Stret Pegging

Something of a lost art - but a method which can be deadly - particularly if sport has been a little slow. Basically the technique is one of 'float ledgering' a river - particularly ones with a bit of flow (I use it a fair bit on the Kennet). Choose a float that will carry a bit of weight - something like a 2.5ssg loafer is ideal, you fish a long way over depth as well as over-shotting the float. All the shot is bulked about 12 inches from the hook. Cast out to the head of the swim and ensure that you set the depth so that the float is on the surface. Your bait will be nailed to the bottom. The technique is about inching your bait through the swim. Do this by lifting the float so that the shot dislodges on the bottom and trundles a few inches downstream. Drop your rod tip to hold it in this new position. Wait a couple of minutes and repeat until the entire swim has been covered. The point where you move the bait is when you should be ready for a bite - which for some reason are always violent! I can picture what might be happening beneath the surface - perhaps the fish are inspecting the bait when it suddenly starts to leave their immediate vicinity - thus prompting them to make up there minds to have it! Pure supposition I know - but there’s never anything subtle with the bites you get when Stret-pegging.

For Stret-Pegging to be really effective, your rod tip needs to be in-line with the float. Casting across the current won’t work very well as it will mean you pull the bait out of line each time you lift ‘to trundle’. Thus it works best on near bank swims - or it means having to wade. (And it’s another reason for having a bit more reach that a 15' rod gives you).

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