weekends and put into practice what all you kind people have suggested.
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
This is aimed at those that are learning to use a stick or are unsure about it, not the experienced angler.

Just reading back over this thread made me think about fishing a stick on a river and reminded me of the necessity to be adaptable and have the ability to change set ups, sometimes completely.

For instance fishing a deep swim and maybe starting off with a heavy stick of about 8/9 No.4 and after constant feeding you find the bites drop off. You get the odd knock on the way down so you fish shallower by a foot or two and adjust the bottom shot to a slow falling set up.

After continuous feeding and adjusting to an increasingly shallower depth it becomes impracticable to fish with a big stick, it needs to be changed otherwise you will start to miss bites and, or, the fish will drop he bait. The old maxim of a No.4 for every foot is a good basis to work on for those that are unsure about what float they should be using and to speed up the changeover it pays to make up your stick floats on pole winders, so they are ready for that quick changeover when it becomes necessary.

I hope this helps some of you learners out there.
 
C

colsmiff

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Thanks Graham, how would you attach the made up rig to your mainline: loop-to-loop, swivel or a double (half) bloodknot?

As it was I got out on Sunday and blanked. I tried several different presntations and trotting lines ( near bank, midstream) but with no luck. The fish must have be shoaled up tight somewhere where I wasn't fishing!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top