A river runs deep

Gents,

I've been doing some head scratching over this...

I understand the importance and mechanics of plumbing the depth in stillwater( I do it without any lead above the plummet as I find it easier and more accurate) but how do you gauge the depth in running water? Do you make a 'guess-timation' and work from there or do you follow the same practice as in a stillwater but make an allowance for the flow?

Your help and comments would be appreciated.

YES A GUESS, then deepen it till it starts to drag on bottom, then shallow off a touch ,i never plumb on a river

I do plum, but it becomes more difficult, the faster the pace of the water.

In faster water, I send a big plummet and float in, directly on top of each other. If the float stays visible for a few seconds before dragging under, you are over depth. Shorten it until it stays visible for just a split second before dragging under and it won't be far off. If it shoots straight under, you are too shallow.

I don't bother with a plummet; just put all the shot needed for your chosen float about a foot from the end of the line without attaching a hook and cast it out. If it runs through (don't attempt to hold back at this stage) without dragging, move the float deeper by six inches and try again. Keep adjusting the float until you find the depth at which point the float will just start to drag - this will be at the shallowest point between where you have cast to and where it drags. Measure the depth against your rod for future reference.

Now cast slightly downstream of where the float first began to drag under and repeat the steps above. A little time spent along the full length of the stretch you propose to trot will tell you all you need to know about what the river bed is like; whether it is getting deeper, shallower, if it is uneven or quite regular.

Armed with this knowledge you can reposition yourself to take advantage of the best underwater features you have discovered.

well i used to plumb up as you do in a still water,

the ig got my pole and that made it even easier,

but now it's just a few runs through with the old smartcast and bobs your uncle swim completely mapped get on wi catching the fish.

the equivalent ammount of knowledge gained frm 10 inutes smartcasting will take about 3 weeks of plumbing

handy gadget the old smart cast but not everyone has one so for plumbing up id use a ledger bomb. take time to do it and you will find the right depth then through the day you can alter it to your personal preferance.