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Ledgering

Method · Last reviewed 2026-08-10

Fishing a bait on the bottom held by a weight, with no float — the simplest way to fish at distance, in depth, or in wind.

Safety

Fish welfare — Can cause injury needing treatment

A fixed lead on a line that breaks leaves a fish attached to a weight it cannot shed, tethered to weed or snags, unable to feed properly.

What reduces it: Use arrangements where the lead can be ejected if the line parts, and check line and knots so that the break happens at the hooklength rather than higher up.

Ledgering is bottom fishing stripped to essentials: a weight, a hooklength, a bait on the bottom, and a means of seeing or hearing a take. It is what you use when a float will not work — too far, too deep, too windy, too much flow — and it is the foundation on which feeder fishing, carp fishing and most sea bait fishing are built.

The interesting decision in ledgering is how the line runs through the weight. A running leger lets line pass freely, so a fish moving off feels almost nothing until the angler responds; a fixed or semi-fixed lead does the opposite, letting the fish hook itself against the resistance. Those are opposite philosophies applied to the same tackle, and which is right depends entirely on how the quarry behaves when it feels something.

What it is

Presenting a bait on or near the bottom using a weight to hold it in position, without a float. Bite indication comes from the rod tip, from a bobbin or indicator on the line, or from an electronic alarm.

How it works

The weight anchors the terminal tackle; the hooklength allows the bait to lie naturally beyond it. In a running leger the main line passes through a ring or the weight's own bore, so a taking fish draws line without moving the lead. In a fixed or semi-fixed arrangement the weight is attached solidly enough that a fish moving off pulls against it and drives the hook home — the bolt effect.

What it is for

To hold a bait in position at distance, at depth, in wind, or in flow, and to detect a take without a visual float. It is the default method wherever conditions defeat float tackle, and the basis of most modern specimen angling.

Setting it up

  • Use the lightest weight that holds bottom in the conditions; excess weight kills sensitivity and spooks fish.
  • Decide between running and fixed by how the quarry behaves — running for cautious, deliberate feeders, fixed for fish that bolt.
  • Keep the hooklength appropriate: longer for a natural presentation, shorter for positive hooking against a fixed weight.
  • Set indication to match the expected bite: a fine quivertip for delicate takes, a bobbin or alarm for runs.
  • Fish a tight line between rod and lead so that movement transmits, without pulling the bait out of position.

Advantages

  • Works at distances and depths a float cannot reach.
  • Unaffected by surface wind and drift.
  • Simple, robust and inexpensive.
  • Allows a bait to be left in position while attention is elsewhere, which a float does not.

Limitations

  • Presentation is limited to the bottom.
  • Bite indication is less immediate and less informative than a float.
  • In snaggy ground a fixed lead becomes a hazard to fish if the line parts.
  • It is easy to fish a bait that has landed somewhere unintended without knowing.

Conditions

Ledgering suits deep water, distance, strong wind, coloured water and flowing rivers — everywhere float control breaks down. In very weedy or snaggy ground the arrangement must be chosen so that a fish that breaks the line can shed the lead, which is a welfare requirement rather than a preference.

Common mistakes

  • Using far more lead than is needed, so bites are damped out before they reach the tip.
  • Fishing a fixed lead in snags, so a break leaves a fish towing a weight.
  • Leaving so much slack line that a fish can move a metre before anything registers.
  • Assuming the bait is where it was cast, when it has rolled or dropped into a feature.
  • Ignoring line bow in flow, which turns a sharp bite into nothing at all.

What this is called elsewhere

FishingHQ’s headword is the term used in Britain & Ireland.

Bottom fishing — North America, Australia, New Zealand, East & Southern Africa, South-East Asia, Global
The general international term for the same technique, in both fresh and salt water. Far more widely understood than 'ledgering', which is essentially a British word.
Surfcasting — North America, Australia, New Zealand, East & Southern Africa
Bottom fishing from a surf beach with a long rod specifically, rather than the technique in general. FishingHQ covers that as its own record.
Legering — Britain & Ireland
The same word, spelt with one 'd'. Both spellings are current in British angling writing and neither is more correct.

Where to go next

What it catches

60 more
What these connections rest on (68)

Practitioner consensus — 68 connections

Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.

