All fingers and thumbs...

peter crabtree · Feb 1, 2017

....talking about trotting stick / top and bottom floats downstream.
Experienced trotters will instantly know what I mean, interested beginners may not?
At this time of year our wonderful streams and rivers are perfect for trotting but often hampered by floating rafts or overhanging trees, exactly where fish like to hang out.
If using a fixed spool reel (bale arm open) then your middle finger can be used to trap your line mid trot thus holding back on the float as it approaches the obstruction.
Doing this allows your float to catch the current and steer your float around it instead of piling straight into it resulting in a possible tangle.
Centrepins can be manipulated in the same way using your thumb against the drum.
This can often tempt fish out to grab the passing bait.

I am posting this to help beginners as I'm certain experienced trotters will know this already and may indeed explain it better than me...

It's actually quite satisfying setting up a stick float rig without a hook attached and giving it a try first...

trotter2 · Feb 1, 2017

I agree peter but I think its more down to holding back and lifting the bait enticingly. But yes its got to be in front of the fish too work.
Lifting and dropping works often to great effect some times.

fatfewl · Feb 1, 2017

I know the very operation you mean and the nice satisfying feeling it gives.

It is not something easily explained over text and like a lot of fishing there is a certain 'feel' to it and therefore no substitute for actually trying it. This practice also has a lot to do with the current and the angle you are to the float. Trapping the line as you say makes the float swing inwards towards the anglers own bank. Depending on the circumstance and conditions you can actually make the float move away from the bank.

This is much harder and can't be done by just trapping the line. Instead you periodically trap the line in a 'dab dab' motion (on a fixed spool at least). This is also a good technique to hold the float back more gently without trapping the line for a second or two.

dave m · Feb 1, 2017

trotting a slightly oveshotted wire stemmed stick float thats fixed at about 6ft deep in 4ft of water is a thing of beauty and control when done right.
little tweaks to the depth and shotting pattern, the amount its held back to waft the bait in the current or glide the float past slightly shallower sections.

great skills to master.

associatedmatt · Feb 1, 2017

Thanks lads , some useful tips , hopefully I'm going trotting this weekend , got my Avon quiver rod set up and my pellet waggler for trotting with a wire stem Avon float on .

Will have a go with both as been told feeders don't work in top section of club water but I'm going to give both a go !

Guessing you start around dead depth and run through a few times and keep showing up by a foot and run through a few times and so on ?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tee-Cee · Feb 2, 2017

If 'associatedmatt' is going to trot the stream I suggest he may need some guidance on feeding the swim (depending on what hook bait he is using) so can any of the above posters who do this on a regular basis offer some help??

Feeding, especially at this time of year, can make all the difference to catching, or not, IMHO!

Of course, he may already have this knowledge............................

ps I suppose feeding 'lines' may also be of help to him??

associatedmatt · Feb 2, 2017

By all means I'm not a float fisherman at all except carp in margins . More a method feeder or a leger tactics in commercials or club waters .

But I wil either be using maggots / casters or bread . I been told to through in loose feed slightly upstream little and often for around 10 minutes to get fish in swim and build confidence before casting in and then little every cast

When I say little around 6 - 8 maggots

Any good ?

When you say feeding lines that comes across what a match man does . But I normally on still water feed s d fish one spot and then feed the margins throughout the day and try it in the afternoon .

Any different on a river as been advised to trot a glide ?

103841 · Feb 2, 2017

fatfewl said:
. Depending on the circumstance and conditions you can actually make the float move away from the bank.

This is much harder and can't be done by just trapping the line. Instead you periodically trap the line in a 'dab dab' motion (on a fixed spool at least). This is also a good technique to hold the float back more gently without trapping the line for a second or two.

This is something I haven't mastered yet. My local river is quite narrow and the far bank can be easily reached but getting the float to trot down parallel to the bank without it swinging back towards the middle of the river seems nigh on impossible.

S-Kippy · Feb 2, 2017

s63 said:
This is something I haven't mastered yet. My local river is quite narrow and the far bank can be easily reached but getting the float to trot down parallel to the bank without it swinging back towards the middle of the river seems nigh on impossible.

Try a heavier rated float. A bit more weight can give you better control and reduce the likelihood of it being pulled off line...by the current, the line or the angler.

theartist · Feb 2, 2017

Does anyone else run a stick through without the bail arm open? My bail arm is always closed after the mend unless fishing a seriously fast bit of water.

S-Kippy · Feb 2, 2017

theartist said:
Does anyone else run a stick through without the bail arm open? My bail arm is always closed after the mend unless fishing a seriously fast bit of water.

There's no bail arm on a centrepin

Badoom Tish !:w

bracket · Feb 2, 2017

theartist said:
Does anyone else run a stick through without the bail arm open? My bail arm is always closed after the mend unless fishing a seriously fast bit of water.

