Tom Pickering shows his top five pole rigs

Former World Champ and angling coach Tommy Pickering answers the key questions he gets asked on the bank most often. His simple advice will sort out your problems

What are your top five pole rigs?

I’M NOT a complicated fisherman so I don’t carry many variations of rigs in my box. I believe in sticking to just a few favourite tried and tested float patterns. If you have too many, it’s very easy to confuse yourself. I also use only a couple of kinds of shotting patterns, entailing either a bulk of shot on its own or a bulk with either two or three dropper shots spaced beneath. I’d definitely advise you to carry a ruler, which will let you determine the gaps between components when you make a rig up. It’s definitely worth making time to tie your own pole rigs at home and storing them on winders, because it saves a huge amount of time on the bank. In the colder months it can be difficult to tie rigs on the bank in freezing weather! You can also buy some very good ready-made ones in tackle shops.