  • African sharptooth catfish

    A practitioner claim about how Clarias gariepinus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for african sharptooth catfish.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for african sharptooth catfish and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Atlantic cod

    An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Ballan wrasse

    An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Black sea bass

    A practitioner claim about how Centropristis striata is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for black sea bass.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for black sea bass and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Black seabream

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Blonde ray

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Blue catfish

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • IGFA International Angling Rules and World Record Requirements — International Game Fish Association (Angling or fisheries organisation)Relied on for: Recognition of the species as an established sport fish and the angling methods and tackle classes conventionally used for it.States this directlyPassage read and verified
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this species and method.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Blue cod

    A practitioner claim about how Parapercis colias is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for blue cod.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for blue cod and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Blue threadfin

    A practitioner claim about how Eleutheronema tetradactylum is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for blue threadfin.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for blue threadfin and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Brill

    A practitioner claim about how Scophthalmus rhombus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for brill.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for brill and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Bull huss

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Bull shark

    A statement about how a species is taken, which is practice convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • BlueWater Hunting and Freediving — BlueWater Freedivers, Ventura, California, 1995 (Practitioner report)Relied on for: Reef and blue-water breath-hold hunting practice, including quarry behaviour, approach, catch handling and the judgement involved in taking a shot.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of quarry behaviour and regional fishing practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Burbot

    A practitioner claim about how Lota lota is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for burbot.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for burbot and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Channel catfish

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • IGFA International Angling Rules and World Record Requirements — International Game Fish Association (Angling or fisheries organisation)Relied on for: Recognition of the species as an established sport fish and the angling methods and tackle classes conventionally used for it.States this directlyPassage read and verified
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this species and method.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Chub

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established coarse-angling technique and its application to the species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary British coarse practice for this species.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Common carp

    Established practice described independently across the carp literature.

    • Carp Fever — Beekay Publishers, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Bottom fishing method and bolt-rig practice for carp.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Still-Water Angling — MacGibbon & Kee, 1953 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Stillwater carp method from an earlier and independent tradition.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Common pandora

    A practitioner claim about how Pagellus erythrinus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for common pandora.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for common pandora and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Common stingray

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Conger eel

    An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Dab

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Deccan mahseer

    A practitioner claim about how Tor khudree is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for deccan mahseer.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for deccan mahseer and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • European eel

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Freshwater angling technique and its application to this species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary practice for this species in the British and European coarse press.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • European flounder

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • European plaice

    An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Flapper skate

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Freshwater drum

    A statement about how a species is fished outside Europe, resting on restated international practice rather than on the British angling literature.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • IGFA International Angling Rules and World Record Requirements — International Game Fish Association (Angling or fisheries organisation)Relied on for: International recreational angling practice and the record framework that documents which species are pursued and how.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified

  • Giant freshwater stingray

    A practitioner claim about how Urogymnus polylepis is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for giant freshwater stingray.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for giant freshwater stingray and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Gilthead bream

    A practitioner claim following from the species' verified crushing dentition.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of crab and shellfish baits for sea bream and of the tackle required for crushing-jawed species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner guidance on bait selection for gilthead bream.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Golden mahseer

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • IGFA International Angling Rules and World Record Requirements — International Game Fish Association (Angling or fisheries organisation)Relied on for: Recognition of the species as an established sport fish and the angling methods and tackle classes conventionally used for it.States this directlyPassage read and verified
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this species and method.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Goonch

    A practitioner claim about how Bagarius yarrelli is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for goonch.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for goonch and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Grey gurnard

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Gudgeon

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established coarse angling practice, including method selection, presentation and the reasoning behind them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Freshwater angling technique and the principles behind method selection.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Haddock

    A practitioner claim following from the species' verified feeding morphology.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of bait size and presentation for haddock in relation to cod on the same ground.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner guidance that haddock take small baits fished hard on the bottom.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Korean rockfish

    A practitioner claim about how Sebastes schlegelii is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for korean rockfish.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for korean rockfish and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Lake sturgeon

    A practitioner claim about how Acipenser fulvescens is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for lake sturgeon.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for lake sturgeon and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Mangrove jack

    A practitioner claim about how Lutjanus argentimaculatus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for mangrove jack.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for mangrove jack and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Mediterranean moray

    Practice, recorded as practice.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling and shore gathering practice as reported by practitioners: ground, seasonal timing, tackle, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of technique, quarry behaviour and regional practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Pouting

    A practitioner claim about how Trisopterus luscus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for pouting.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for pouting and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Red emperor

    A practitioner claim about how Lutjanus sebae is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for red emperor.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for red emperor and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Red gurnard

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling and shore gathering practice as reported by practitioners: ground, seasonal timing, tackle, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of technique, quarry behaviour and regional practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Red scorpionfish

    Practice, recorded as practice.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling and shore gathering practice as reported by practitioners: ground, seasonal timing, tackle, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of technique, quarry behaviour and regional practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Redear sunfish

