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@@andrewkavanagh3210 thanks Andrew, I’m glad you found it helpful

Glad I could help

@@stephenwelham Hi Steve, yes these work really well when the bottom of the lake is irregular with varying depths. They are also good to cast at bubbling tench, as you don’t need to worry about setting the right depth before casting out.

@@Smiffy830 hello, I use an inline olivette that’s heavy enough to sink the float. I’m using a 3AAA driftbeater float and a 4g olivette sinks it.

@tight.lines.chris.miller Nice one Chris, X 2 2g will do me nicely, thanks for getting back to me 🐟🪱🎣👍

@@chrisbarrett2761 Hi Chris, the John Wilson Avon rod I use comes with a separate quiver tip section, so the same rod can be used for float fishing or ledgering. The quiver tip section may be a bit light for tench, but I use it float fishing for roach.

@@tight.lines.chris.miller cheers Buddy. I must keep my eyes open for one of these rods

@@alirashid490 Hello, we are suffocating the maggots as the sealed bags put them into a state of hibernation due to the lack of oxygen. For short sessions while tench fishing, I don’t bother opening the bag, but if they’ve been in the fridge for a week or more then I open the bag occasionally. I hope this helps.

I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it, tight lines 🐟

Hi Bert, I was using a 3AAA driftbeater float and a 4g olivette. Tight lines

@tight.lines.chris.miller very much appreciated. They way I have been doing it for a few years now is a bit of pole elastic to hold the float on the line, then down the line I have a free running micro swivel with the bulk of my shot on it and my tell tail shot 4 inches from the hook. Cadt out, rod onto the rest then tighten down until the tip of the float is barely breaking the surface. It has worked wonders for me but I think I will definitely be giving this setup a try this year. I must note, where I live there's not many fisheries or good lakes nearby so it's all canal tench I hunt. Love hooking into one. They're my favourite fighting fish. Nothing beats a good day fishing for tinca. Thanks again, and tight lines.

Hi Andrew, yes you can fish your hook length knot to knot, or use a small quick change swivel. On this occasion I was fishing straight through and as the inline olivette is held in place with float stops, there’s no damage or weak spots along the line.

There’s no hard and fast rule on this, just use what you prefer. You can go lighter as long as the weight sinks the float. The benefit of the olivette over a swan shot is there is no damage to the line as it’s held in place with float stops. Although it’s heavier, I’ve not had the issue you describe as the float lifts straight away and I strike while it’s rising. Best of luck 🐟

Hi, no, I use the weight of the olivette to cock the float which sometimes lies flat after the fish has picked up your hook bait. Sometimes I need to wind down to the float and tighten the line, so just the tip of the float is showing. The float will often wobble when tench are in the swim, as they touch the live when feeding. I sit on my hands and wait until the float rises or disappears before striking.

Hi Sam, yep it’s a really good idea to be slightly over depth and tighten down on the float. It works a treat 🐟👍

Hi Mark, you’re right, it’s been a while since my last video. Yes, there will be more videos to come. I’ve got a pike video that I’ve nearly finished and will post soon. Tight lines, Chris

Try it Tony, it works well, but I prefer garam masala or curry powder

A chap I used to work with, regularly bagged up on Carp, by frying meat baits in oil flavoured with Chinese Five Spice.

Great Mark, I’m really pleased this is working for you, Tight Lines 🐟🐟

Hi Anthony, I don’t think these are still available. I bought them about 10 years ago from Hinders, when they had the tackle shop in Swindon. They fit perfectly in a large bait bucket and I find them really useful for mixing groundbait and storing tackle items.

Thanks John, I hope you found it useful 🐟

Thanks Aaron, I hope this method works for you 🐟🐟

Thanks Chris, I hope you found it useful, it’s my favourite way of catching tench 🐟

I’m glad you found it useful John 🐟🐟

Yes, they’ll still be alive, but you’ll need to put them into a bait box the day before you use them for them to recover. I’ve also found that dead maggots work just as well, and sometimes better, than live ones. 🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller yes I've heard the same that dead ones are very good at catching big fish, I just wondered if they would live that long, thank you so much

Hi Matt, I use a 4g Drennan inline olivetter with a 3AAA driftbeater float. This sinks the float nicely, but is not too heavy when the tench picks up the bait

Hi Leah, if kept in the fridge you don’t need to open the bag very often, but I check on them once a week, sometimes adding a bit of maize flour if they are moist

Thanks, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my videos. I’ve found that I can keep maggots fresh for longer by starving them of oxygen, they’ll soon recover when left in a bait box for a few hours.

Yes, it’s strange but crucians seem to feed best when the float is set exactly at full depth. With really light pole floats you sometimes get a lift when the fish sucks in your hook bait. This can be tricky when the bottom of the lake is uneven, so if you’re not getting bites, it’s best to adjust the depth. Tight lines 🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller Thanks! And how do you get exactly the right depth? Do you overload the float?

@@albertinobeunk2098 I use a small plummet or sometimes a swan shot pinched on the hook to find bottom. I then adjust the depth until the tip of the float is just showing through the surface. If I’m not catching, I’ll either go a few mm deeper or shallower until I start getting bites. Crucians can be very shy feeders, but sometimes they feed confidently and act like all other fish.

