Legering - Rivers
Legering
is a technique of fishing that results in the bait remaining stationary
on the bottom of the river. The bait is anchored by a leger weight or
swimfeeder and the end of the rod is used as a visual method of
detecting bites. To allow you to detect what may be quite sensitive
bites, fine quivertips have been developed which fit onto the end of
rods that are designed for legering. When a fish takes the bait and
moves off with it, the quivertip pulls around or drops back.
Quivertips
are available in various strengths, measured in ounces, and different
strengths are suitable for different venues. On very fast-flowing
rivers you might need a 3oz tip, but on slower waters a 1oz tip would
be a better choice.
Get the balance right.
The secret of successful legering
on rivers is to use just enough weight to hold the rig in place in the
flow of the water. With such an arrangement, if a fish takes the bait,
it will disturb this delicate balance and the leger or feeder will
move, registering a bite on the quivertip.
If the rig bounces
off downriver when you cast it in, try progressively using slightly
heavier weights until you find one that holds the bait without moving.
Conversely, if your rig does not move on your initial cast, try using
slightly lighter weights until you find one that only just holds.
Unless
you are fishing close in, you must fish rivers with the rod tip high in
the air, lifting as much line as possible off the water's surface. If
you do not do this, the line will be drawn into a huge bow by the flow
of the water and the rig will be constantly dragged out of position.
Some
bites will pull the quivertip round, but more commonly with this rod in
the air method you will get what are called dropback bites when the
quivertip bounces back towards you, as the carefully balanced feeder or
lead is moved by a fish taking the bait. Quite often the fish will have
hooked itself against the weight of the feeder or leger, so do not
strike too hard.
Link Legering
The previous method is
ideal if you are casting out into the middle of a river, but on some
venues, and especially if the river is in flood, you are better off
fishing really close in to the river bank. In these circumstances
fishing with a link leger 'down the side' is a simple and effective
method. All you need to do is to tie a paternoster link with a
four-turn water knot and add two or three BB shot to the link.
Cast
the rig out in front of you and let the flow bring the rig into the
bank downstream of you. With this method you can fish with the rod low
to the water as you would on a stillwater.
An alternative to the fixed paternoster link is to use a sliding link incorporating two small swivels.
The Swimfeeder
Swimfeeders
were developed to scatter groundbait or loosefeed around the hookbait
on the bottom. On slow-flowing, deep stretches of river which hold
bream you can use a groundbait feeder but on most rivers a block end or
maggot feeder is a better choice. Once you have baited the hook, take
the lid off the feeder, fill it with maggots, put the lid back on and
then cast out. When the feeder hits the bottom, the maggots start
crawling out of the holes in the feeder and attract fish to your
hookbait.
Feeders are available in a wide variety of sizes and
weights and, as previously described, with the rod in the air method it
is vital that you have enough weight on the feeder just to hold the
bottom. To help you achieve the correct weight, you can buy what are
called strap leads or dead cows which you can attach to the feeder as
additional ballast.
Specimen Hunting
Big-fish anglers who target hard-fighting river species, such as chub and barbel, usually fish with large baits like luncheon meat or bread flake.
Rather than using a swimfeeder to introduce bait to the swim, it is
more common for the specimen angler to pre-bait several swims by hand
or more with a bait dropper, and then return to them and fish them one
after another.
Rigs for this kind of fishing are usually quite
straightforward. If fishing close in, the angler might tie a hook
directly to the end of the line with no weight on it at all (called
free lining), and let the bait sink and move around in the flow
naturally.
If some casting weight is needed, a lead or bomb can
be attached on a running clip bead. Once the lead is cast in, the
angler then tightens up the line to establish contact with the bait.
For this method, the rod needs to be held at all times, as takes from
big fish can be sudden and vicious, and could easily pull your rod in
if it is left unattended in rod rests.