Fishing with a float rod (part one).
What will you need?
When deciding to go fishing with a float rod, start by preparing the appropriate equipment. Let's figure out together what will be needed.
The equipment of an angler who opted for float gear includes:
rod 12 ft (3.5 m) minimum;
small coil with a fixed spool;
line 3 lb (1.3 kg);
a small set of waggler floats;
a box of sinkers-pellets;
ready-made leashes with hooks;
depth gauge;
extractor;
landing net;
rod stand;
bait box;
bait;
a small slingshot catapult.
Everything that we have listed, you can easily buy at any store that sells tackle. Explain to the manager specifically what is needed and what means you have for these purposes. Do not be ashamed to ask questions, because this is your money, and since he wants to get it, then he must make sure that you are satisfied with the equipment and wish to come to him again and again.
And now we propose to consider each piece of equipment in more detail and determine what it is and why it is needed.
Fishing rod.
There are a huge number of rods, many of their types, produced by a number of companies, which can easily confuse a beginner. So what are we buying? For fishing with a float, you need to purchase a rod designed for simple and smooth casting over a long distance of light float tackle.
They are usually called "match" or "float". As noted, you should take a rod that is at least 12 feet (3.5 m) long, but 13 feet (4.0 m) is ideal. There is a very simple explanation for this requirement - the longer the rod, the easier it is to cast a light float with it. Even children should try to use whips as long as their height allows. 7-8 year olds learn to use 12 foot poles very quickly, because now their weight is very small due to the use of modern materials such as carbon in their manufacture. We recommend avoiding unnecessary spending on cheap, so-called "starter kits" with telescopic rods or with rods 4-5 feet long, they do not justify themselves.
A real match or float tackle has three sections and at least 12 rings, evenly distributed along the entire length of the rod, which allows the line to unwind smoothly when casting. An insufficient number of rings or a large distance between them cause the line to pop on the rod and increase its friction, which, as you know, reduces the distance of possible casting. The rod should "work with the tip". This means that there should be a slight bend in the upper part of the rod, and much less in the middle and lower parts. To test your tackle, combine all the sections and have someone pull the tip down, while carefully examining the shape of the rod and its curvature. The float rod should have a soft tip to avoid damaging the mouth of small fish when striking.
Naturally, the more money you allow yourself to invest in buying a fishing rod, the better the product will be. The more expensive the rod, the higher the quality of the carbon material, and the lighter and sleeker it is, and the rings have a more durable coating. Always buy the best you can afford. Although inexpensive rods from leading manufacturers, despite all of the above, can be an excellent choice.
Coil.
It should hold at least 100 meters of 3 pound line, have a fixed spool and be small.The reel simply must have a handle that can be transformed into right - and left-handed. Right-handers usually hold the rod with their right hand and rotate the reel with their left. It is desirable that it be equipped with a bracket that easily folds back and closes easily. The bracket must have a line guide. It is best to purchase a reel with a roller, which will help avoid line tangling when casting and unnecessary twisting. It should have a reverse switch (anti-reverse), it, with strong jerks of the fish, allows the reel to unwind without free throwing the line and, without tangling it, with the help of a brake set to the tensile strength of the line.
Fishing line.
We recommend starting with lines that have a breaking load of about 3 pounds (1.4kg). For long casts, it is thin and light enough, however, still strong enough to stretch most of the fish without breaking.
Floats.
We'll talk about floats in more detail in the second part of this article, but here we just note that you don't need to do anything super complicated. A small collection of wagglers (floats that only attach at the bottom end) in sizes 2AAA to 3AAA are all you need to get started. Like most anglers, you will eventually have a significant number of wagglers of all sizes, colors and shapes, but one or two is enough to start with. The numbers 2AAA and 3AAA indicate the numbers and sizes of the weights required for the correct position of the waggler in the water.
Sinkers (pellets).
They are used to load the float, i.e. force it to "sit" correctly in the water so that only the antenna is above the surface. They are often referred to as "pellet sinkers" or simply "pellets" because they are similar to conventional hunting shot, cut to half the diameter. But taking into account the rather strict approaches in the legislation of most European countries, the use of lead for the manufacture of sinkers is prohibited due to its toxicity in them. So, more often these weights are made from tungsten alloys, which, if lost in water, do not pose a threat to the environment.
Nylon leashes with hooks.
In the store you can buy ready-made leashes with hooks. Leashes are tied to the main line with a double loop. We'll talk about this in more detail later. We will only make a reservation that it is preferable to use beardless hooks between 7 and 10 numbers. The leashes have various tensile tests. Leashes used should always be one to two sizes smaller than the main line. Then, in the case of a deaf toe, the leash will break off, but the fisherman will not lose the float and a large piece of the main fishing line. Therefore, buy leashes with a test of 2 to 2.5 pounds.
