stick floats

'Techs'

Stick float 'magic'

"Stick Float fishing can be one of the most satisfying ways of fishing a river."

stick floats - introduction

Choose any swim on a river and it is likely that it is not of an even depth and that the current doesn't flow at uniform speed or in only one direction. Match anglers on waters such as the Severn, Trent and Warwickshire Avon have pioneered a method that can be used to search the water.

With a Stick Float you can present a bait at various depths. You can run it through at the speed of the current and, because a Stick Float is attached by its top and bottom, you can hold it back very hard, and it won't go under (unlike a Waggler). Because of its design it can register bites as the bait is sinking, making it extremely versatile.

Stick Float Design

The top of a Stick Float (body) is made from a buoyant material such as balsa, and the bottom (stem) is made from a much denser material such as cane, lignum (a very dense wood that actually sinks), thin wire, alloy or plastic. It is this combination of buoyant and dense materials that gives the Stick Float its stability.

Until recently, if you wanted a good Stick Float you had to make it yourself - not an easy job. Tackle shops now stock a wide range of excellent quality stick floats.

■

Domed top floats have their buoyancy right at the top, making the float less likely to ride out of the water when holding back. They have cane or lignum stems.
■

Pointed top floats are very sensitive and are good when bites are shy.
■

Lignum stabilizers have a bulge at the bottom of the stem, making them extremely stable. They are easy to cast and ideal for running through at the speed of the flow.
■

Alloy and wire stemmed sticks are sensitive and make holding back much easier.

stick float technique

Fishing a Stick Float correctly is all about presenting your hookbait in a manner acceptable to a feeding fish. Whether 'running through', 'holding back' or 'fishing on the drop', there are certain things to aim for and other things to avoid.

Float Size

Never use a float that is bigger than necessary. As a rough guide, for swims of 1-1.2m (3-4ft) deep use a 4 no.4 float. For swims of 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) deep use a 5 no.4 float. For swims of 2.7-3.7m (9-12ft) deep use a 6 or 8 no.4 float. For swims over 4.3m (14ft) deep, use a different method - not a stick float at all. The pace of the swim should also affect your choice - for faster swims use a heavier float.

Plumbing up

You can't use a stick to run a bait along the bottom unless you know where the bottom is. Accurate plumbing is essential.

'Mending' the line

Never let your reel line overtake your float - keep a straight line to your float. If the wind is troublesome, put a number 6 or 8 back shot about 30cm (lft) above the float to sink the line.

Casting to the fish

Always cast downstream - this assists float control. When fish are really feeding they tend to gather in a small area. This may be at the top, bottom or the middle of your swim.

Feed area:

Don't waste time trotting your float all the way down to them. Casting to the feed area saves time and catches more fish.

Pesky Bleak:

You know that the big Chub and Roach are on the bottom, but you can't get your bait through the 'pesky' Bleak - sounds familiar? You can overcome this frustrating problem by loose feeding hemp. The bleak won't take it and eventually the constant showering of bait puts them off.

Four ways with the stick float

Although there are four basic ways to fish a Stick Float, the skilful angler can combine these to suit the conditions on the day.

■

‘Running Through’ at the speed of the flow is probably the most natural, though not necessarily the easiest, way of fishing a Stick Float. It can be very effective in summer when the fish are moving about. Your bait should touch bottom or run through several inches off, so accurate plumbing is essential. It is a good method when fishing about 15m (16yds) downstream in the main flow.

■

‘On the Drop’ - Use this method when fish are feeding in mid-water, under your loose feed. Fish this rig off the bottom and shot it lightly so that the bait falls slowly through the feed zone. By casting so that the shot lands in a straight line downstream of the float, the bait sinks in a smooth arc. The float gradually rights itself as the bait sinks and is able to register a fish intercepting the bait on the drop.

■

‘Lift and Drop’ - Sometimes you can entice fish by making the bait rise and fall as it travels through the swim. Do this by setting your float to the depth of the swim and lightly shotting the bottom 60cm-1.8m (26ft). Checking the float every few metres down your swim and then letting, it run through causes the bait to rise and fall. How often you do this and the amount of time you hold back depend upon the flow and the way the fish are feeding. The key to success is to experiment.

■

‘Holding Back’ - When the water temperature is low constant holding back often scores. By setting the float 15-45cm (6-18in) over depth, and inching it through the swim, you can steer the bait into the fishes' mouths. You may only need to fish one or two rod lengths out. A centrepin is ideal for this, though it takes some mastering.

When edging a Stick Float through at the speed of the current, keep the line behind the float and try to interfere with the float's progress as little as possible.

Holding back causes the float to ride out of the water and lean back. Do this by using your index or middle finger on the lip of the spool to stop line from leaving the reel.

Feeding

Feeding is not separate from, but a major part of, Stick Float technique. It is vitally important to get it right. Where, when and how much.
The aim is to keep the fish interested and feeding in the position you want them. Feed too much and you may fill the fish up or make them chase the feed downstream. Feed too little and they may move upstream to an angler who is feeding more bait.

Always feed downstream - 2-3m (6-10ft) is about right.

Nick the Bait

If you Hook too much of the Maggot's skin, it fills the bend of the Hook and reduces the Hook's fish holding capacity.

There is also a tendency for the Bait to wrap around the bend when a fish takes the Bait, causing the fish to be bumped off. Nick the smallest amount of skin so the maggot hangs free. This makes the bait lively and keeps fish hooked.

By feeding about 20 Maggots or Casters, twice a cast, you can keep a steady trickle of feed going through your swim. This often encourages the fish (particularly roach) to move up in the water, where you can get them on the drop. The windier the conditions are, the more inclined the fish are to rise. So don't be put off if it looks choppy.

If you are getting plenty of bites and fish, feed more frequently. If bites are few then cut down on the quantity of feed. Whatever you do keep feeding - even if it is only six Maggots every other cast - or else the fish you do have there, will leave.

Dotting Down

You may find that you catch bigger roach and chub by accident when ‘mending’ the line.

The theory is that fish often swim with a bait in their mouths although you can't always see the bites.

By using a very thin-topped Stick Float and shotting it to a ‘dotting down’ pattern, you could find that you see the bites better and hit a large percentage of them.

The correct way to shot a Stick Float is to add shot until it sinks, then remove one no.8 (or a no.6 if conditions are very poor) so that the slightest touch sinks the float.

Correct feed line

When choosing a line on which to trot the float, make sure you can cast to it comfortably and feed it accurately. Once you've mastered the technique closer in, you'll be able to fish farther out with the same control.

Roach have a tendency to hang just off the feed line, so every now and again try running your float 1.8-2.7m (6-9ft) beyond the feed line. If this proves successful, keep the same line — don't start feeding farther out. Chasing the fish simply causes them to move out.

The Business End

Light lines and small hooks help you to achieve perfect bait presentation. Line On some waters the roach and chub are 'well-educated' — wise to crude, clumsily handled tackle. A reel line of not more than 21b (0.9kg) minimizes line drag and therefore does not hinder the float's progress through the swim.

Choose your hook length to suit hook size, and the size of hook to suit the bait. This gives you the best chance of fooling canny fish.

Use a size 20 or 22 to a 1lb (0.45kg) hook length when using maggots for roach, dace and chub. For casters, use a size 20 or 18 to a 1lb (0.45kg) hook length. In winter when the going is hard, a size 24 to a 12oz (0.34kg) bottom can produce a few bonus fish.