"Straight Legering is something of a dying art in general coarse fishing, thanks to the spread of the Swim Feeder. There are still days, however, when 'the Bomb' can beat both Feeder and Float."
Forty plus years ago, Legering was widely regarded as a crude, 'chuck it and chance it' fishing method, fit only for catching Eels, and with tackle to match: Short Stiff Rods (also used for Pike Fishing); Thick Line; Big Hooks; badly designed Weights; and inefficient Bite Indicators.
All that changed with the invention of the 'Arlesey' Bomb, the 'Swing Tip' and the 'Donkey Top' (the forerunner of the Quivertip). In the 1950s and 1960s, big fish anglers and class match anglers proved that, far from being 'crude and ineffective', Ledgering is, in some circumstances, a deadly method of fishing requiring as much skill as any other.
Today, Ledgering is the most popular technique for catching Specimen Fish, using specialised Rods, Rigs and methods of Bite indication.
In general, coarse fishing, however, Straight Ledgering - or fishing the Bomb, as it is called - is something of a dying art, thanks to the spread of the Swim Feeder. But there are still times when the Bomb outscores both the Feeder and the Float.
Arlesey Bombs are streamlined weights
with built-in swivels.
They cast well and rarely tangle.
Before the invention of
the Arlesey Bomb, anglers
had to use drilled bullet and coffin weights, which
were not aerodynamic,
caused tangles and
created a lot of resistance
to biting fish.
The Water Knot>>
Basically, you fish the Bomb or Feeder when the fish are out of range of a Float or when you need to present a Still Bait on the bottom but conditions make this impossible with a Float.
The main advantages of the Bomb over the Feeder are that it lets you try different spots in your swim without spreading feed everywhere, and lets you determine a feed pattern without having to cast in every time you want to feed.
The Swingtip is a very sensitive Bite Indicator and is preferred by many anglers for 'shy-biting' still water like Roach and Bream.
Large Arlesey bombs are popular with big fish anglers. You can paint them different colours to match different types of lake bed.
Most canals are very shallow so are not suited to fishing with a Feeder as the splash of it hitting the water can frighten fish away. The Bomb is rarely the first choice method on canals either, as you can usually fish a Still Bait hard on the bottom with a Pole. But the Bomb may be the answer on canals when you wish to fish the far bank and the wind is too strong to use a Waggler Float or a Long Pole, or the spot you wish to fish is beyond the reach of your Pole.
The Bomb is usually better than the Feeder in shallow, still waters and slow-moving waters (less than, say, 1m / 3 1/2ft to 4ft deep) because the fish can be frightened away by the splash of a Feeder.
If you are unfamiliar with a water, make a few trial casts to different spots first, to find any changes in depth. As soon as the Bomb hits the water, tighten up. Count the seconds till the Tip springs back, showing that the Bomb has hit bottom. A Bomb sinks at 1m (3 1/4ft) or so a second, so if it takes four seconds, the depth is about 4m (1 1/3ft).
Whatever the depth of the water, the Leger will always outcast the Feeder and fly through the air more accurately, so is often the better choice in very windy conditions.
Assuming the fish will take Ground Bait, use a Ground Bait Catapult to feed your swim. Make the balls a little bigger than golf balls and try to land them within a 4m - 5m (4 1/2yd - 5 1/2yd) area. You must hit this area with your Bomb, so to ensure accurate casting, line up a permanent feature such as a tree or house on the far bank and use a knot of cotton on the line to show the distance cast.
Before putting the Ground Bait in the Catapult cup, wet the outside of the ball to form a 'skin': this will prevent it breaking up in flight. If your first ball does break up in midair it may be because you mixed it too dry or too wet, or because you put too much feed (Maggots, Casters, etc...) in it.
If the fish won't accept Ground Bait you have no choice but to use a Block-end Feeder - the type made specifically for Maggots and Casters. Even then, you can switch to a Bomb when you feel you have put in enough feed.
