Float Fishing - Stick Float & Centre Pin (Video 101) 

Go for it! Do let me know how you have got on using one too Stephen!

Argh Ric, that sounds a damned nightmare too. The usual reply with some dog owners is either an embarassed sorry, or ignore it even happened, failing that they try to claim it's your fault for being there! I could not agree more, I hope they littered her carpets with a mixture of foil and runny mess lol.

i was ice fishing in the middle of a big lake with about 1km my right to the shore and 2km on the other side. i kid you not i saw a black something racing towards me. i didnt know if it was a bear or something else because it was all white all around. i flip my fishing sled over and prepare to fight it. it was a big dog that ran all the way 2kms to me. luckily it wasnt aggressive, but people got to leach their dogs.

Thanks Freddo :D

Thank you David!

You're right Danny, way too short that would sum it up well. Cheers mate glad you enjoyed it.

Very true Andrew, that is a magic so unique to such waterways. Glad that you enjoyed the video and hope you are keeping well.

Thanks Oman, you can't beat it,especially the sense of adventure when searching out all the different areas where the fish might be.

Hello there Bruce, that is brilliant! Really pleased to hear you broke your pb and by 4lb, well done. You're welcome regarding the quick change run rings, they are a lovely piece of kit and work wonders for sensitivity and lack of resistance.

Cheers Dietmar, this river has come on in leaps and abounds over the years, despite having the odd setback in the past. Happy new year mate.

Hello there Sam, it is nice to hear from you and to know you're much like myself in regard to fishing the lesser obvious places. Thank you so much for watching and I look forward to hearing from you again.

Thanks Bruno and you're very welcome.

Thanks Ron, really happy to know that you enjoyed the video, you are very right this particular fishing trip was over far to soon and it was a joy to be able to share this day float fishing on the centrepin with yourself and other viewers.

You're welcome Barry, thanks for taking time to watch it mate.

Thank you Steve and also for your kind new year message, the same to yourself for a healthy and happy 2018.

Thank you for the Christmas wishes, the same to yourself and family.Many thanks, glad that you enjoyed the video too.Kind regards Mark.

Thanks Mark,I will try to keep uploading the vlogs, as I enjoy putting them out for you guys to watch.

Cheers Will, I was lost for words when I lost that big roach.

One of those moments when you get home and sit down, with a cup of tea and continue to think it over, if they could make hook pulls happen in slow motion then that Roach would be right up there for me Tom. It was an enjoyable trip though and I don't think as anglers we can ask for more than that really, a few fish and some time to contemplate.

Thanks, it was nice looking and quite a long fish, certainly made up for the dog jumping in that very same swim earlier in the afternoon too.

Thank you mate, glad you enjoyed it and well done on your first pin trip too! It is a brilliant way to present a float on flowing water and makes going back to a fixed spool a bit more difficult.

Mark Erdwin cheers bud, I think it will be hard to go back 😳 I’ve got another 6 hours off work tomorrow for little session so I’ll have it back out again :) Tight lines buddy 🎣

Ian it took a little while to sink in from the moment it broke the surface to when the hook pulled, bit gutting but some you win some you lose and as for that dog, I have nicknamed it Muttley lol!

Thanks James, that does sound a nice little river,I do love my small waterways too.

I agree Graham, so much so I ended up trotting with my headlight on in the end, not ideal but picked me up a few fish toward the end, pity to have lost that roach too. I will endeavour to show the wormery and go through what we feed them on and how we keep them in a future video. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and watch the video.

Thanks Nick, I used to do a lot more trotting but do love my link ledgering if honest and over the years that has probably taken a bit of a firm hold on me. The speedia is nice, unfortunately I need to get it serviced or restored as it does not pay out line as easily as I would like it to and sometimes the drum needs to be fed by finger, as you may have seen during some of this video. Personally I love the sound of the check on it more than my other modern pins, which have a more raucous sound to them. Cheers again mate glad you enjoyed the video.

Thanks Bruce.

Argh bit gutting when that happens Ben, I feel your pain on that front for certain, still guess we can both say "always next time!". Cheers mate.

haha thanks Clive, I guess that I was reasonably patient, but was I pretty gutted as that swim was giving off some very fishy vibes to say the least, it was nice to have a chub from it on the way back in the evening though. You should definitely get out and give the stick and pin a go, especially as the rivers are fining down it should make for ideal trotting conditions. Thanks for the positive comment and it is really nice to know that you enjoyed the video.

bit harsh, the lady dog walker was sorry, as she said. was not as if they were throwing sticks in to fetch. and at the end of the day dogs will be inquisitive. no harm done

Hello their Thomas, I thought you might enjoy it, there is so many different features to target and to be fair it has been a while since I last went trotting (do love my link ledgering). I look forward to seeing your video.

