Guide to stick float fishing

As an angler of a certain age I come from a generation that grew up with none of the commercial ‘big fish’ waters available to us. Indeed, to scratch that particular itch we used to go to Ireland in search of the fabled ‘ton’. Back home our daily angling dreams were often limited to catching a nice bag of small fish from a local canal or lake. Our greatest passions were reserved for mastering running water, with a stick float. The most difficult art to master, yet the simplest of them all.

If I was forced to limit myself to catching just one species, using one method, for the rest of my days it would undoubtedly be to catch roach, on the stick float. There is NOTHING in fishing that is more satisfying to me than the moment a stick float dips under the surface and my gentle lift is met with a tangible ‘thunk’, signaling that another fish, hopefully a roach, will be nodding its head as it challenges me all the way to the net. Utter bliss!

My local Warwickshire Avon, first week of the season, just dying to be tackled with float tactics. Who could resist a swim like this?

So I hope you will allow me the pleasure of explaining the fundamentals of my favourite method, and I hope my passionate love of the stick float will be carried in my words enough to inspire one of you to give this magical way of fishing a go, maybe for the first time. Enjoy.

Another fabulous river swim, and a stick float attack is the finest way to tease those fish from out of the nearside lily pads.

What is a stick float?

Imagine if you will that you are sitting by a gently flowing river in the days long before the Industrial Revolution. Your fishing rod is state-of-the-art and the envy of your mates, it’s the longest piece of flexible Willow that you can find, cut from an appropriate tree. Your line, tied simply to the end of your Willow rod, is a few feet of hand-spun horse hair, and your bent-pin hook is loaded with a juicy worm. Experience has taught you that the little blighters can take your worm off the hook without you knowing so you have a devious contraption tied to your line in the form of a short piece of wood. The ‘stick’ tied on to your line floats happily downstream, and its weight helps you to cast your bait out a little further and a little more easily than if it were not there. Additionally it will bob noticeably when one of those pesky roach so much as looks at your worm. The stick float is born!

See, I told you it was simple, didn’t I? As with all things we have moved on, but not really so far when you think about it. Stick floats are now made from a variety of materials, no longer a simple piece of wood, yet the fundamentals are just the same. Flotation comes from lightweight materials such as balsa, cork, and various hollow or aerated plastics; casting weight (and stability) is imparted through the use of heavy woods such as lignum vitae, cane, as well as with metal alloys and plastics. We now use rods and reels and the line is a lot stronger and a lot more reliable. But it is still just the same old method, with a few modifications.

It doesn’t take a lot of these to keep a stick float angler happy.

How to start using a stick float

Although I may refer to a ‘standard’ stick float there is no such thing as a ‘Standard’ stick float these days. One look at the options currently offered by the leading float makers (Dave Harrell’s DH Floats is as good an example as any) will show you the sophistication and variation that is out there. The choice can be bewildering to the point where a newcomer to the sport is paralysed into inactivity for fear of buying the wrong item.

Probably the nearest thing to a ‘standard’ stick float pattern, these two floats above epitomise the shape and construction of many early stick floats. They are still valid today as they will catch fish beautifully and are the basis of many float collections.

For the ‘average angler’ (like me) it is not worth worrying too much about the high level of sophistication or detail in these latest floats. Just remember the old saying “floats catch more anglers than they do fish.”

Disregarding the actual pattern of the float, I believe that it is much more important for a beginner to use a float that fulfills just a few criteria.

Firstly it must carry the right amount of weight to match the depth and flow. Secondly the body needs to be heavy enough to reach the swim that you want to target. Dropping a float off the tip of your rod can be done with the lightest of floats, so a small cane stem may be ideal, whereas running a float three rods length out needs something that will cast a good distance such as an alloy or lignum stemmed float.

Finally, the float must be visible enough, when correctly shotted, for the angler to recognise if they have had a bite anywhere down their swim. A pointed tip, dotted right down, may be very sensitive but it is no use at all if you can’t see it well enough to identify if it goes under.

If you don’t catch roach on the stick float, these chub are the next best thing.

To enjoy catching more fish, first you must catch one fish. Concentrate on using the right size of float if you can, and then get your shotting right, and you will soon learn enough through experience to realise that a different pattern of float might improve your catch rate. Learn how to walk before you try to run.

These four floats still fall under the umbrella of ‘stick floats’ though they are all different patterns and carry different weights, all designed for particular purpose. From bottom to top there is a ‘Pacemaker’, a ‘Balsa glider’ followed by two Drennan floats, the wire stemmed Avon and finally a ‘Crystal Avon’. In the right swim I could use any of these floats and make it work sufficiently to catch me fish.

Choice of float : what size must I use?

