Dave Harrell
My big float rigs to conquer big rivers
LONG rod ‘Bolognesestyle’ fishing has revolutionised deep water fishing in the country ever since the Italian National team showed us how effective the tactic was in the 1992 World Championships in Ireland.
I still vividly remember watching Roberto Trabucco in action one afternoon on the Erne system and being completely transfixed by the approach. I knew instantly that it would be an effective method here, too. In the autumn of that year I was the first angler to win a match using a 6m Bolo rod at Shrewsbury with 22lb of roach and one small barbel.
Fast-forward to now and things have developed considerably with this style of fishing. In fact now I use six different Bolo patterns and two Avon patterns for deep water. This week we’re looking at the rigs I use most of the time from now until the end of the season…
ON-LINE OLIVETTES
On-line olivettes are best because they can easily be changed if you want a heavier or lighter one. Take the olivette out of the rubbers before you plumb the depth, as you will get a much more accurate reading this way.
USE THE RIGHT RUBBERS
It matters not how good your float is if you use the wrong rubbers to hold it on the line. My silicone rubbers all have 0.5mm wall thickness, and this is the perfect wall thickness for floatfishing.
No6 BOLO
In sizes from 2g to 5g, this float has a 3mm hollow bristle and a long carbon stem, and is my current favourite for roach in situations where you’ve got smooth, steady flow.
I use 1g of capacity for every foot of depth so, as an example, a 4g float is perfect for 12ft of water.
Mainline is 4lb (0.16mm).
No1 BOLO
I use this one a lot on the Wye when fishing for chub down the middle. It has a 3.5mm hollow bristle and it’s a great float for use with big baits such as bunches of maggots, bread and pellets.
I use 1g of capacity for every 2ft of depth with this float. In this instance, a 4g float is ideal in 8ft of water. Mainline is 5lb (0.18mm) or 6lb (0.20mm).
No2 BOLO
This pattern is similar to the No1 Bolo and has the same thickness hollow bristle. The difference is, it’s got a body up shape that allows it to be held back, and this can be useful on difficult days such as when the water temperature has dropped.
Use the same shotting equation as for the No1 Bolo.
No1 AVON
Faced with deep water very close in, Avon floats come into their own as you can hold back hard against the shoulder. Try backwinding the rig down the swim, leaving the bail-arm closed, and slowly winding the reel backwards. Once again, I use 1g of capacity for every 2ft of depth. Mainline is usually 6lb (0.20mm).
No2 AVON
This is a slimmer float but it’s fished in exactly the same way as the No1 Avon. I tend to use the No1 for big fish like chub and this one more when I’m fishing for roach and dace.
“A No2 Avon is great for roach and dace”