How to correctly fish the lift method.

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MaggotDrowner
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How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by MaggotDrowner »

The lift method is something that has always sounded interesting to me, but I have never fished it. This is probably because I had it drummed into my head by my father, when he taught me to fish, that shot should get progressively smaller towards the hook so the fish don't feel a lot of weight when the pick up the bait. To this day, on still waters, I use tiny tell-tale shots - never any bigger than a no4. He said "if they feel a lot of weight when they pick up the bait they will drop it". That's what I was told when I was first taught to fish anyway. Having the bulk of the shot right by the hook, lift style, rather contradicts that! But obviously the lift method is an effective one as I have seen it used in TV programs and in books to great effect.

I would like to have a try at this method.

As I understand it:

1. The float must be attached bottom end only via a float rubber. - [I will be using a Drennen float adapter and float rubbers though I think. (It's what I have already.)]

2. Only one shot is used. This is placed between 2 inches and 1/2 foot away from the hook.

3. It is vital that the single shot that is used must be heavier than the float. Ie if a 3BB float is used the only shot used must be above that weight - so that means at least a swan shot or larger.

4. The bottom of the pool needs to be nice and clear - no weed.


Number 3 is what attracts me to the method. You can be sure you are fishing the bottom. If you are not, the float will go under on cast and not rise up again - almost like it plumbs its self. That and the whole idea of the float rising up out of the water and making a nice lift float with lots of coloured bands on. :Chuckle:

Have I got a good grasp on the method? Is there anything I have got wrong or that I'm missing? Will that big bulky shot really not put the fish off and make them drop it? :Wink:
"I'd rather be fishing!"

MD

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Kingfisher
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by Kingfisher »

I don't know whether t's correct or not MD but the way I fish the lift method doesn't matter if the float is attached by a rubber or weights either side of the float.

I plumb the depth and fish over depth using an anchor weight (BB) this weight sits the float in position. Then I shot the weight between the BB and the float itself weighting it so as the tip is just showing.

Bites are registered when the BB weight is lifted off the bottom by the fish taking the bait and picking it up....hence the float lifting out of the water or rising upwards.

This is no doubts the wrong way to fish it but it's my favourite way and I find it easiest to perform.

The anchor weight doesn't have to be a BB I used that as an example.

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Snape
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by Snape »

I think traditionally it is a float attached bottom end only and fished well over depth and the only weight being on the bottom.
The float is cast out and the tightened up until the float sinks to just a small tip is showing.
The tricky bit is using enough weight to hold bottom whilst you tighten up as opposed to dragging and not having too much weight so the fish feels it when it picks up the bait.
If the float is attached only by a float rubber the float will lift rapidly and fall over when the fish picks up the bait but if using a bodied waggler with weights to just cock it and the bottom weight taking it down to the tip by tightening then it will rise more gracefully when the fish bites.
It is important to fish quite a lot over depth as tench will give a lot of line bites when the line is vertical.
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MaggotDrowner
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by MaggotDrowner »

I'm copying this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7ccD2R_pxU&t=3m30s

Your way, Snape and Kingfisher, sounds better. There shouldn't need to be such a big shot near the bait, putting the fish off. It does sound a lot more complicated though. I need to find a good video showing how that is done or a book with a good diagram!
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MD

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AshbyCut
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by AshbyCut »

Description taken from Falkus and Buller's "Freshwater Fishing." Hope this helps, MD.

Image

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Greentura
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by Greentura »

lift method in deep water with slider floats i use a bulk about a foot off bottom that cock the float to the top of the body of my windbeater type floats then have a single AAA 3 inches from the hook which sinks the stem and the sight bob. The stem is painted black and white stripes and even with depths less than you could easily cast with a float rod and fixed float i find i conect easier with the fish when the float lifts. mainly as the float takes less then the AAA to sink it, about 1BB and 1 No.4, so the fish is in effect only lifting 1 No.4 to raise the shot at first then as it lifts more of the float goes up making the shot less suspended which can make the fish 'bolt', resulting in those classic lift and sail away bites we all love to see, the initial lift giving us enough warning to tension the line and be ready to strike. Oh i miss the summer :Wink:

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MaggotDrowner
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by MaggotDrowner »

The only bit that slightly puzzles me is why you wind in to cock the float.

Because you are fishing so over depth there must be a lot of loose line in a bow on the surface and the line must be slack between the float and the big shot near the hook.

By reeling in are you pulling the float away from the shot, towards the rod, and straightening the line, making the float cock? If this is the case, wouldn't the line not be vertical from the shot to the float (as in the picture provided by AC) but at an angle?
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MD

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Greentura
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by Greentura »

fishing with the float set an inch or so over depth means when you tighten up, the float dots down to as far as it can and when the line is under mild tension right through to the shot, the slightest movement shows and the float lifts. whatever float you use the last bit of the float showing needs to be just over depth so it needs to have a shot heavier to just hold bottom when tightened to take the float tip down to the sight bob or brightly coloured tip. i like lengths of peacock quill with silicon tube to hold to the line that only take as much shot as is needed to reach where i am fishing, be it 1BB or a double swan shot if fishing fairly shallow, under 6 feet that is, especially around lilies and reedbeds as if the fish tears off through the peacock quill just pings off leaving only a shot and float rubber which are less likely to catch and snag the fish up.

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AshbyCut
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by AshbyCut »

MaggotDrowner wrote:The only bit that slightly puzzles me is why you wind in to cock the float.
Because you are fishing so over depth there must be a lot of loose line in a bow on the surface and the line must be slack between the float and the big shot near the hook.
By reeling in are you pulling the float away from the shot, towards the rod, and straightening the line, making the float cock? If this is the case, wouldn't the line not be vertical from the shot to the float (as in the picture provided by AC) but at an angle?
You reel the line in so that there is no 'loose line,' which is why the weight needs to be just enough to hold in place. With any 'loose line' the strike will not be positive as you'd merely be taking up the slack rather than hooking the fish.

Don't get confused with float legering, where the weight would be enough to hold in place with the line to the float at quite an angle (exerpt from "Techniques of Ledgering." Harvey D. Torbett.) :-

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Marc
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Re: How to correctly fish the lift method.

Post by Marc »

It's similar to the Polaris float method (or should I say that the other way around). I always worry that a fish would feel the shot on the lift method.
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