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Float Rubber in Flood Conditions?

Mark de Lancey

Mark de Lancey

Senior Member
Hi All

Can anybody explain the reasoning behind putting a float rubber on your rig in flood conditions? I have read thsi a few times in various angling publications and always wondered why!

I guess the float rubber goes on first followed by lead, bead, swivell then hooklength?

Thanks
Mark
 
i think the idea of the float stop is to stop any weed / debris that catch the mainline from traveling down ur line to your lead.
because when this happens your lead and rig start getting dragged out of position by the flow of the river.
i guess the float stop catches any weed enabling the rig to stay put for longer
 
Although a float stop does work Powergum with the knot tails left long (2" or so) so that the debris slides/runs off the knot works better and (when the water is not too high) a backlead works even better than that!
 
Thanks for the replies - BUT! - if i use powergum, would that not tether a barbel should i loose it? Surely that acts as a lead stop? If using a flota rubber, i assume it runs free on the line (i use running lead at all times)
 
Mark de Lancey said:
Thanks for the replies - BUT! - if i use powergum, would that not tether a barbel should i loose it? Surely that acts as a lead stop? If using a flota rubber, i assume it runs free on the line (i use running lead at all times)
Click to expand...
correct, if your using a free running rig then it becomes a fixed rig with a stop above the rig, not a good idea is it.:confused:
 
David Hall said:
correct, if your using a free running rig then it becomes a fixed rig with a stop above the rig, not a good idea is it.:confused:
Click to expand...

Use a large bore attachment for the lead, eg Solar Easy-Glide Run Rings, and passes free over the float stop/powergum etc.
 
correct, if your using a free running rig then it becomes a fixed rig with a stop above the rig, not a good idea is it.
Click to expand...

No problems with using powergum providing you attach the lead with a large bore attachment as Darryl says, I use Fox run rings, slips over the knot no problems.
 
David Hall said:
correct, if your using a free running rig then it becomes a fixed rig with a stop above the rig, not a good idea is it.:confused:
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure in the event of your mainline breaking and the lead getting stuck a hooked barbel could easily pull hard enough to move the powergum or float stop to free itself. With any sliding stop i'd describe it as a semi fixed rig - not fixed!
 
Agree with Andrew.

As someone who predator fishes a lot, and uses power gum all the time, it is pretty easy to slide up and down the line.

IMO, there is no way a Barbel would get tethered by a power gum stop knot up the line.


Steve
 
Yes I have often read about this tip.
Does this really work though as well as we would think ?

Not required when upstreaming.

However when down stream fishing or just out in front of you, assuming a reasonable flow to at best flood conditions, any lead placed "out in the flow"(where the debris runs)will surely result in a bow in the line to something like 90 degrees or more to the lead, if you follow me.
Debris caught on the line is more inclined to slip up the line (downstream)away from the lead.
The debris whilst suspended on the line, above the river bed will pull lead out of position agreed.
If the debris does manage to cover the lead, disguising it ,there is far less current on the river bed (where the lead is) so I would have thought no problem !
Cant help thinking if anything,the float stop will suspend debris off bottom thus having a detemental effect.
I wonder if the debris you find on the float rubber is swept down the line as you retrieve ?
Not easy to describe but what do you think ?
 
Mark,

With regards to the lead being pulled out of position. It probably depends on the size of the lead (i.e whether you have a lead that only just holds bottom or you are fishing overgunned, in which case it will take a hell of a lot of debris to dislodge it.) I havent really noticed a bow forming in the line providing the lead used is heavy enough.

No situation is the same, some days the river will be up but no debris will be coming down, and other days, loads will be. I think the vast majority of the times my lead has been swept away is when a huge branch or tree trunk has come down and knocked the line. I have found that very rarely does my lead get swept away by weed and leaves on the stop knot, I have found that the rod tip just tenses up a little.

I fished the Swale last weekend, it is true that debris on a taught, downstream line moves towards the lead and bait. I have seen leaves floating on the surface that have caught on my line where it enters the water and they gradually go under the surface and end up on the stop knot/backlead held in place with a stop knot.

When fishing without a stop knot I noticed a marked increase in the amount of debris around the lead and hook area. Long weed strands that caught on the lead masked the hookbait with their trailing ends which are of course trailing downstream towards the bait in the current.

We can only really talk in generalities regarding this issue, but these are just what I have found when fishing with and without some form or debris stop on the line. Plus, I feel more confident when fishing in floods if I have something in place to at least try and stop the hook getting masked.

Regards,

Sam
 
Float Rubbers/Debris Stops

Interesting line of debate (pun intended)!

Downstream/Cross-stream Fishing

Putting a stop on the line to catch the weed, leaves etc is pointless. I'm utterlly unconvinced that it does anything helpful for the reason that weed catches on the line (bowed in a modest/fast flow coz there is no chance that it will be straight from the rod tip unless you are fishing directly downstream) and then moves down towards the rig. In most cases it lodges at the furthes downstram point of the bow before you wind in. When you wind it in, the rubbish slides down to the terminal tackle and lodges on the lead/feeder and hook looking for all the world like its been interferring with your end rig all along. If you think about it, why would a bit of rubber stop it sliding down to the hook any more effectively that the obstackle presented by the feeder/swivel/lead.

If it gives you more confidence, use it, but its not for me!
 
Guys, this has turned into a really good discussion - thank you all very much for your thoughts.
 
I often wondered about this, cannot see any benefits in fitting a stop above the lead, all of you who have stated that the run ring will pass over the stop are failing to take into account the debris build up, with any, even a small amount of crud on the stop, the ring cannot pass over it, the build up will jam the stop in place, and you now have a tether rig!!!!!!!!
The best option is to use a long hooklenght and where possible a backlead, the more line you keep out of the flow the better.
peter
 
Peter Littleworth said:
I often wondered about this, cannot see any benefits in fitting a stop above the lead, all of you who have stated that the run ring will pass over the stop are failing to take into account the debris build up, with any, even a small amount of crud on the stop, the ring cannot pass over it, the build up will jam the stop in place, and you now have a tether rig!!!!!!!!
The best option is to use a long hooklenght and where possible a backlead, the more line you keep out of the flow the better.
peter
Click to expand...
;)
 
I often wondered about this, cannot see any benefits in fitting a stop above the lead, all of you who have stated that the run ring will pass over the stop are failing to take into account the debris build up, with any, even a small amount of crud on the stop, the ring cannot pass over it, the build up will jam the stop in place, and you now have a tether rig!!!!!!!!
The best option is to use a long hooklenght and where possible a backlead, the more line you keep out of the flow the better.
peter
Click to expand...

By that reckoning, if no stop knot is used, weed builds up around the lead, the line breaks above the lead, the lead is still trapped in place between the weed and hooklength swivel or bead, same outcome.

In future I think I will erect some mesh in the river at low water and when flooding happens, will just freeline a bait behind it, oh wait, I will be using a hook, that might hurt the fish, I'll just tie the bait on.
 
Sam
I understand and accept your explainations,particularly differing conditions senario.

Nicholas
More of what I was trying to describe but yours was much easier to understand than mine !

To summarise maybe
Bowed line,,,,no stopknot
Straight line,heavy lead,no bow in line, downstream,,,yes stopknot
??
 
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