There is a general rule regarding which ‘size’ of float to select when stick float fishing. When I say ‘size’ I am talking about the ‘shot rating’, ie the number of shot that are recommended to cock it correctly. This shot rating is usually printed on the side of the float.

The general rule: “As a general rule when selecting a stick float for running water always select a float that requires a No4 shot per foot of water. So, if you are in a swim that’s eight feet deep go for an 8xNo4 float. You don’t actually need to use No4 shot, though, as breaking these down into much smaller No8 and No6 shot will give you more flexibility with your shotting arrangement.”

The general rule is just a baseline, … a starting point. Use the rule and you are 90% correct. You should still catch. What the general rule doesn’t take into account is the speed of flow and a fast moving piece of river may require a much heavier float to achieve the right presentation. Equally a very slow stretch may allow a lighter float.

When trying to hold back hard and run the float through much slower than the pace of the water, you may benefit from a slightly heavier float. Conversely, when just letting the float go down at natural speed you might benefit from a lighter float.

If you have a boil to contend with, or a clear ‘crease’ to run along you may find that going heavier improves catch rates; as may going lighter to allow the bait to waft about more naturally.

And just as you think “ok, I’ve got this” the opposite may be true in all the cases previously discussed. As with all the best things in life you might need to experiment to get it perfect on the day.

Having your rods ever ready and to hand is a great boon when fishing on any water, especially so when you chopping and changing between different floats to stay in contact with the shoal.

Shotting patterns for stick float fishing

Really, there are only two shotting pattern options that exist for a stick float angler. A bulk and droppers or shirt-button. Simple. You need no others. There are subtle variations of both of these shotting patterns but if you stick to some basic rules you cannot really go wrong. As you become more experienced you will experiment and if it works you will get better, and if it doesn’t work you will stop doing it, try something different, and STILL get better. The only problem you will have is if you are a lazy angler. If you know it isn’t right, but you cannot be bothered to try a change, then you probably won’t improve, though that is a rule that applies to everything in life, I suppose.

Shirt button style

The ‘standard’ go-to pattern of shotting a ‘standard’ stick float, is to use a string of small shot equally spaced down the line, in what is known as a ‘shirt-button’ style.

In practice, because I pre-prepare by putting my floats onto winders, I invariably shot my floats at home, and I use just one or two shot sizes. I will keep applying them until the right amount of tip remains showing.

My usual pattern is to keep applying No8 slot shot until the float is showing just a little too much tip and then I finish off with a couple of No9 slot shot just above the hook. Surprisingly the more small shot you use, and the neater the placement, the less chance of tangling and the easier it is to lay the line out neatly in front of you. In practice I will often group the shot together with a few groups of three under the float, then a few groups of two, and finally individual shot with the spacing getting a little further apart as they get nearer the hook. Always try to taper your shotting as it goes down towards the hook, getting lighter and with greater spacing the closer you get.

For fishing a gentle flow, on an inside swim approximately five foot depth, one of these three floats will do a sterling job. Floats very similar to these are currently available and newcomers to stick float fishing should consider something along these lines to get started.

Bulk & droppers

Sometimes no matter what float you are using the fish are down on the river bed and want to stay there. To get your bait down as quickly as possible, thus maximising the opportunity of finding a bite, the angler will often want to place more weight nearer the hook. This can be done by pushing all your small shot down the line together, (taking advantage of the multiple small shot that you patiently applied) or, … and this is even better, … by using a different float style, with an olivette or a few large shot just above the hook. The type of float you may need to use will be an Avon, or a Bolognese, or perhaps a topper. Do not be put off by using a bigger float than the depth may suggest because often a bigger float that carries more weight, will allow the angler to ‘boss’ the swim. By that I mean that rather having a float that is so light it never seems to settle, you must use a float that carries sufficient bulk to get the bait down quickly and that you can hold still or run through as YOU wish it to do so. You boss the float, not the other way round.

What tackle do I need for stick float fishing?

Rods

Stick float fishing is an ‘active’ method of fishing. The idea is that you will have the rod actually in your hand for most of your session. The longer your bait is actually in the water, and the more frequently you provide perfect presentation where the bait is moving through ‘the sweet spot’ the more fish you will catch. Therefore you will ideally need a rod that is light enough to hold all day, that has a nice soft tip section to cushion your actions and allow the use of fine lines and hooklengths, but you will also benefit from a rod that has a bit of backbone in the lower section to allow you to bully fish away from snags, particularly chub that make a last ditch dive for nearside weed.

My own personal choice is to use a thirteen foot rod, and for years I used beautiful Harrison 13’ GTi rods. I had two thirteen foot rods and also a 15’ GTi for use in deeper swims. I also owned a MAP 18’-20’ that was the bees-knees when I bought it, but it was certainly not comfortable to use all day. I just pushed it into service on odd occasions.