Hello there Bill it was good to speak you today, I'm sure you will catch them and nice to hear that you are getting amongst a few of the fish as it's always enjoyable to hear how someone else who fishes the same neck of the woods is getting on too.

Hello there Gary and you're right, to be expected, especially where public footpaths are concerned, is a bit annoying, especially when you have just started getting a trickle of feed going into the swim, only to have what was probably a personal best Cocker Spaniel go for a paddle lol. Thanks mate glad you enjoyed the vlog.

Cheers Daz, glad you enjoyed it chap.

Hello Rafa, hope your fishing session with your buddies went well, as I saw you post a picture showing you was out fishing with them. It's a lovely little river, plenty of scope for most species of fish and it was just nice to get out and fish as you know from our chats it had been a while and I was a bit under the weather.

Thanks John, it was enjoyable , that is just one of those things being a public path, although it would be nice at times if there were a little mutual respect.

Hello there Johnny, thank you and I'm very happy to know that you find my videos enjoyable. I am from Berkshire, so the south east of the country. It sounds very much like that little river you describe contained some nice fish too. I think Spring time is on its way, if slowly mate.

Thanks Darren, yes that evening spell can always be a bit bountiful, argh don't get me started about dog walkers that allow their dogs to do as they please, couple of seasons ago I had a collie paddling up and down the river chasing a swan back and forth, this went on for half an hour and ruined plenty of swims.

You will love it George, it's a corking little river with very much its own personality and heartbeat. Thank you glad you enjoyed the video too, Merry Christmas.

I will let you know

Thank you the same to yourself mate and all the best in 2017.

Hello there Dan and thank you, nice to see you're still about.

Thanks mate, Literally haven't fished all year. Very nearly lost my leg in february, long story but well on the mend now. Chomping at the bit to get out.....

That sounds bloody terrible Dan, was it some kind of car accident or workplace related? I hope that you are nearing recovery.

Mark Erdwin I had some mystery infection in my leg that blew up like a balloon. Drained 2,5 liters of puss out of it which ate away the muscle. Getting back to normal now tho.

Hello mate, I fish various stretches of river and a mixture of club tickets, public free stretches.

Hello there Ian, the lost grayling sounds as wounding as my lost roach. Can I just say thanks for the Christmas card, just received it today, a lovely looking Robin, which epitomises our winters and a very nicely drawn fly rod on the inside cover of the card too! My mum, dad and brother say hello and also thanks for the card. Wishing you an early Merry Christmas and a peaceful one at that as I know how hectic things can be with your business.

Hey Mark! Thank you. AT LAST!!!…most of the chaos is done now so we're ready to glide smoothly into Christmas with style……kind of!! Glad you received the card, my best wishes to all at home, have a wonderful Christmas and I shall look forward to some late-season chub-bothering with you in early 2017 :-)

Hello there Jan, thank you for stopping by to watch the videos and post a comment. I'll try to answer to your question about Autumn, personally I like fishing in summer just as much, I guess the reason is dependent on certain species and what weights they might be reaching, or the particular species that the season of Autumn might favour at the time. If you perhaps mean from a barbel fishing perspective, it is because the species is generally getting heavier during Autumn into winter. I must say that I notice very much the same as yourself, when fishing during summer on some rivers I rarely see another fisherman but once we enter Autumn and winter I see many more, I can understand why especially if an angler likes to trot a float, as some waterways are better for this in winter because aquatic weed growth dies back and allows you to trot much easier. I must admit personally I love some jungle warfare and fishing in summer though.

Hello there Martin, firstly thanks for taking time to stop in and watch the video as well as posting a comment, it's a pleasure to be able to have the interaction and reply to everyone's comments. The camera I used for this is a Gopro hero 4, which lends itself well when moving swims, as it isn't too big or bulky. I usually try to record at 2.7k resolution and then either process the video at this resolution, or re-encode it to 1080p as you get a better quality of footage.

Mark Erdwin Thanks for the reply Mark, very kind of you. I'll certainly look into a gopro as the quality looks really good. Keep churning out those videos, looking forward to the next one! Tight lines

Hello there Dave, must admit it was very enjoyable watching the float slide away. Regarding the barbel situation yes there is barbel through sections on the Blackwater, just a case of locating them, I have been lucky to have had them myself to over 12lb. Glad that you enjoyed the video mate.

Hello again Richard and thank you. Yes European perch and Yellow perch are quite closely related, the yellow being Perca Flavscens and our European perch being Perca Fluviatilis. No I never eat them, strictly catch and release mate.

Thanks William, I myself do not take fish for the table I am a catch and release angler.

Thanks Johan, I don't mind people asking questions, although amphibious dogs that run riot off the lead is another matter lol.

hahaha, Steve you noticed it then, yes I am indeed afflicted with the dreaded concentration tongue, it simply slips out in moments of concentration or consternation lol. Thanks mate glad you enjoyed the video.

