Master the slider float

When faced with deep water don’t automatically reach for the feeder, says England International Steve Hemingray. Instead, give the slider float a go

WHEN you need to tackle water more than 10ft deep and beyond pole range, you have two options – rig up a feeder, or break out the slider float. Largely forgotten and rarely used these days, due to the common misconception that it is difficult to master, slider float fishing is almost like feeder fishing but with more possibilities available to the angler. Doing what it says on the tin, the slider involves the use of a large, heavy, bodied float, which once cast in is able to slide up the mainline. This enables you to easily fish deep waters with all the sensitivity, flexibility and sheer enjoyment of watching a float in a shallower swim. One angler who is a master of slider float fishing is Midlands ace and England International, Steve Hemingray. “Slider float fishing gets a bit of a bad press because many pleasure anglers in particular reckon it’s too difficult to bother with,” the Drennan-backed rod told us. “It’s true that the feeder will outfish a slider nine times out of 10 because it is an easier method, but it is also very one dimensional. You can only fish hard on the bottom and you’re forced to feed every cast too. “Using the slider float gives you many more presentation options. Also as long as you follow a few simple rules, the slider is as easy to fish as any ordinary waggler.” To see how Steve fishes this all-but-forgotten float method, we joined him bankside at Mill Farm Fishery, Gilmorton, Leicestershire where the main lake is stuffed with roach well in excess of 2lb, although few anglers fish for them. As these fish aren’t in the least hook shy, anyone who does fish for them could be on for a Red Letter day.

Why fish the slider?

Known as a deep water (10ft-plus) tactic, the slider can also be used to great effect on shallower lakes if they are badly affected by tow. The technique involves using a semi-loaded, large, bodied float, which once cast in, slides up the mainline to a stop knot tied at swim depth, enabling the angler to easily fish deep water. A bulk of three or four shot, or in Steve’s case an olivette, provides the main weight to pull the mainline through the float’s bottom eye so it ‘slides’ up the mainline. Once the stop knot is reached, the bulk will register cocking the float. The dropper shot then enables the hookbait to fall naturally to the lakebed, perfectly trimming the float’s bristle. There are certain advantages the slider offers when you’re targeting silverfish. • Float: There is a pleasing aesthetic to be enjoyed from watching a float and the water, rather than having your eyes cast down, staring at a quivertip. • Species: Skimmers and roach can give very

delicate bites. These will be positively registered on a float, whereas feeder tactics may see you missing bites or reeling in the dreaded skinned maggot hookbait! • Versatility: Unlike a feeder, the slider can be fished from well overdepth to three feet under the surface depending upon where the fish are. • Presentation: Feeder tactics are very static, because the hookbait is laid hard on the bottom. With a slider float, you can move the shot about to create a faster or slower fall of the hookbait through the water, tailoring the approach to the way the fish are feeding and giving the perfect presentation on any given day. • Enjoyment: For Steve it is more enjoyable to watch a float and work for bites, altering shots and feed patterns, rather than chucking out a feeder and waiting for it to ‘maybe’ wraparound. There are, however, a couple of disadvantages to slider fishing, the main one being tangles. “Many anglers try the slider once, get in a tangle and never try it again,” said Steve. “But if they persevered and addressed what they were doing wrong, they’d catch three times more fish and have a lot more enjoyment than simply reaching for the easy option of a feeder. “Most tangles are created by the shotting pattern – either it is too complicated or the bulks aren’t completely pushed together, meaning the mainline can get tangled around it. The other slight disadvantage is that your range is limited to how far you can accurately catapult loosefeed. But by feeding particlelaced balls of groundbait, ranges of 50 yards are within reach of most anglers.

Setting up the slider

Slider floats have one thing in common – they’re very big. This is so they are able to carry enough bulk shot need to make the tactic work. Steve uses floats of 8g-15g, all of which are semi-loaded – around 30 per cent of their total capacity is built into the base of the float using metal shims. This makes the float cast better and prevent the bulk shot overtaking the float in flight, which is the cause of most tangles on the cast. A 13ft rod is perfect but Steve uses the Drennan Acolyte Plus because it is slightly more beefy for casting the heavier float set-up. “To cast a slider float set-up you need to lob it rather than punch it out as you would a standard waggler,” explained Steve. It’s a little like trying to gently throw a ball over a high wall, rather than through it. “To improve casting smoothness, the bulk needs to hang halfway down the rod. This extra long ‘drop’ will amplify the arcing cast, again leading to a better presentation and fewer tangles.” The mainline needs to be quite heavy and robust and Steve opts for 5lb Maxima as it is quite stiff, which again minimises tangles. The all-important stop knot should always be tied using a length of the same material as the mainline, to prevent slippage. This set-up seems like animal gear for tackling silverfish, but the robustness is needed for casting the large floats the distances require.

The hooklink is where the silverfish finesse comes into play. Steve uses a 400mm length of 0.10mm (1lb 14oz) Drennan Double Strength to a size 16 F1 hook. Shotting patterns are a source of problems experienced by most anglers. Starting at the important part – the bulk – four shots or an olivette are ideal, for neatness. This offers a compact length of shotting great for smoother casting. “The bulk must be pushed together as tight as possible. You don’t want any gaps in the string of bulk shots. I also have 400mm between each ‘set’ of shots. “I only have three shotting points too – the bulk, a number of droppers and then a second number of droppers, all 400mm apart.” The final ‘set’ of droppers is taken up with the addition of a Cralusso Clip Swivel so Steve can quickly change his hooklink if needed. The overall set-up is plumbed so the rig is fishing around 6in overdepth. But this can be changed through the session, depending upon how the fish react.

Fishing the slider

The first thing to learn is that casting is different to all other forms of float fishing. Always fish to the line clip on the reel so the rig lands in the same place every time and straightens out. As soon as the float hits the water, you then need to wind four or five turns of line on to the reel and then quickly open the bail arm allowing the line you’ve just wound on to peel off. This enables the bulk to pull the mainline through the base of the float. When the stop knot on the line hits the float, the bulk will register and the float will cock, cocking further as the droppers take effect. Once the float has settled, close the bail arm and you’re fishing. For loosefeed, the slider is best fished over a bed of groundbait. Steve uses a mixture of Sensas Lake, Gros Gardons Fine and a dark river mix, combined in a ratio of 40:40:20. “The first two are best for attracting the silverfish, while the addition of the river groundbait adds a stickiness to the finished mix so I can load the balls with particles. “The skill is making the balls uniform in size so they catapult the exact same distance every time. Accuracy is everything, ” advised Steve. Kicking off a session with 10 balls, Steve will top up the loosefeed as the session continues. “As a general rule, early season I’d leave it 3060 minutes before re-feeding, with little or no particles in the balls,” he explained. “If the fish are biting, you have a green light to top up. If things are slow, you need to be patient. Every day is different.” On the day we joined Steve, the fishing was steady, requiring him to regularly top-up every 30 minutes or so with two or three balls. As the fish kept coming, three key points came to the fore. Practice, get the rig right and feed accurately and the slider is as easy as any other tactic.

Catapulting the groundbait ball the same distance every time is vital

A fine bag of plump silverfish was Steve’s slider reward The bulk shot needs to be heavy enough to pull the mainline through the float’s bottom eye Steve sets-up his rig so there is 400mm between the bulk and the dropper shots, finishing with a 400mm...