MY FLOAT CHOICES
WHEN I’m fishing for grayling, chub and dace on shallow rivers I keep things very simple and mainly use just two float patterns.
For top-and-bottom fishing I use my own design Shallow Water Sticks which run from 2xNo4 up to 8xNo4. These very short floats are perfect for shallow swims and can be fished with strung-out shot or simply a small bulk a few inches from the hook. The tops floats are domed and can easily be seen a long way down the swim.
They are great little floats to use in shallow water, as they are pretty tangle-free too. In the larger sizes, from 6xNo4 to 8xNo4, try using them with a small bulk of BBs and cast either sideways or overhead.
Always cast them downstream, as this will ensure good presentation immediately after the shot have settled.
Let’s look now at wagglers. Too many anglers don’t realise how good bottom-end-only floats can be in shallow swims. For some reason, these people always seem to go for a top-and-bottom-attached float when faced with fast water when, on many swims, a waggler would work better.
What are the advantages of a float attached bottom-end-only instead of top-and-bottom? Well, for starters, they’re easier to use and much easier to cast a good distance.
If you’re fishing in only 3ft to 4ft of water and you’re catching a long way down the swim it can be difficult to control a stick float or balsa, but with a waggler it’s easy. They’re also silent when you strike as the float just folds over if you keep your rod low.
The shotting is simplicity itself. I put nearly all the float’s capacity either side of the float to lock it on to the line and then use a No6 or No4 shot for every 2ft of depth. So for a 4ft deep swim, all you need is two shots down, plus the hook, of course.
I use two main float patterns for this sort of fishing, namely my Thin Speci Waggler, which is the choice for smooth flowing rivers where I’m catching just off the bottom, and the No1 Truncheon Waggler for when I need to drag bait along the bottom to slow down the presentation. Generally, though, a hookbait run through an inch or two off the bottom is best, as long as you’re feeding the swim correctly.
“On many river swims, a waggler will work better than a float attached top and bottom.”