Recently I was float fishing on the river and catching chub, dace etc but no matter how I ran my float and bait down the river, even held static there was not a sniff of a barbel. I removed the float, put a piece of line round my mainline and added several large split shot to the link. I squeezed a bb on the line as a stop for my link leger and to make my bottom as long or short as desired and bombs away. Within several minuites I felt the tell tale tap on my rod and struck into a barbel.....so as I had suspected the barbel were there all the time. This has happened many times, no idea why as there are very few anglers float fish this river for barbel. It seems to have been happening more and more over the last several years.
To be honest though, I rather like touch legering, as it's similar to float fishing due to the fact that your holding the rod and waiting intently for any sign of a vibration down the rod.
One thing anglers do when touch legering that I really don't get, is hold their line, supposedly feeling for bites? I've found that I feel a tap on the tip of the rod way before anything on the line near my hand.
If you think about it, that is the reason float fishing really is the most sensitive method, the float is pulled under way before the line back at the rod shows any sign of moving the tip if legering or even if touch legering.
Regarding leaving your rods in rests waiting for the tip to pull round, that has got to be one of the most un sensitive methods of angling. You could have countless fish suck in and spit out your bait with no sign of registration on your rod tip at all, until one of the unlucky or maybe dumber fish is hooked against the lead or rod tip as it turns with the bait in its mouth.
One favourite method of legering of mine is slack lining on still waters, just watch your line, as soon as it starts to move you know the fish has the bait in its mouth, I enjoy using that method for tench and carp.