Hi macsas -no, I don't use a rudder, in fact I pretty much just tag along with my fishing buddy John (old friend from Rugby where I grew up - in fact its him and me on the Rivers Updates section - Cumbrian Eden system - where I was fishing with him all last week in Cumbria like we do every year). He still lives near Rugby and fishes Draycote a lot, having abandoned other methods now just to fish the method I mentioned, as many of the locals do. However, we don't use a rudder, just drift broadside on, him being a left hander and me right, one end of boat each, casting out to side and allowing to swing round behind before retrieving. Usually we're using a Di7 or 8, but sometimes a Di5 does the trick - if the fish are following the daphnia clouds it just depends where they are in the water. I have a first class fish finder - his name's John and he's always on the engine
Because he's local we/he can try and pick suitable conditions, ideally wind about 10mph. Saying that, it was much stronger when we fished a couple a weeks ago and we still bagged up, fish not being far down - our Di7s were probably only fish about 6' down on a fast drift. An "Owen's"lure has served him well all season so far - a big chartreuse fritz and marabou size 6 goldhead pattern - but the tube is the alternative ("Draycote Buzzers" as John likes to call them!). There are some real rudder experts on there, such as Bob Wallinger who I have never met but have seen on the water plenty of times, out on his own, fishing the rudder, fast drift, heavy leadcore lines and massive lures - a real specialist. I would guess he's caught more big brownies out of there than anyone else. Pops up in the magazines from time to time. Bit of a perfectionist by all accounts - he caught 2 double figure brownies by 10.30 one day at the start of the season but was so annoyed that he had forgotten his camera that he packed in and went home in disgust! No doubt a few people on here will know him. Buzzers will catch plenty of fish but deep, fast and big lures definitely sorts out the bigger daphnia and fry feeders, hence the popularity of the method with many of the regulars. I like it because its a bit different from my normal style of fishing elsewhere and the feel of a good fish slamming into the lure and hooping the rod over makes for some exciting fishing
. But as for rudders, I ain't got a clue!
A few Draycote rainbows
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