A variety of baits, right by your side, allows a ‘little and often’ approach to be used where a constant stream of appetisers are introduced to attract the fish to your hookbait. Casters, maggots and hemp are three staple baits for many river sessions.

Rods, however, have improved significantly over the last thirty years, and these days, as well as using my 13’ rods, I will often fish a stick float with my 17’ rods. Despite their extra length they are so good I can still use them all day long; they are tremendous pieces of kit that suit me down to the ground.

When I was a much younger man the general perception was that ‘Northern’ anglers selected twelve foot rods for their river fishing. For some reason it was just the regional ‘norm’ and I never got to the bottom as to why this was. Foolishly, I once asked a northerner how long his rod was and didn’t get the answer I expected, … so I never asked again. The point of my story? It doesn’t matter whether you use twelve foot rods or twenty foot rods. Whatever works for you is the perfect choice.

Reels

You can use any reel you want for stick float fishing, and invariably an angler can adapt their style to accommodate. Fixed spool reels are the modern choice and many ‘old sweats’ swear by a centrepin reel. For my part I cannot get on with using a fixed spool reel and I always use a closed face reel. Whatever reel you choose, my recommendation is to select the lightest reel you can afford because there is absolutely no point in buying a slim lightweight rod and hanging a reel that weighs the same as a house brick off it. As previously stated, you will want to be holding this pairing in your hands for most of the day.

Three rods and three closed face reels. I like to be able to pick up any of my rods and have the ‘feel’ to be the same, as far as possible.

Line choice

At its heart stick float fishing is a delicate art form, a chance to tease reluctant fish away from their homes. You are trying to fool something natural into eating something unnatural just for the brief pleasure of holding it in your hand before you slip it back. You cannot bludgeon these fish into submission, you must cajole them softly.

Always use the lightest line you can get away with. If you can manage a two pound mainline and a half-pound hook length then do so. If not then step up a size and see if you can get away with a three pound mainline and a pound and a half hook length. Personally I am at the three pound mainline stage, sometimes opting for the choice of four pound mainline and two pound hook length. My eyes are not what they were and my ability to tie knots in extremely light lines on a wet breezy day has left me. So, I suggest you do what feels good and try to do it as lightly as possible.

Most lines can be made to float if treated with a floatant spray and you WILL need a floating line for stick float fishing.

We will tell our fellow anglers that we have cracked a secret code, this line is ‘special’, we know something they don’t. Well, it’s not true, we don’t! So, my recommendation is to just buy the cheapest line you can, or the prettiest spool, or the one you saw advertised by the sponsored angler you admire. It makes no difference, especially if you are stick float fishing for the first time. it’s just fishing line. If you don’t get on with it try a different one. They probably all come from the same factory anyway.

FAQs

What bait is best for stick float fishing?

Maggots are far and away the bait that catch more fish than any others. However, casters, hemp, tares and these days pellets will all bring good results on their day.

I don’t own a lightweight 13’ rod with a soft tip as I usually fish commercial lakes, but I would love to try stick float fishing to see if I like it. Can I use any of my current rods?

Firstly don’t worry about the length, a twelve foot rod (or even shorter) will do a perfect job just as a stop gap. A pellet waggler can be pushed into service though your striking needs to be careful if you are using light hooklengths. A feeder rod, with a quiver soft tip inserted, could also substitute and do a fine job. It will only take a few fish to convince you to get yourself something better suited next time you visit the local tackle dealer.

I would like to try stick float fishing but don’t really know where to go. I have a local angling association that has lots of options and sells day tickets but I am not familiar with any of the waters. Any ideas?

If you want to know where best to fish a river I suggest that you check which venues are booked for matches. Invariably the ‘best’ stretches are regularly being booked by clubs. Frequent match fishing will also mean that bait is going into every peg and the fish are more likely to be caught all along the stretch. It also means that many more pegs will have safe clear access and be in good condition. Often rivers are extremely overgrown and popular stretches stay clear because they are often used.

Just ensure that there are no matches on the day you want to attend. If you are lucky you can see the results from previous matches and get an idea about which peg performs best.

Conclusion

River fishing is having a resurgence as more people recognise the pleasure it can bring. For many of us we are going back to our roots, but for others it is a new venture. New skills, new venues, and new opportunities await those who have never tried river fishing before. Once bitten by the bug you will no doubt be smitten. So, go on, give stick float fishing a try. I promise you won’t regret it.

Written by Chris Smith
With over sixty years of angling experience under his belt, Chris got hooked on fishing by catching perch and roach from his local Fens Pools. Having fished his first match at the age of eight, Chris was a keen club angler for 30 years and captain of Severnside Match Group. Now retired, Chris enjoys his fishing more than ever and loves being able to pass on his knowledge to other anglers.