I have never done that, artist. The nearest I have ever been to trotting a fixed line, was when fishing the pole, 13m to hand, at very steady flowing pegs on the Trent. Even at that length you don't get much of a run through, so you needed to be taking the fish high up the peg. The closest method I have seen to what you ask, was by some of the Sheffield lads'. They would cast in front, then sweep the rod as far as they could away from the flow of the current and engage the line (usually an ABU C/face reel). They would follow the float down on a tight line until they could go no further, then release the line and repeat the process, thereby trotting the length of the peg. It was popular, but always seemed to be making hard work of it to me. However what you are happy with is what you happy with. I never use a fixed spool reel for the stick float, always a C/face or a centre pin reel. Pete.

theartist · Feb 2, 2017

bracket said:
I have never done that, artist. The nearest I have ever been to trotting a fixed line, was when fishing the pole, 13m to hand, at very steady flowing pegs on the Trent. Even at that length you don't get much of a run through, so you needed to be taking the fish high up the peg. The closest method I have seen to what you ask, was by some of the Sheffield lads'. They would cast in front, then sweep the rod as far as they could away from the flow of the current and engage the line (usually an ABU C/face reel). They would follow the float down on a tight line until they could go no further, then release the line and repeat the process, thereby trotting the length of the peg. It was popular, but always seemed to be making hard work of it to me. However what you are happy with is what you happy with. I never use a fixed spool reel for the stick float, always a C/face or a centre pin reel. Pete.

Thanks Bracket what you described with those Sheffield lads is exactly what I do and you're right it is a lot of work but for me It beats running a float down with the bail arm open. I was wondering why anyone would run through with an open bail arm when an close face abu or centrepin would do that job better.

fatfewl · Feb 2, 2017

S-Kippy said:
Try a heavier rated float. A bit more weight can give you better control and reduce the likelihood of it being pulled off line...by the current, the line or the angler.

I echo this. The main mistake I made when first starting was trying to fish too light. Likewise a long rod is equally useful for maintaining control. These two factors together are the most important without a doubt. The better control with the heavier float actually improves presentation making it often a better choice over a lighter more sensitive float.

theartist said:
Thanks Bracket what you described with those Sheffield lads is exactly what I do and you're right it is a lot of work but for me It beats running a float down with the bail arm open. I was wondering why anyone would run through with an open bail arm when an close face abu or centrepin would do that job better.

I use an open faced reel for almost all my trotting even though I own a centrepin. Using a centrepin is great and has a big satisfaction factor. This might be an unpopular opinion but I think the fixed spool reel is far superior for the job in terms of catching fish. That's not to say that a centre pin is not more fun to use. I think because it is more pleasurable people often assert that the centrepin is superior or as good when this might not really be the case. I often see people recommending centrepins to people who a new to trotting. Going by my own experience I would say it is much more sutible to start with a open or closed faced reel before moving onto a centrepin. We are catching fish for pleasure so there is no need to use 'the best tool for the job'. Use what you enjoy the most.

As for a closed faced reel I cannot comment as I have never used one. It surely gives some advantages but I would wager a open faced feel is still the most versatile of any option if for no other reason other than you can use it for all your other types of fishing also.

After all is said and done the fish don't know what rod and reel you are using.

itsfishingnotcatching · Feb 2, 2017

theartist said:
Does anyone else run a stick through without the bail arm open? My bail arm is always closed after the mend unless fishing a seriously fast bit of water

Never considered this with a fixed spool, would backwinding work in the same way?

theartist · Feb 2, 2017

itsfishingnotcatching said:
Never considered this with a fixed spool, would backwinding work in the same way?

Yes I backwind on rivers like the Severn as it's a technique that lends itself to a heavier float, but on smaller rivers I tend to use really light floats so use the paying out of the line to slow the float right up

fatfewl · Feb 2, 2017

theartist said:
Yes I backwind on rivers like the Severn as it's a technique that lends itself to a heavier float, but on smaller rivers I tend to use really light floats so use the paying out of the line to slow the float right up

I would love to learn this technique but every time I have tried it has not worked and I promptly gave up.

itsfishingnotcatching · Feb 2, 2017

theartist said:
Yes I backwind on rivers like the Severn as it's a technique that lends itself to a heavier float

With the current flow on the Severn, I may give it a try Sunday Rob

theartist · Feb 2, 2017

itsfishingnotcatching said:
With the current flow on the Severn, I may give it a try Sunday Rob

I'd give it a go in summe when your amongst the fish, would have thought the Severn would be bombing through with the wet weather of late? Backwinding like other styles lends itself to favourable swims/conditions

binka · Feb 2, 2017

All credit to the back-winders.

I reckon if I tried that, with my coordination and timing, I would end up in bird's nest city before you could say 'new spool of line please'

mg:

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AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

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