Small river fishing

Hi all,
there is a section of the river Mole near me (East Molesey, Surrey) that I would like to fish better. I went today and didn't get a bite. I am fairly new to river fishing so hoping for some advice.
The river is about 20-25 feet wide, 6 feet deep at center to 2-3 feet deep each side.
The river is currently flowing at just less than walking pace.
I only have a rod (no pole) and wish to improve my float fishing.
I have been told that fishing with the bait skipping over the bottom is best, but when I set the float at depth to fish the center the float kept going under. I tried to 'mend the line' which I understand to mean flick the line so it is traveling behind the float and not in a bow (is this right). But still found that the float seemed to be going faster than the bait.
Any help would be great, like line strenght, float type and size, shotting patten (I had bluk of shot at about 2/3rds depth with 2 small shots between that and the hook), size of hook, or any thing else that may help me start catching. (or at least feel that the bait is going through correctly and there is a chance of a bite)

Dave

Forget tackle and all the technicalities initially and spend some time just waling the rivers banks.

Look for fish, either in the water with polariods or by watching for fish moving which they often do by rising or rolling on the surface.

If the river is clear, approach your swim with great caution. Pretend that every fish in the river that can see you has a gun and that fish will shoot you dead if it sees you. Wear drab clothing and keep low. The worst thing you can do on a small river is "skyline" the fish.

If you are after roach with maggots, remember one thing. The maggots will hardly ever reach the bottom if you loose feed. Set your depth at about 6 inches off the bottom.

Try fishing with float tackle close in to the edge where the deep water meets the shallow ledge using mashed bread groundbait and breadflake. You will be surprised at the quality fish you will catch if you fish into the evening.

Thanks for the tips Ron. I am going to post this same question in the Course Forum, as I've noticed that not many people come in here just to answer questions.

Dave