Leads question

Can I ask if anyone who uses inline leads prefer a semi-fixed setup or free running?

Also would anyone be interested in having the best of both say for example if fishery bans semi-fixed.

Thanks for your input.

I prefer 3 ounce inline bolts Chris, I have heard the theory of fish using the lead to throw the hook, stick a hook in your mouth and try to spit it out, see you when you get back from the hospital. Running leads , they tell me it acts as a pivot, what if it comes back towards you, dropback , and drags the lead with it, result no indication, with a heavy bolt at least the fish is hooked, but never say never, I do use running rigs and am prepared to ring the changes when not catching, but only at short range. In deep water at long range, the amount of stretch and water masking of strike equals hook pulls and drop offs, I use braid mainlines to counteract the stretch factor, semi fixed only where a snag requires a drop off facility, the swivel effect requires to much line movement to register a bite. Little experiment for those inclined, go to your local football pitch, cast as far as you can , get your mate to hold the lead and strike hard, the business end will not move or if it does would never set a hook.

I fish running in-line leads as most of the fisheries local to me require it....
all of them state that the lead must discharge in the event of a snag so shokka rigs are also banned.

On the rivers I usually use a ‘free running safety rig’. Basically a stop bead on the hook link swivel, then a plastic safety link generally used for bolt rigs. (the stop bead on the swivel obviously makes it a free runner and stops in from becoming a bolt rig). Therefore all the advantages of a free runner with the ability to easily 'dump' the lead if the occasion arises and change leads/feeders in seconds without the need for wire clips.

I always use semi fixed inline leads and feeders. Inline because I have more confidence that it isn't tangled and semi fixed because it makes more sense to me that the lead/feeder sets the hook.

As always I am probably wrong but I am happy in my ignorance.

I forgot, as to having both I can make my current leads/feeders free running by not pulling the swivel into the lead/feeder.

I generally use free running but can see where a semi-fixed would be really useful, if I had confidence that the semi-fixed was perfectly safe I would use it far more often.

That's not to say I can't find anything already out there to do that, just that I've not really toyed with it yet.

Been using swivelled pear leads semi-fixed by pushing a Korum anti-tangle sleeve down onto the hooklength swivel then pushing the eye of the lead swivel all the way onto the sleeve. It works well as long as the lead swivel's a snug fit on the sleeve and it releases 100% of the time. It's a good workaround for venues that insist on a free-running set up: by the time you reel in the lead's loose and moving free.

I use semi fixed inline leads with the swivel pushed into the end of the leads tubing in such a way that the swivel will come free quite easily if the lead gets snagged.

But I will always check that I'm using the correct eye size on the swivel I'm using lest it fits too tightly into the tube end.

Keith

Thanks for answers guys much appreciated. I'm having problems with computers at the moment so unable to reply back properly