dezza
Well-known member
Is it really necessary?
Over the past 2 years I have done a great deal of long trotting on rivers. Most of the times I have been fishing swims up to 14 feet deep on the River Trent. I have least often shotted my line in the classic "Shirt Button" style, but more often I have used a bulk shot or a olivette weight about 18 inches from the hook, and a couple of number 6s or 8s shot as "telltales".
Having caught lots of fish using the bulk shotting method and not so many using the shirt button style, I have had a lot of food for thought.
Consider a flowing river with a consistant bottom and banks. The fastest flowing water will be in the centre of the stream and at the surface. At the bottom, where we are going to fish, the current will be very much slower than at the surface.
There is also another aspect to consider, and that is where the fish are likely to be. If you look carefully you will often see near the bank, a section where the fast flowing water changes to much slower water. This point of change is called a "crease". Fish of all kinds will lay close to the crease waiting for what food the current may bring.
Back to our trotting tackle.
I don't like shot to be on the line too high in the water. Shot has a much greater water resistance than line per unit of length, due to its thickness and the current will cause the line leading down from the float to the bulk shot to bow out under the water. Remove the shot and it will bow out a lot less.
Causing the float to be in more direct contact with the terminal shot and end tackle, which of course will give a much better indication of a bite. This also facilitates changing over to stret pegging or laying on.
Well this is what I think.
What about you?
Mark?
Over the past 2 years I have done a great deal of long trotting on rivers. Most of the times I have been fishing swims up to 14 feet deep on the River Trent. I have least often shotted my line in the classic "Shirt Button" style, but more often I have used a bulk shot or a olivette weight about 18 inches from the hook, and a couple of number 6s or 8s shot as "telltales".
Having caught lots of fish using the bulk shotting method and not so many using the shirt button style, I have had a lot of food for thought.
Consider a flowing river with a consistant bottom and banks. The fastest flowing water will be in the centre of the stream and at the surface. At the bottom, where we are going to fish, the current will be very much slower than at the surface.
There is also another aspect to consider, and that is where the fish are likely to be. If you look carefully you will often see near the bank, a section where the fast flowing water changes to much slower water. This point of change is called a "crease". Fish of all kinds will lay close to the crease waiting for what food the current may bring.
Back to our trotting tackle.
I don't like shot to be on the line too high in the water. Shot has a much greater water resistance than line per unit of length, due to its thickness and the current will cause the line leading down from the float to the bulk shot to bow out under the water. Remove the shot and it will bow out a lot less.
Causing the float to be in more direct contact with the terminal shot and end tackle, which of course will give a much better indication of a bite. This also facilitates changing over to stret pegging or laying on.
Well this is what I think.
What about you?
Mark?