Fishing Maggots with the Bomb close-in down the side, combined with meagre loose feeding, can be a good method in fast-flowing rivers, especially after a frost and when the water is clear in Winter. Usually in these conditions the fish don't want a lot of feed and will not take a moving Bait, factors which rule out the Feeder or Float.
In high and coloured, even flooded, rivers, often only the occasional big Chub or Barbel feed. If so, fishing a Big Bait like Lobworm or Luncheon Meat with a Heavy-action Rod, Strong Line, Big Hook and a Heavy Bomb can be the only way to catch.
A single 9ft - 10ft (2.7m - 3m) Rod with a threaded end-ring for Screw-in Swingtips and Quivertips - and sometimes a spare Top Section with a permanently spliced-in Quivertip - has traditionally covered most of the general coarse angler's Bomb/Feeder requirements.
In recent years, however, the trend has been towards carrying a range of Bomb/Feeder Rods of different actions and lengths, each with a selection of two or three push-in Quivertips of varying stiffnesses. For instance, different Rod actions are needed for different sized Bombs and Feeders - the bigger the Weight, the heavier the Rod action. Different Rod lengths are also needed for casting different distances - the greater the distance, the longer the Rod.
And when it comes to Quivertips, different ones are needed for different flow speeds. Soft Quivertips are used to detect shy bites on still and slow moving waters. Stiffer Quivertips are needed on faster waters to counter the flow.
Push-in Quivertips are better than Screw-in Quivertips and Swingtips in that they do not affect the casting and fish-playing action of a Rod. Swingtips in particular make casting awkward, as they flap about and sometimes wrap themselves around the Rod top.
However, many anglers still believe that Swingtips give better bite indication than even the softest Quivertip when fishing for shy-biting still water Roach and Bream, because they offer less resistance.
If you fish every kind of water, you need a full range of Bomb/Feeder Rods. If you only fish certain kinds of water, you obviously don't need them all.
For distances up to about 40m (44yd) on still waters and slow-moving rivers, for small fast-flowing rivers and for close-in work on larger fast-flowing rivers, you need a 9ft - 11ft (2.7m - 3.3m) light-action Rod with a range of Push-in Quivertips.
This is the rod nearest in action to the traditional General-purpose Leger Rod, and does indeed cover most anglers' Legering requirements. Such a rod is suited to 2lb - 3lb (0.9kg - 1.4kg) main line, 12oz — 2lb (0.34kg - 0.9kg) Hook Lengths, Bombs up to about 3/4oz (21g), and small feeders.
For distances of about 40m - 60m (44yd - 66yd) on still waters or slow-moving rivers, and for medium-sized fast-flowing rivers, you need an 11ft -12ft (3.3m - 3.6m) Medium-action Rod, again with a range of push-in Quivertips.
The extra length is
needed to pick up the Line for a 'positive strike' when fishing at a distance on
still waters and slow-moving rivers, and to keep as much Line as possible out
of fast-flowing rivers when propped or held upright.
Such a rod
is suited to 3lb - 4lb (1.4kg - 1.8kg) Main Line, 1lb - 3lb (0.45kg - 1.4kg) Hook Lengths, 1/2oz - 1 1/2oz (14g - 43g) Bombs, and medium-size Feeders.
For large
fast-flowing rivers you need an 11ft - 12ft (3.3m - 3.6m) Heavy-action Rod. Usually
these come with two Top Sections, one with a stiff spliced-in Quivertip and one
with an ordinary Rod Tip.
Such a rod is suited to main line of about 6lb (2.7kg), 2lb - 4lb (0.9kg - 1.8kg) Hook Lengths, and 1oz - 3oz (28g - 85g) Bombs and Feeders.
On such tackle, Fish either Hook themselves against the weight of the Bomb or Feeder, or give unmistakable 'drop-back bites' as they dislodge the Bomb or Feeder.