Depth gauge.
It is always necessary to correctly determine the depth at which you are going to fish. This is necessary in order to be able to set it so that the bait barely touches the bottom. Here, to determine the depth, they use a depth gauge. It is a weight attached to a hook, larger than the one needed to load the waggler. Watching the behavior of the float when casting, you can determine - the depth is small if it lies on the water, and large if it is hidden under the weight of the load.
Catapult (slingshot).
No one will argue that it is possible to throw the bait to the float quite accurately, but it is much easier to do this using a special slingshot.
Stand.
For float fishing, this is a necessary piece of equipment. It is used to safely position the rod when removing the fish from the hook or changing the bait. And yet, modern tackle, of course, is lightweight, but holding a 4-meter fishing rod in your hands for many hours is not an easy task.
Bait box.
While you can use any snap-on plastic box or make your own, it's best to buy a pre-made one.Factory products have many small openings for free air circulation and are specially designed for storing live baits such as maggots or worms.
Bait.
For beginners and others, the number one bait is fly larvae (maggots), worms and maybe sweet corn kernels or bread, when maggots and worms cannot be obtained. The easiest way to use maggots, and besides, they are a delicacy for almost all types of freshwater fish.
Landing net.
He is an indispensable part of the equipment. You can easily pull a small fish straight to the shore, but when you catch a kilogram specimen or more, you need a landing net (otherwise you risk simply breaking off the tip of the rod, breaking the line or pulling the hook out of the fish's delicate lips). The landing net should be at least 45 centimeters in diameter, with a handle at least 1.5 meters long.
Extractor.
This is a device with which you can easily remove hooks from the mouth of fish. Try to always take it with you, and it is better to have even two, in case you lose one (this often happens). Small hooks are swallowed very deeply by the fish, and it is very difficult to remove them without an extractor, moreover, you risk causing fatal injuries to the fish.
The basics of waggler fishing in stagnant water.
We will allow ourselves to suggest an approximate place and time of your fishing. Let it be a "mixed" reservoir containing a typical set of fish typical for our area - bream, crucian carp, roach, etc., except for lakes with commercial carp fishing. Later we will consider fishing for carp separately, since the methods used for catching it, which are simple at first glance, actually involve some changes in the rigs used.
We will also assume that you fish during the warm season, when the fish are active, and not in winter, when even seasoned anglers are fighting for every bite.
So, we proceed to the description of the installation of waggler tackle for fishing in still water.
Choose a body of water.
The ideal option would be a lake with a depth range of one and a half to three meters. Of course, there will be fish in deeper and shallow waters, but in those in which the depth is less than 1.5 meters, you will be subjected to constant pressure from small fish and will have to resort to frequent casting. And at a depth of more than 3 meters, it is extremely difficult to fish effectively using float tackle.
It is best to opt for a body of water without a variety of obstacles on the shore, such as bushes, trees, etc. You will be casting the tackle by moving the rod from behind your head, so you need to take care of the surrounding free space. Leave more difficult conditions for the time when you already have sufficient experience.
What is a waggler?
We have already mentioned that this is a float that is attached to the line with only one, lower, end. It simply "wiggles" (from the English "to waggle" - to wiggle, move), standing at one end on the line, hence its name.
In fishing tackle shops, you will come across an endless selection of wagglers in a variety of sizes and shapes that carry popular commercial names. But it is worth taking a closer look at them, and it becomes clear that they are all designed and manufactured according to only two basic design principles, and therefore there are only four types of wagglers.
First, there are "thick" and "thin" floats. Thick in their lower part have an additional spherical "skirt" made of balsa, which gives them stability in the wind. Thin are distinguished by a thin and elongated shape of the same thickness along their entire length. Most of them are made of foam, reed, plastic or peacock feathers.
So, of these two key design sets, we have four basic Waggler models:
thin waggler with a thin antenna;
thin waggler with a conventional antenna;
a thick waggler with a thin antenna;
a thick waggler with a conventional antenna.
Any float you come across will be a variation of one of these models. For beginners, we would recommend using ordinary thick wagglers with 2AAA or 3AAA pellet weight. This float is a versatile option and will handle any situation. It has enough weight for relatively easy casting, will be stable on water ripples and small waves, and, on top of that, it is clearly visible.
We offer to buy four completely identical floats, but with antennas of different colors. Buy two with a black antenna and two with an orange or red antenna. The background reflection of the water surface will dictate the color you want to use. In the case when a light sky is reflected in the water, it will be easier to see a black antenna, and if the sky is covered by clouds and the water surface becomes dark, orange or red antennas will be the best solution. And you will need a few pieces in case one of them breaks.
