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Lead wire for rolling meat ?

Jack Magill

Active Member
Sorry for repetition as I’m sure this topic has probably been covered but just wondering what people use for weighting their hook while rolling meat . I know you can use tungsten putty and shrink tube but this can get pricey and also the hook weight can’t be changed easily .
Also I know there is fly tying wire but I don’t think this is heavy enough on the rivers I fish, so thinking soldering wire is a better option ?
Any links to what type wire and wire diameter would be great , mainly for fishing the middle Severn and Teme . Cheers 🤙
 
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I've used fuse wire from work. It's little stiff, and you have to use small pliers to finish it off, but it works ok.
 
Think it might be 30a. It's difficult to twist around the shank as it's not very soft. There's probably better options, but it was all I'd got at the time. It seems to work though.
 
Avoid solder as most have a flux core. Nash do lead wire which I tend to use , I have also used partridge Czech nymph hooks before which have leaded bodies Still tend to go back to a small lump of plasticine on most occasions though
 
Avoid solder as most have a flux core. Nash do lead wire which I tend to use , I have also used partridge Czech nymph hooks before which have leaded bodies Still tend to go back to a small lump of plasticine on most occasions though
What is the issue with a flux core ? Is it toxic ? Or tending to float ? No idea just very curious.
 
IMO there’s a much better way to do this.

I started doing it like this probably 7 or 8 years ago. I’ve never seen another angler actually try it but imo it is the best way to present a weighted bait.

Tie a hook with a knotless knot and leave a hair length of around 10-15mm. No loop needed.
Nip a split shot of your desired weight on to the hair. Different swims, different flow rates, change the shot for different weights to get desired presentation.
Pull hook into the meat

Perfectly adjustable and balanced weighted bait. No lead or wire on the hook reducing the gape and the shot helps keep the bait on for dozens of casts.
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IMO there’s a much better way to do this.

I started doing it like this probably 7 or 8 years ago. I’ve never seen another angler actually try it but imo it is the best way to present a weighted bait.

Tie a hook with a knotless knot and leave a hair length of around 10-15mm. No loop needed.
Nip a split shot of your desired weight on to the hair. Different swims, different flow rates, change the shot for different weights to get desired presentation.
Pull hook into the meat

Perfectly adjustable and balanced weighted bait. No lead or wire on the hook reducing the gape and the shot helps keep the bait on for dozens of casts. View attachment 36423
Brilliant idea , ill deffo give that a try , cheers mate 👏🤙
 
Some flux is acid based and toxic if ingested. - I remember being warned at college as an apprentice , the fumes aren’t good either. So probably not a good choice
We're talking here about using less than 1grm of soldering wire, which may contain 1% of flux, that may be acidic (HCl), which would be 99.99% sealed into the central core of that wire. Plus it will be very firmly attached to the hook, not the bait. The amount of acid that might, just might, enter the river will be infinitesimally small (microscopic). Maybe equivalent to a few seconds of very light rain (less than dropping a pear drop into a flooded river 🤣 ).
 
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