I know this isn't a fly fishing question, but I know a lot of guys trott for Grayling in the winter and I'd like a bit of advice.

I went down to the Tees yesterday with my trotting rod and centre-pin. I've not used them for about 6 years and in the past on it's always been on smaller rivers where a small stick float has been fine for roach and dace. Anyway, I used a large Avon float, 4AAA, set to about 3-4ft depth, which was roughly the depth of the swim I was fishing. I had the bulk of the shot about 18in above the size 16 hook with a number 6 shot about 6in from the hook. Bait was double maggot.

I caught a few fish, including some lovely grayling and a couple of large trout, which were in great condition considering they should have their minds on other things..... Anyway, the problem I was having was sensitivity of the take. Whilst I had no real issue seeing the float go under, two or three of the fish I took had taken the hook deep down in the mouth and I had to use a disgorger to remove the hook. Although I can remove a hook with a disgorger, it got me thinking.....nearly every fish I take when fly fishing has the fly in its lips and I almost never deep hook anything. I'm guessing this is due to better take detection when I'm fly fishing than I was achieving yesterday when trotting. So, my question is this...."can I improve the sensitivity of the take when float fishing to reduce the chances of deep hooking fish?"

Any advice greatly appreciated. Am off out again on Saturday or Sunday and would love to be able to reduce number of deep hooked fish.

Daran

Darans,
If you were fishing where I last saw you? You are fishing way to heavy with that float. The most I fish there is 7BB and that's when the water has 1 or 2 ft on it, otherwise its 5BB done in shirt button style, and all the fish I take are hooked in the lips none are deep hooked at all. Try coming down to single maggot also. Hope this helps

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A Scotsman in Yorkshire now there IS a combination

George,
I was actually fishing where I saw you last!

Thanks for the advice. I'll get some smaller floats and try the shirt button style, rather than bulking my shot together. Hopefully that will sort the issue out. There sure are some stunning fish in that part of the river.

Hope you are well.

Daran

Trouble is, in these enlightened times, the carp and pole-fishing emporiums don't sell traditional grayling bobs. Avons are generally too heavy and unsuited to smaller streams.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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I think deep hooking is rarer with artificials because if you aren't quick enough the fish spit them out, rather than swallowing them. Should still be rare with bait if you are set up right, though.

George it shouldn't matter about the weight of the float if its shotted correctly ?? unless its only about a foot deep try moving a shot nearer to the hook so it registers the bite quicker if you have a bait just "floating about" on say a foot of line from the last shot they can have the bait in there mouths for ages and maybe not even register a bite ,try moving the last shot to within 6-8 inch of the hook and nearer if you can get away with it don't worry about the shot being to close ,if you have your feeding right they wont notice that

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

Trust me it does matter a 4AAA float where he was fishing is overkill I assure you
I fish with no weight anywhere near the hook so it acts naturally as it possibly can in the current and with the appropriate weighted float I hit 99 out of 100 fish
Just have a flick through my blog for results
Traditional Handmade Floats

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A Scotsman in Yorkshire now there IS a combination

I know this is an old thread so the original question is several months past its sell-by date.....but interesting recent comments even so.

Floats: can't see the fascination with old stylee "grayling bobs" myself, well for looking at, ok, very cute, but not for fishing. Alloy stem sticks of different sizes and body shapes (shouldered slim avon style to big dome top) do it for me, generally 3-5BB where I fish, and for anything bigger a balsa/chubber.

George - your comment about no weight anywhere near the hook? Even when bulk shotting I like to have a No.6 say 8" from the hookbait to help control it and keep it near the bottom or even dragging bottom slightly. I don't like the idea of it wafting around too much, especially if the surface flow is varied and moving the float around a bit. Less of an issue in an even steady glide. Just personal preference really though

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Grayling Bobs ride the ripples (rougher water), associated with grayling swims better than any stick, or Avon, float but, whatever floats your boat.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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*****©(

I have to agree with some of your comments Jeff I dont like the old style Grayling bobbers either I think they are cumbersome and not designed to be trotted all day with a pin set up, there are far superior floats to them that do a better job.

I first used them many years ago & I was cream crackered by the end of the day retrieving them back against the flow with the resistance they caused. I also felt that I was missing a lot of fish with fishing with them, as the Grayling were feeling the resistance of the float before I had time to strike and a lot were lost. Something I later found I had in common with Reg Ryghini after reading his book who also had the same feelings about the Grayling bobber.

This was why I told Darans he was fishing with a float that was OTT for the swim he was fishing the fish would feel the resistance of the float & shot before he had time to react properly resulting in a lot of fish lost.

I prefer to fish personally with a porcupine quill balsa that I made & tailored to suit my needs, generally a 5bb but in heavier water an 8bb and occasionally will fish a crow quill topper

As for shotting near the hook, its everyone to their own but I prefer the nearest bit of weight to be at least 12 - 15" away from my hook bait that way the bait is acting as naturally as it possibly can in the flow, this is especially useful when fishing a small redworm. and the fish done seem to mind with this years count well above 300 now in just 13 trips out since the start of the Grayling season back in October.

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A Scotsman in Yorkshire now there IS a combination