Many anglers who want to fish at range for silvers choose the feeder, but there’s a floatfishing alternative that’s deadly in the right situation. The slider does exactly what it says on the tin. Waggler fishing anywhere over 10ft deep is extremely difficult – even with a long rod – because the drop between float and hook makes casting very tricky.
With a slider, the mainline runs through the float’s eye once it hits the water, checked by a stop knot that can be moved up and down the line to adjust the depth. If a swim is 15ft deep, the knot must be located 15ft away from the hook if you intend to fish at dead depth.
Whacking out 10g-15g floatsand striking at bites firmly can test your tackle. I use 8lb mainline, with a 0.25mm leader below that. A quick-change swivel goes on to the end of the leader, with a 12ins hooklength of 0.13mm and a size 16 hook at the business end.
USING ONE OF THE BEST FISHING REELS WILL MAKE SLIDER FISHING MUCH EASIER.
Use fluorocarbon
With a heavy float, the hooklength and mainline could create a tangle. To avoid this, attach a metre of thick fluorocarbon to the mainline via a loop-to-loop attachment. The olivette that helps the float sit correctly is locked in place with two small shot over the top of the loop-to-loop knot to conceal it.
WANT TO TRY FISHING THE SLIDER? CHECK OUT OUR WHERE TO FISH GUIDE FOR SOME GREAT VENUES TO TRY.
Tie the perfect stop knot
Lay 18ins of 0.17mm line against the mainline. Double it up, so half is pinned against the mainline and the rest is a tag end in your other hand. Wrap that end around the piece pinned against the mainline seven times, then run it through the small loop created at the top end of where you doubled up the length of 0.17mm.
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Plumb up
Using a rod with an identical set-up to the one you are fishing with, attach a 1oz lead to a quick- change swivel. Set the stop knot to the expected depth, cast out, hit the line clip, then wind seven turns on to the reel and release the bail-arm. If the float doesn’t appear within a few seconds, you need to push the stop knot up.
Set the depth
Lay the fishing and plumbing rods side by side, with minimal tension in the tips when the hook is in the rod’s keeper ring. Slide the stop knot on the fishing rod to a position that leaves it 12ins shallower than the plumbing rod to allow for the hooklength. Add a dash of Tipp-Ex to your rod to create a reference point.