For straight Ledgering you cannot beat the Arlesey Bomb. Invented in the 1950s this aerodynamic weight with a built-in swivel casts well and rarely tangles the line. Other Bombs you may see in tackle shops are variants of the Arlesey Bomb.
Previously, Ledger anglers used drilled Bullet and Coffin weights, but these were not aerodynamic. Also, because they were threaded on the Line, they caused tangles and created resistance to biting fish.
You will need a selection of Bombs in the following sizes: 1/8oz (3.5g), 1/4oz (7g), 1/2oz (14g), 3/4oz (21g), 1oz (28g), l 1/2oz (43g), 2oz (57g) and 3oz (85g). Which size to use depends on Rod strength, distance to be cast, strength of flow (on rivers) or tow (on still waters), and wind strength.
Ledgering is widely used as a technique for catching specimen fish like Carp, but in general coarse fishing straight Legering is something of a dying art.
Keep Rigs simple to avoid tangles. The two basic Rigs are the Paternoster Rig and the Sliding Link Rig. The Paternoster Rig is better for 'shy biting' fish on still and slow-moving waters as it offers less resistance. The Sliding Link Rig is best used only on fast-flowing waters for 'bold-biting' fish such as Chub and Barbel.
Tie a 15cm - 20cm (6in - 8in) piece of Line (the Bomb link) about 90cm (3ft) above the end of the Reel Line with a Water Knot. Tie the end of the Reel Line to the Hook Length loop with a Half Blood Knot. Tie a Snap Link to the end of the Bomb link with a Half Blood Knot. The Snap Link lets you change the size of Bomb, or change from Bomb to Swim Feeder.
The Tail (from the Hook to the Water Knot) can be shortened or lengthened according to how the fish are feeding. The shyer the bites, the longer the tail needs to be so that the biting fish feel less resistance.
On canals and very shallow still and slow-moving waters, start with a 2.5cm - 5cm (1in - 2in) Bomb link tied 2.5cm - 5cm (1in - 2in) above the end of the Reel Line, and use a 30cm (12in) Hook Length rather than the usual 45cm (18in).
Sliding Link Rigs
Sliding Link Rigs are best used only on fast-flowing waters for bold-biting fish like Barbel and Chub.
A Swan Shot link is good when fishing 'snaggy' swims as you lose only the shot if you 'snag up'.
Paternoster Rigs
A simple Paternoster Rig is the best rig for shy biting fish on
still and slow-moving waters.
The lengths of the tail and bomb link depend on
the depth of the water being fished and how the fish are feeding.
When fishing
at long range it pays in any case to use a short tail and link to minimize
tangles and to magnify bites.
Thread a Sliding Bead with Snap Link on to the Reel Line, followed by the plastic sleeve of a Leger Stop. Tie the end of the Reel Line to the Hook Length loop with a Half Blood Knot. Attach the Bomb to the Snap Link. Fix the Leger Stop Sleeve in place with the Leger Stop Peg. You can lengthen or shorten the distance between Bomb and Hook by moving the Leger Stop up or down the line.
Alternatively, use two no. 4 shot instead of a Leger Stop, and Swan Shots pinched on a short, folded-over piece of Line in place of the Bomb and Bead. Use two no.4s because one tends to slip. You can add or take away Swan Shots as needed.
When fishing the Bomb on still and slow moving waters, set the Rod roughly parallel to the bank and level with the ground.
Before you make your first cast, bear in mind that conditions can change. If you start too far out, you could have difficulty reaching the same spot in the wind.
A bite registers most clearly with the Quivertip at right
angles to the Hook.
In fast-flowing water you also need to
keep as much Line out of the water as you can, so cast slightly downstream and
position the rod rests so that the rod tip points up and out over the river at
an angle of about 45 degrees.
In still and slow-moving waters the priority is to keep the Rod Tip out of
the wind, to make it easier to spot bites. Position the Rod Rests so that the Rod is parallel to the ground and almost parallel to the water's edge.