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Trundling/Rolling meat, The works.

Had a go on the Wye one day back in the Autumn but had a lot of problems with snagging on rocks. I was later told by one of the Royalty boys to try and put the weight really close to the hook even as little as 2-3 inches but for some reason I never gave this a go (probably forgot) and went back to my usual static approach.

This thread has renewed my interest in trying it again as I love a good rove about. Has anybody managed to bounce/trundle a bait on the Wye or is it one of those rivers that simply doesn't suit this method?
 
Definitely works on the Wye. If you're having trouble with rocks then use a weighted hook with no other weight on the line. You'll still get the fish.
 
Hi Jon,

I'll tell you how I do it......

I use my 1 3/4 tc Barbel rod, fixed spool reel loaded with 12lb mono.

I have a boilie bait bag around my waste with my meat in it, a few hook's already loaded with lead wire and my chest waders.

The Chest waders are probably the most important item for me.
It means I can work along the river, and rarely have to miss any possible holding areas.


I load the meat like this...........

pic1.jpg


Pic3.jpg


Pic4.jpg


Pic5.jpg


I tend only to fish on the bounce, in low clear conditions.
Summer on the middle Severn is ideal.
A static bait can be ignored all day long, and I often out fish the 'feeder lads' 6 or 7 fish to 1.

I tend to look for features like weed beds, depth changes, snags etc.
I love the swims there the river 'V's' from a smooth glide to fast broken water.
These coincide with a shallowing up of the river bed and some weed, and tend to hold a reasonable number of fish.

I like to get into the water and start at the upper end of the glide, working my bait along the far bank, mid river and near side, covering any spots that I feel will hold fish.
I normally have 4 or 5 casts on each line, varying the distance upstream I cast, as this controls how far down the swim the bait will work before if starts to get dragged off line.

Its all about the bow in the line for me.
Get this right and the bait will trundle along in a natural manner.
Too tight a line and it wont have reached bottom before its getting pulled off track.
Too much slack line and you wont 'feel' what's happening at the business end.

Dont panic if your bait gets snagged.
If you have buried the hook completely you should just be able to tease the bait out of the snag.
First I dip the rod under water. This increases the pressure and often pulls the bait out.
If the doesn't work, slowly wind up to the bait, taking the slack out until you are in direct contact, then just 'bounce' the rod slightly.

If this doesn't work, you will then have to wind up tight and give it a pull.
Which will either pull the hook out of the snag, or break the line (which is why I carry a few spare hooks and wire in my pocket).

The bites can be anything from a slight change in pressure to a decent 'thump' down the line or anything in between.
Regardless of the bite, I wind down fast, taking out the bow and sweep the rod back over my head... making contact.


I don't tend to have a landing net with me in the water, preferring to bring the fish to hand, pop the hook out, holding the fish for a few seconds upstream in the flow and then releasing it.
I do have a net on the bank normally, just in case I hook into a decent fish or the fish requires a bit of time to recover.
This is rare tho.
I use strong tackle and play the fish hard, so I normally bring them in to me quickly.

Its a real 'searching' technique for me.
Traveling light and covering lots of water.

I have tried it in coloured water, but I dont find it anywhere as productive, unles I'm fishing heavly flavoured baits and just inching them down the swim.

In the clear conditions I feel they are sight feeding, and the greed factor of not letting the bait go past, because if they do there will probably be another hungry mouth behind that will take advantage of the food.
I've even had barbel come a good few feet off the bottom to intercept baits that are either sinking of coming up off bottom at the end of the run.....

I dont 'feed' any freebies, as I want the fish to eat my hookbait.



I hope that helps a little.

Like I said, this is my way and other will have their own way of doing it.

Its one of those methods, that the more you do it the better you get at it.


Steve

A well written and informative article. Many thanks. I presume no problem with the hook pulling out of the meat on the strike? Any truth in that this technique tends to be more successful with the smaller fish?
 
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Hi Robert , I fish the wye most weeks and have never seen anyone trying this , except me ! However I struggle to grasp this art as every time I get to the river it is flooded or -5 degrees . Hopefully the next 4 weeks will be a bit easier ! One thing I am sure of is when the conditions are favorable I know I will catch !
 
James,

The simple answer is - yes.

But if we say, the river is flowing right to left - (think of a clock face) - and say you are standing at 6 o'clock, straight across
the river is 12 o'clock.

Cast towards 2 o'clock - leave the bail arm open til you 'feel' the bait down and hit the bottom. Then pay out line to form a bow downstream - this is vitally important for two main reasons, obviously the bow created moves the bait downstream due to the water pressure on it and it also takes the bait 'straight' down the river with the flow! Rather than drawing it back across the flow 'unnaturally' - as it would if just cast it out and left it on a tight line!

When the bait is approaching 12 o'clock, you can start 'walking' it down stream, maintaining that bow in the line.

The beauty of the method is in it's simplicity!

The hard bit is - balancing, controlling and reading what the tackle is actually doing! In other words, when to pay out a little more line or take some back in. Or whether to add more weight or take some off? By doing these things you can alter the rate (speed) your bait moves down the river.

