Which line is best for touch ledgering braid or mono? I am trying to locate chub on my local river (they are rare). I am getting strange slow pulls on meat, then striking into thin air, bait gone! tried a light quiver tip, bite hardly shows. I am not using hair rigs. I actualy prefer touch ledgering and would like to refine this method. My current choice of mainline is old reliable 6lb maxima, would braid help?
Braid or mono for chub
- Thread starter Paul T
- Start date
B
BAZ (Angel of the North)
Guest
As their is no stretch in braid it would put you in more direct contact with the fish Paul.
Personally though I prefer mono as I have had a few bad expieriences with braid.
If the river you are fishing is sandy bottommed braid should be okay. If it is rocky then use mono. Braid cuts easily on the rocks.
Personally though I prefer mono as I have had a few bad expieriences with braid.
If the river you are fishing is sandy bottommed braid should be okay. If it is rocky then use mono. Braid cuts easily on the rocks.
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
Paul,
Try bread as bait - unhittable bites on meat on a tidal river sounds remarkably like eel bites! If the bites stop it may be the clue showing them to be other than chub. After a few years absence the eels were back in some numbers on Throop back in the summer, with a liking for meat and the ubiquitous pellets, and a lot of unhittable bites.
Try bread as bait - unhittable bites on meat on a tidal river sounds remarkably like eel bites! If the bites stop it may be the clue showing them to be other than chub. After a few years absence the eels were back in some numbers on Throop back in the summer, with a liking for meat and the ubiquitous pellets, and a lot of unhittable bites.
Tried bread several times, mashed, liquidised, flake and crust still nothing. You are right eels love meat but in winter very few if any are caught. I wondered if these slow tentative bites could be chub backing off with the meat or am i wrong?
B
BAZ (Angel of the North)
Guest
Try an even smaller piece of meat then Paul, or a change of bait altogether.
Braid spaps/cuts easily against the rocks.
Braid spaps/cuts easily against the rocks.
B
BAZ (Angel of the North)
Guest
Try a piece that will sit right on a size 10 hook without burying the hookpoint. It's trial and error I'm afraid mate. Work your way up or down from there.
Paul
Try a couple of Lobs or a smelly cheese paste. If it is eels I'm sure you'll hook one on worm and the mystery will be solved.
"Slow pull", could this possibly be debris on the line?
Had my first session touch legering proper on sunday (inspired by Tony Miles' book, My Way With Chub)in conditions I wouldn't normally bother with, high, coloured and tanking through. Had two chub 3lb 2oz and 3lb dead in two hours.
Not huge fish in this day and age but good for that particular river and very enjoyable feeling the bites develop.
Good luck
Tommo
Try a couple of Lobs or a smelly cheese paste. If it is eels I'm sure you'll hook one on worm and the mystery will be solved.
"Slow pull", could this possibly be debris on the line?
Had my first session touch legering proper on sunday (inspired by Tony Miles' book, My Way With Chub)in conditions I wouldn't normally bother with, high, coloured and tanking through. Had two chub 3lb 2oz and 3lb dead in two hours.
Not huge fish in this day and age but good for that particular river and very enjoyable feeling the bites develop.
Good luck
Tommo
Thanks for that Tommo. It's not debris on the line as it feels like a slow tenative 'pluck' and then the meat is gone. I can't buy a bite on cheese paste at all (have you seen the price of My Way With Chub). Don't you think touch legering is a great way of fishing, the feel of the bite is exhilirating and hardly any gear is needed, almost a purist form of fishing.
The first editions are extortionate. I bought the second edition (same as first but with colour pictures and a couple of extra bits) for ?28 direct from Little Egret Press.
Still quite expensive, especially as I couldn't put it down and read it in two days! However the information enclosed is second to none and I doubt if I would have caught those chub on sunday as the technique I used was straight from the book.
You are right about the feel of the bite, watching a quiver doesn't seem right if conditions are good for touch legering.
What type of swims are you fishing, rafts, creases....?
Still quite expensive, especially as I couldn't put it down and read it in two days! However the information enclosed is second to none and I doubt if I would have caught those chub on sunday as the technique I used was straight from the book.
You are right about the feel of the bite, watching a quiver doesn't seem right if conditions are good for touch legering.
What type of swims are you fishing, rafts, creases....?
The swim I am fishing is on a straight section of river near a cattle drink no rafts or creases. I went again today and blanked again for the fifth time! just the odd pull on meat, I am going to have to give in and use maggots. I would much rather catch on bread, cheese paste, and meat. (classic chub baits). It did not help the river being in flood again and high winds. Can you touch leger with small baits such as maggots?
I've never tried Paul.
As long as there is enough flow, experiment with leger/feeder weight and you present the bait naturally then why not?
The weather today was certainly not great, the rivers around my area with the river at least 3 feet up and on some stretches in the fields and still rising.
If your river was still rising then you would have been fighting a losing battle, especially as your not certain chub are present.
Were you fishing the cattle drink?
I would definately consider a maggot approach to find out what is in the swim. Then once I am confident fish are present then start experimenting with touch legering with different baits.
I like to remind myself that I fish for myself and sometimes experimenting with tactics is what I want to do, especially if one method catches lots and becomes like shooting fish in a barrel.
I'm trying to convince the missus that she would be much happier if I go fishing for a couple of hours tomorrow. Hopefully the river will be obliging.
As long as there is enough flow, experiment with leger/feeder weight and you present the bait naturally then why not?
The weather today was certainly not great, the rivers around my area with the river at least 3 feet up and on some stretches in the fields and still rising.
If your river was still rising then you would have been fighting a losing battle, especially as your not certain chub are present.
Were you fishing the cattle drink?
I would definately consider a maggot approach to find out what is in the swim. Then once I am confident fish are present then start experimenting with touch legering with different baits.
I like to remind myself that I fish for myself and sometimes experimenting with tactics is what I want to do, especially if one method catches lots and becomes like shooting fish in a barrel.
I'm trying to convince the missus that she would be much happier if I go fishing for a couple of hours tomorrow. Hopefully the river will be obliging.
Yes I was fishing the cattle drink, thought it would be the best bet in flood conditions, with a piece of garlic flavoured spam phew that stuff stinks! the river was the colour of tea. I think your right about the maggot approach, guess the fish have not read the book! hope you can get out fishing tomorrow.
F
Frank "Chubber" Curtis
Guest
I had the same problem when I first fished the Wensum but then tried a method I learned years ago on the Avon.
I fished upstream with just enough weight (SSG's and AAA's on a link) to hold bottom and hey presto a nice thump on the rod tip and then a drop back. My first chub from that river and many more have followed over the past 3 years.
It will take the first 10 minutes or so of your session to get the weight just right but using a split shot link it requires no more than just adding or removing shot.
I fished upstream with just enough weight (SSG's and AAA's on a link) to hold bottom and hey presto a nice thump on the rod tip and then a drop back. My first chub from that river and many more have followed over the past 3 years.
It will take the first 10 minutes or so of your session to get the weight just right but using a split shot link it requires no more than just adding or removing shot.
Went fishing again yesterday, river worse than the day before. Running high fast and choclate brown could not even buy a bite (hardly surprising). I will try upstream legering next week when i am off again thanks Frank. Hopefully the river will be more fishable. Bad luck you never made it fishing Tommo!