Float mount.
Fold your rod so that all the guides fit together, in line. Lock the spool with the spool seat, spool to the first large ring. Most of the modern rods are equipped with special mounts that will not allow the reel to be fastened incorrectly. Throwing back the bracket on it, pull the fishing line through all the rings.
We already know that the float is attached to the line with only one end. In its lower part there is a small ring through which a fishing line is threaded. You can also use special plastic mounts. They are two small pieces of silicone (plastic) tubes, put on a fishing line, and have a special fastener-fastener made of thin and very strong wire. The advantage of this mount is the ability to quickly replace the floats.
So, we fix the waggler by threading the line through the ring. Next, we need to secure it in place with pellets. You will need the following sizes:
AAA;
BB;
№1;
№ 4;
№ 6;
№ 8.
A very important rule when using wagglers is that 90-95% of the entire load is placed immediately under the float, and the rest, in the form of small pellets, is lower on the line.
Here's how to attach a standard 3AAA waggler.
Fix the float on both sides with two AAA pellets. Keep a small gap so that he can move between them.
Immediately after the bottom pellet, add weight in the following order - 1 BB -> 1 # 1 -> 1 # 4. After that, it remains to add a small weight, about # 4, for the complete set. It must be fastened in front of the hook.
There is one more thing to do before adding this last weight.
Take a pre-prepared hook leash. There is a loop at its end. Using the knot-by-knot method, tie the leash to the main line (thread the loop of the leash through a similar loop tied at the end of the main line, then thread the hook through the loop of the leash and pull until a figure-eight knot is formed).
Next, you need to determine the depth of the reservoir.
Attach the depth gauge to the hook and let it hang freely under the float. The float at this moment should be below the tip of the rod at about a meter distance. Pressing the fishing line with the index finger of the hand in which you hold the tackle to the rod immediately behind the reel, fold back its bracket with your free hand. With a gentle throwing motion from behind your head, throw the depth gauge to the place where you plan to fish, and close the bracket at the moment when the depth gauge touches the water. The float will sink or lie on its side, depending on the depth. Roll up the line and adjust the depth by carefully sliding the locking weights. Repeat the procedure several times until you have accurately determined the depth.Then add a few centimeters to keep your bait at the bottom.
And now, when all the rigging is correctly fixed, the time has come for the final unloading. Attach the # 6 pellet just below half the distance between the hook and the float, then the # 8 pellet just below half the distance between the hook and # 6 sinker.
Such rig will be perfectly balanced, although you may have to play a little with small pellets to get the necessary balance, since even floats of the same weight have minor differences. It is necessary to achieve a result when only a couple of centimeters of the antenna will stick out above the water.
Casting.
So we got to the cast. Place your gear so that everything you need is close at hand. We propose to focus on the option when you fish while sitting. So make yourself comfortable and set up the stand so that when the rod is laid on it, its tip just touches the water surface. Make sure the landing net is unfolded and the slingshot and bait are within reach.
Now start adjusting the brake on your reel. Turn off anti-reverse. Grasp the line near the hook and pull the rod up (be careful not to sink the hook into your hand). Lower or apply the brake until the reel begins to unwind the line with a slip. This will prevent it from breaking off in the event of a sudden jerk of the caught fish. Bait the hook with one worm or maggot and you're done.
Cast from behind your head and very smoothly. It is necessary to visually imagine where the depth measurement was made. It is bad when the measurement is made in one place, but you will find yourself completely in another. Ideally, it is necessary to throw the float 1.5-2 meters further than the measured area.
Press the line against the rod with your index finger and remove the spool bracket. In this case, the float should hang one meter below the tip of the rod. Then wind the rod behind your head and move it strongly but smoothly forward, releasing the line at the moment when the rod makes an angle with the horizon, approximately equal to 45º. At the end of the movement, the rod should be pointed slightly above the horizontal position along the course of the float.
Just before the float touches the water, slow down the unwinding of the line by gently braking the spool with your index finger. This will help the hook to move forward of the float and fall into the water with less noise. Now turn the handle to close the spool bracket.
Pay attention to the float, which is in the water at a slightly greater distance from the intended place of fishing. Now you need to pull all the rig into this place, while simultaneously sinking the line between the tip of the rod and the float. This will prevent the line from drifting under the influence of waves or wind, and the float will also not move. Drop the end rods under water and turn the reel handle several times. Thus, the line under its surface will stretch and pull the float to the required distance. Place the rod on the stand and make yourself comfortable while waiting for a bite.
All that remains is to attract the fish to your hook and force it to actively seek food.
To be continued…
