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Trotting help.

Richard Barrett

Richard Barrett

Senior Member
Just wondered if anyone could offer me a touch of advice regarding my trotting.

I feel I'm doing it right but to-date no barbel. So do you mostly fish over depth, with a shot dragging bottom. On depth, with just the bait tripping bottom, or just off bottom?

Yesterday I fished meat, worms, pellets many trots through the float was dragging bottom. I tried slowing it up, holding back, and off the bottom, but nothing. Done the same with maggot and hemp, still no joy. Taking roach and perch on maggots, still no barbel.

Any help grateful.

Richard
 
I'm a bit of a novice so there'll be more experienced trotters along to help but I'd have the bait just Overdepth. Feeding is as important as anything, small amounts on every or every other trot, build up a feeding area that the bait will trot through, you have to get the barbel feeding confidently before they'll look at your bait.

Using small pellets can stop the really small stuff from bothering you - even bigger barbel will take a 6mm pellet
 
Dave I'm 90% sure I'm feeding correctly. Last two times out,six pints of hemp and maggot feed over several hours fishing

Yesterday hemp and tint cubes luncheon meat, pellets over an afternoon evening maybe 2 pints hemp, and a large spam. Pint of Hinders pellets. All feed little and often.

No I think I doing the feeding ok. Maybe too much? That's my only thought?
 
Richard, sounds like a lot of feed to me unless the swims you are fishing hold a really good head of fish ? I think the method depends on the depth of swim, pace of river etc and whether you are fishing close in or far bank ? On the Wye I catch plenty on the float using a speci waggler about 3' over depth in a 3' of water but the bottom is gravel and very snag free. I use 6mm pellet and probably get through one bag in a full day.
 
Dave.
Yes Keith is sorely missed, many happy days a Britford with him.

Richard I had a few last time I trotted the Trent.

All I did was after droppering in a couple pints of hemp and maggot went overdepth by 9 inches size 12 with 6 mags.

I didn't try to fish far out, just over rod length allowing me to hold back a 3 swan float most of the way through.

Might be worth a go.
 
Yep Graham, i think the dropper and plenty of weight down is the way to go on the wider more powerful rivers.I use an olivette instead of bulk shot with the line through the middle and trap the ollivette on the hooklength knot to stop tangles, and keep it tidy,a couple of dropper shot and away you go.
 
Good luck Richard. It's not the easiest but it's the most rewarding way of catching barbel isn't it

I've got lazy recently, I've got used to sitting around eating crisps and watching the rod tip, I must get back to having a wander.
 
I fish the Trent and TT quite a lot for Barbel. I always bait drop around about a pint of hemp and maggots initially and the loose feed as I'm setting up. I rarely fish the stick or top and bottom floats now because of the line being caught in the prevailing winds. Blowing the right off line etc. The noise of the line on striking etc. I prefer fishing a special wag with a single olivette held by a guru line stop. Line min 8 or 10lb match team and an eyed kamasan animal hook. Feed is the key keep it going in. You want it slightly over depth and ran at full pace.
 
Jon, like Richard, I am a barbel float fishing novice, so watching this thread with interest. I know you are an excellant float man, so would you be kind enough to explain how you can fish "Slightly over depth and ran through at full depth?"

To me, that would surely mean that you're float would precede the baited hook, and the hook would be dragging bottom all the way, which with anything other than a marble smooth bottom would result in constant dragging under issues.....wouldn't it?

Obviously not, because you do it all the time...but how does that work?

Cheers, Dave.
 
David Gauntlett said:
Jon, like Richard, I am a barbel float fishing novice, so watching this thread with interest. I know you are an excellant float man, so would you be kind enough to explain how you can fish "Slightly over depth and ran through at full speed?"

To me, that would surely mean that you're float would precede the baited hook, and the hook would be dragging bottom all the way, which with anything other than a marble smooth bottom would result in constant dragging under issues.....wouldn't it?

Obviously not, because you do it all the time...but how does that work?

Cheers, Dave.
Click to expand...

I meant to say 'at full speed' as above, but it wont let me edit.
 
I fish the small rivers too ie the Don and the Dearne near where I live and to be honest that's armchair fishing in comparison to the Trent and then you have the Tidal Trent. The hard thing about the Trent is the depth and prevailing wind. When choosing a peg think carefully. Ideally you want depth close in. You need pace also. Definitely not an eddy it has to be normal river pace. I tend mostly now to fish the speciwags as it gives you a big advantage over top and bottom floats. Even in a strong downstream wind the float will keep its line. Feeding always dropper initially in the well thought out bite zone around 15 to 20yds downstream. At pace I mean not held back but in a position where there is most flow ie over the crease. That's where thinking about the ideal peg counts. Some stretches only one or 2 pegs stand out.
 
Jon.

That makes so much sense, thank you. I have a set of Harrell speci wagglers, 3 and 4 swan if I remember. I'll try all you've said tomorrow.

I know several swims with depth in close, deep 8'+ with a strong flow. Just one moe thing, do you use a final dropper shot, if so is that shot on depth, or over.

Thanks again Jon.

Richard.
 
I'd the depth is steady no shot. If its up and down a no4 will suffice. Fish oil wrote and reduce depth as you trip bottom. Absolutely perfect now for the float. As a rule
I'd you generally catch 4 on normal up in the air tactics boilies etc. You can at least double that on the float.
 
Jon Frisby said:
I'd the depth is steady no shot. If its up and down a no4 will suffice. Fish oil wrote and reduce depth as you trip bottom. Absolutely perfect now for the float. As a rule
I'd you generally catch 4 on normal up in the air tactics boilies etc. You can at least double that on the float.
Click to expand...

....quoi???? !!!!:):):)
 
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