@@tight.lines.chris.miller Thanx mate! So you fished never more weight on the line, as the weight of the float? So you fished A piece of line at the bottom?

@@albertinobeunk2098 No, I’ve not used the lift method for crucians, but this method works really well for tench. For crucians I’ve found the bait being close to the bottom, or just touching the bottom to work best.

Hi Ken, yes this would work as long as it holds the float in position and allows you to alter the depth, if you need to. I use floats stops as I buy them in bulk, so much cheaper.

@@tight.lines.chris.millerHi, what I want to know is why has the angling community switched to using shot or rubber float stops to secure a bottom-only float. I used the rubber band or tube method from the peacock quill era to Wind-beater times. It was a safe and simple technique. BTW, I used Richard Walker’s Permasink compound to sink the rod to float line.

Thanks Garry, I’m glad you enjoyed my video - there are more to come, you’ll be notified of my new videos, if you subscribe to my channel 🐟🐟

That’s great, glad you found my videos interesting- there are more to come 🐟🐟

Thanks Allen, I’m glad you found it useful 🐟🐟

Thanks, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it - strange to fish for crucians in this way, but it works 🐟🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller I usually fish for crucians with my pole, but I'll give the method feeder a try tomorrow.

Hi, I suggest you freeze them, that way you can add them to a groundbait or Spod mix. Also Sonubaits has just launched a groundbait with worm extract that looks interesting

Thanks for your comments James - it’s my favourite way of catching tench 🐟🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller Well. That was worth a go. Even if my attempt at trying this method did turn into something of a farce. I visited a tackle shop and picked up a Drennan driftbeater. I immediately noticed there was no eye. The shop assistant thought it had been painted over as sometimes happens. Then the manager pointed out that these floats don't have eyes now as they are intended to be partnered with Drennan's "Swivel Float Attachments" to allow easy swap-out of the float. So I bought these along with the float stops the store assistant recommended and some 2.5g Drennan in line olivettes. This evening I set up exactly as planned and then the first disaster happened. The eye of the float attachment was wider than the float stop and so the float dropped down to the Olivette. I fixed this with a couple of dust shot and cast out; only to find the driftbeater was too buoyant for the Olivette to sink it. I then had to cut the line and set up using a Drennan Peacock fitted with some trusty old float rubbers so I could slide the float up and down easily in the good old fashioned way! When I went to slide the Olivette further from the hook the little rubber sleeve inside it came out leaving things looking rather untidy. Nevertheless I soldiered on and tried an underarm cast beyond the bulrushes. The trusty peacock sank a few inches under the surface. Too shallow. I retrieved some line moving the peacock a few inches nearer in to the bank and it lay flat. Too deep. Gradually it became obvious that the bottom varies considerably in depth and I was unable to find a spot where the float was positioned correctly. I then cut my losses and set up a standard float rig fished until dark and didn't have a bite. First time I have blanked on this lake this season. Not necessarily giving up on this method but I found it very difficult indeed and definitely need more thought as to how to make this work!

@@Pickle69ize wow, sounds like you’ve had a few issues. The last driftbeater floats I bought also had the eye painted over and I had to use a pin to open it up. I’ve found that a 4g olivette is heavy enough to sink the 3AAA float. One of my local lakes has varying depths, so I set the float over depth and tighten down to the float, trapping the line on the rod rest. This saves a lot of time resetting the depth. I hope your next session is more successful 🐟🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller thanks Chris. Its just fishing... Trial and error. Ordered new float stops and olivettes. Will definitely persist and crack this for sure! Tight lines buddy!

You’re correct Mark. I use a 4g olvitte which sinks a 3AAA Driftbeater float. If you are a few inches over depth - don’t worry, just tighten down to the float until the right amount of tip is showing. I trap the line on my rod rest. If a fish picks up the weight of the olivette, the float will rise (even if it’s set a bit too deep). This is useful when the bottom of the lake in uneven 🐟🐟

Many thanks Jason, I’m pleased you found it useful. Tight lines 🐟🐟

Hello, I use a 4g olivette which is heavy enough to sink the 3AAA driftbeater float. 🐟🐟

That’s a good idea - I’ll try that myself in future - thanks for sharing 🐟🐟

Many thanks, and it’s easy to tie too. I use it primarily for fluorocarbon line and tying the hook on from drop shotting for perch. 🐟🎣

Many thanks, I think it’s the most exciting method for catching tench - sitting on your hands, waiting for the float to rise while the tench are bubbling in the swim. 🐟🐟

@@tight.lines.chris.miller I used to fish with a couple friends back in Sussex. They'd see my float moving about and dipping and say "You've got a bite. Strike!" But I'd tell them, "Just watch". The the float would rise all the way up to the body and then I'd strike. They were quite amazed. The next time we went fishing, they both used the Drennan Driftbeater Floats.

I’ve had the same conversation too 😀 At least the maggots didn’t get out though - that happened to me once, before I started bagging them.

They could have been...... leftovers from the last sesh! 🙄

Thanks DJ, a few people have said they don’t like backing music on videos, so I left it off on this one. I’ll make sure the volume is at the right level in future, which can be challenging when filming outside 😀