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How to fish the waggler on a rising river

Darren Cox gives insight on how working the waggler on a rising river can pay dividends.

by Tony Grigorjevs |

Published on2nd October 2025 at 2.45pm

With autumn setting in and weather becoming a little wetter, the flows have picked up, and a tinge of colour has been injected into many venues. You may see this as your cue to reach for a feeder rod, but the float can still work wonders in such conditions.

Waggler fishing allows you to cover plenty of the swim and keeps you in the hunt for a variety of species, including roach, chub, bream and barbel. You’ll need to make a few adjustments to get the most out of this approach in the increasingly autumnal conditions, but these are small tweaks, rather than wholesale changes.

THE BEST CHUB FISHING RODS ARE GREAT FOR FLOAT FISHING A RIVER.

Tackle up appropriately

When rivers are carrying extra flow and colour, you need balanced but durable tackle. A 13ft float rod paired with a 4000-sized reel and 3lb/4lb mainline gives you the right mix of control and finesse. Use a semi-loaded waggler, locked in place with rubber stops instead of heavy shot. This avoids line damage and minimises tangles.

THIS BUYERS GUIDE HAS OUR PICK OF THE BEST FISHING REELS.

Use a visible hookbait

In slightly murky water, your hookbait needs to stand out. Double maggot is a great starting point, but casters are a good alternative, especially the lighter-coloured shells. You can also introduce small amounts of hemp via a catapult to hold fish in the swim. It will sink quickly, and draw in bigger specimens like bream or hybrids.

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Feed with precision

Catapult half a pouch of maggots or hemp into the same spot each time you run your rig through. This builds a line of feed that keeps the fish occupied. Once the swim develops, vary your casting slightly upstream or downstream, but always feed the same area or line to build a picture of where it’s settling, and where the bite zone is.

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Maintain rig control

If the flow is erratic, set your rig just overdepth so it drags the bottom slightly, slowing the pace of the hookbait. Position your dropper shot close to the hook, and use a swivel to join hooklength and mainline to enable quick changes. Tweaking the depth, the pace of the trot and your shotting patternswill help you stay in touch with the shoal.

STARTING RIVER FISHING? READ THIS ARTICLE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO STARTING RIVER FISHING.

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