I've tried to keep this simple, coz things can sound complicated in the written word - but the basics are very simple in reality.

Like everything - the more you do it, the better you get.

Hope my 'brief' is easy enough to follow?

Daz.
 
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Refrain from using 'Toxic' Lead

Just a word of advice and warning here when it comes to weighted hooks.

Just watched Animal 24-7 on BBC1 this morning to where a swan with 4 cygnets was found with a lump inside its neck by the RSPCA.
When the lump was removed by the vet, it was found to be a large rusting hook to where the flesh had grown around it into the lump.
The lump was removed and opened to where the hook was found inside.
The operation went well and the swan returned to the river.
The vet said it was common to see this.

Lead wire etc promoted on above posts.
As lead/lead wire is 'toxic' to fish and wildlife and also 'illegal' to use in coarse fishing above and below certain weights as below, can you imagine the consequences if a swan or other was found with a lead weighted hook down its throat.
It would definitely set angling back in another bad light to conservationists and the public.
If you loose lead weighted hooks/baited hooks, on weed/rushes, snags or the riverbed then they could be picked up by wildfowl such as swans and ducks. It is only a matter of time before Swan Rescue and the RSPCA spot it, and will conclude it is a way that anglers are loopholeing and flouting the law with no regard for wildfowl or environment.
There are other lead substitutes that can be used that are ‘non-toxic’ such Kryston Heavy Metal putty or tungsten based non toxic metal or shot.

Byelaw relating to use of lead weights by anglers
No fishing weights made of lead may be used except those of 0.06 grams or less and those of more than 28.35 grams.
In angling terms this means that lead shot from size 14 to size 8 and lead weights of over 1 ounce can be used in fishing.
While lead dust shot (size 8 and smaller) are legal, they are toxic to birds if ingested.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/fishing/37941.aspx
 
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Hi Ray , I know what you are saying , however don't the game anglers use lead wire without any restrictions ? Afterall loaded hooks are a rareity in course fishing , don't you agree ?
 
Basically, you are trying to make the hook heavier by adding weight and to eliminate any weight on the line in lower flow rates.
Thin Tungsten rod cut into small bits, slightly smaller than the shank of the hook and then shrink tubed over the top to seal all and both ends. However, tungsten is quite expensive. The same can be done with Kryston Heavy Metal putty, oval moulded around the shank and then shrink tubed over to seal it in both ends. You need a quarter inch sized 'stiff' plastic type shrink tube to do this, not a flimsy bendy one to where the heavy metal will squeeze out with pressure and warmer water temperatures. Luncheon meat grease dilutes the heavy metal putty, so it is important to seal both ends of the shrink tube.
 
I also bent the barbs right back so there is just a nick which catches.
James...You are correct about trout and also in sea fishing i think. Not sure on the legal side of this as it has never been highlighted or addressed.
YDANB-hooksandweightedhooks.jpg
 
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It is only a matter of time before Swan Resue and the RSPCA spot it, and will conclude it is a way that anglers are loopholeing and flouting the law with no regard for wildfowl or environment.

Not commenting on whether anglers should or shouldn't use lead wire but it is not a case of anglers "loopholeing and flouting the law" if they make up their hooks in this manner.

It is certainly not flouting the law, rather it is perfectly legal to do this under current legislation, although morally many may choose not to.
 
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In answer to Robert Fox, roving and rolling is perfect for the Wye. All I ever did until pellets came on the scene was roll meat on the Wye, in the area I fish it is ideally suited to the method. I tend not to do so much of it now (bad shoulder) but on it's day there's no more satisfying way of taking fish.
Paul.
 
In a previous post in answer to Conrad Farlow's request for lead wire I pasted in a link to an internet Flying page, they are out of stock, but the link below has it - it is 150% heavier than lead,

http://www.johnnorris.co.uk/shop/ty_320-hooks/ty_319-fly-tying/147-tungsten-sheet.html

The trick is to cut a length 12-15cm in length, and 2-3 mm in width and wind down in a spiral from the hook eye to the bend - if you need more weight just wind back up. Cut the sheet flush with hook shank, press firmly down and then give all the 'sheeted' area a thin coat of clear 2-Pack Epoxy Resin. You can buy a pack from any good DIY store or the link below,

http://www.troutflies.co.uk/product.php/524/devcon_5_minute_epoxy

Once the epoxy has gone off it's bulletproof and non-toxic, also, if you use 30lb braid then you will pull out of 90% of snags and not damage fish.
 
I don't really want to get embroiled in the ethics of using lead for weighting hooks. :confused:

And don't 'honestly' know whether my method of doing things is either 'safe' or 'legal' ? But perhaps it's a compromise?

I've always used lead wire (shoot me!:p) In the same way as pictured by Scuba earlier. But for many years now, I've always sealed it with shrink tube and a lighter flame. I leave about 3mm of tubing either side the ends of the coil of lead and shrink it tight to the shank of the hook.

I'd of put a pic up - if I could bloody do it!

But it's pretty self explanatory anyway.

Daz.
 
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