Thanks Tim, on any given day one bait might be more successful than another so I generally try to carry at least three baits with me, enough to give you other options should one bait not be readily taken on that particular trip but at the same time not too many bait options that you might end up flitting between a multitude of baits with no real end result or thoughtful/systematic process. As for baits and swim selection they do vary a little, I find areas with a pacey or steady flow to them to be sometimes very good when fishing bread flake, especially when rolling a bait on the link ledger, as the flow aids the fluttering and movement of the bread and this can on its own entice bites, also much the same when trotting, the pace aids the angler at times, as the fish will not always get time to inspect a bait as it flows by them and they have to make an instant choice to take it or not. Worms I find particularly good for running a float towards a flotsam strewn run (or under if link ledgering) and when the fish can be fickle toward say bread ,maggots or cheese paste, this is when I find worms come into their own and especially after floods, as a river fines down and clarity comes back to it, as usually natural invertebrate will have been washed in during this time and this is when I find worms to be at their most deadly, however that said if I was forced to use one bait for an entire season then worms would be at the top of my list. Regarding Dendro/Red worm I particularly like these due to being able to allow a finer presentation which can sometimes be picked up more readily on a small hook when fishing in low and clear conditions, they also have an almost hyperactive state and whilst lob worms are immensely lively and I love using them they are not quite as lively as Red worms for manic movement, we do however feed ours on used up coffee grouts which might explain it, I will try to do a video regarding how we feed,breed and keep our red worms. I must admit where bait is concerned I usually apply it to the species being targeted at the time and like to keep my options open on trips so it is a little bit of both really Tim, I guess in some ways I have given a bit of an open ended in answer to your question so you could say it is a bit of. Hope that might be of some help.

Thanks so much, mentor-Mark: enlightening and instructive as ever. Thanks also for all the editing that went into vid 101 to make it another mini work of art - I can see from the cuts how thoughtfully you relocated the camera several times with one hand, while having a fish-on in the other hand ;-) no mean feat!

You're welcome Tim, yes having to twist the camera round or move it one handed isn't always easy. but thankfully with the single bankstick as a tripod it helps.

Hello there Danny! Nice to know you're still about and fishing too, hope all is well and glad you're enjoying the videos, Happy Christmas to yourself also mate.

Mark Erdwin hey thanks mate did you see my article in coarse angling today on demise of Oxfordshire Barbel its desperate here mate and Kennet going same way Bristol Avon is decimated when I caught so many fish from there its devastating but keep pushing on can't do nothing about it now even though me and John everard said this in 2002 no one listened now look but hey ho glad your doing well with so many lovely fish well done mate

I read that article mate, you don't need to tell me about the problems our rivers face, living in Berkshire I live not far from most of the Thames and tributaries, especially Kennet and Loddon to name but a few and they are all in different states of suffering, especially regarding barbel, the barbel stocks are becoming more marginalised and or showing signs of predation damage on some of my rivers, yes you can still go and catch at differing levels on these waterways, (depending where) but as anglers we have a finger on the pulse of our waterways and we know when things are changing. The trouble is being heard and being listened to are two very different things, sadly it is too late for some waterways and others are not too far behind in sharing that same fate, the Warks Avon is one that springs to mind. You almost feel it is a case of making hay whilst the sun still shines. Sounds a bit of a glum reply, but that is why I treat every fish caught as something special, because with everything that they face be that over abstraction,pollution incidents,invasive species (crayfish etc), cormorants, and other predators, including illegal poaching and fish removal, when you take that all into account it is amazing we have some of the fishing that we do have and heaven knows they are up against a lot.

Haha that made me laugh Richard, How are things going? I am guessing you're the same Richard I have met and chatted to whilst you was fishing, think we fish the same lake/s? If you are the same chap,Gordon mentioned you had been down fishing.

Hello there and thank you, perhaps that would be a good idea for a future video, thanks for the suggestion.

Great minds think alike Lee :D

Cheers Mr Mullet :)

for ledger something like the cheap Advanta centrepin or MArco cortesi as they have a loud and strong clicker, for trotting a speedia narrow drum or a tfg classic river pin.

Cheers Amos glad you enjoyed the video, I think the little chub was not even aware he was hooked.

Hello there Steve, can I just say Happy new year to you and thanks for subscribing, it was a very pleasurable trip and the dog issues as you rightly say are just one of those things when fishing public areas of river at times, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Kind regards Mark

Mark Erdwin And a happy New year to you to. Thanks for subbing my channel. ATB Steve

Blackwater

Try lowering the resolution mate might be your internet.

Tested it myself, working fine on all resolutions here mate, also had a friend test it.Must be your connection I guess.

It working fine on my PC.

lee knowles - same I'm having same problem

Sorry to hear that Nathan, have you tried lowering the resolution to 720p? It might be still processing slightly, but seems other viewers are ok, so might be internet connection related mate.