    A practitioner claim about how Lepomis microlophus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for redear sunfish.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for redear sunfish and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Redtail catfish

    A practitioner claim about how Phractocephalus hemioliopterus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for redtail catfish.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for redtail catfish and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Rohu

    A practitioner claim about how Labeo rohita is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for rohu.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for rohu and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Sheepshead

    A practitioner claim about how Archosargus probatocephalus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for sheepshead.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for sheepshead and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Silver carp

    A practitioner claim about how Hypophthalmichthys molitrix is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for silver carp.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for silver carp and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Silver trevally

    A practitioner claim about how Pseudocaranx georgianus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for silver trevally.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for silver trevally and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Small-eyed ray

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Small-spotted catshark

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Spotted grunter

    A practitioner claim about how Pomadasys commersonnii is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for spotted grunter.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for spotted grunter and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Spotted ray

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Spotted sorubim

    A practitioner claim about how Pseudoplatystoma corruscans is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for spotted sorubim.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for spotted sorubim and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Spurdog

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Starry smooth-hound

    A practitioner claim about how Mustelus asterias is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for starry smooth hound.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for starry smooth hound and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Striped red mullet

    A practitioner claim about how Mullus surmuletus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for striped red mullet.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for striped red mullet and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Tambaqui

    A practitioner claim about how Colossoma macropomum is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for tambaqui.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for tambaqui and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Tautog

    A practitioner claim about how Tautoga onitis is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for tautog.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for tautog and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Thick-lipped grey mullet

    An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Thornback ray

    A practitioner claim about how Raja clavata is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for thornback ray.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for thornback ray and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Tope

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Tub gurnard

    A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European sea angling practice as reported by practitioners, including ground, seasonal timing, bait and method convention.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of species behaviour and regional angling practice, recorded as consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Turbot

    A practitioner claim about how Scophthalmus maximus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for turbot.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for turbot and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Wels catfish

    Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Freshwater angling technique and its application to this species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary practice for this species in the British and European coarse press.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • White seabream

    A practitioner claim about how Diplodus sargus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for white seabream.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for white seabream and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • White sturgeon

    A practitioner claim about how Acipenser transmontanus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for white sturgeon.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for white sturgeon and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Whiting

    A practitioner claim about how Merlangius merlangus is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for whiting.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for whiting and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Yellowfin bream

    A practitioner claim about how Acanthopagrus australis is commonly fished, following from where and how it feeds.

    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practitioner accounts of fishing for yellowfin bream.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of the methods used for yellowfin bream and comparable species.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Barbel

    Established river practice, independently described.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Leger practice for barbel in flowing water.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary barbel practice.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

Related techniques

What these connections rest on (1)

Practitioner consensus — 1 connection

Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.

  • Coarse fishing

    Categorical placement.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Legering within British coarse practice.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Bottom fishing described in the earlier literature.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

What you fish it with

What these connections rest on (5)

Practitioner consensus — 5 connections

Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.

  • Bite alarms and indicators

    That a practice conventionally depends on a piece of equipment, drawn from published description of practice rather than from testing.

    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK coarse, match, carp and predator practice as reported by practitioners, including equipment convention and fishery rules on it.FishingHQ's interpretation of what it saysCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Classical coarse angling practice: poles, floats, retention and the conventions around them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Double overhand loop

    Which knot a kind of fishing conventionally uses is established practitioner knowledge that converges across independent traditions and independent state agency guides, and it is labelled as consensus rather than as tested result. Nothing here ranks knots by strength: see `why-knot-strength-tables-disagree` for why that number does not exist.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Comprehensive British freshwater angling practice: terminal arrangements, leaders, droppers and the knots each is made with.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Classical coarse angling practice, including hooklength attachment, loops and the shotting arrangements they carry.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Paternoster rig

    That a method is conventionally fished on a particular terminal arrangement, drawn from angling literature and from widely restated practitioner description rather than from testing.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Long-running published description of British sea angling practice, including trace construction, dropper loops and the knots used in them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated public description of which knots are conventionally tied for which sea connections, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Running leger

    That a method is conventionally fished on a particular terminal arrangement, drawn from angling literature and from widely restated practitioner description rather than from testing.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Comprehensive British freshwater angling practice: terminal arrangements, leaders, droppers and the knots each is made with.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Classical coarse angling practice, including hooklength attachment, loops and the shotting arrangements they carry.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Uni knot

    Which knot a kind of fishing conventionally uses is established practitioner knowledge that converges across independent traditions and independent state agency guides, and it is labelled as consensus rather than as tested result. Nothing here ranks knots by strength: see `why-knot-strength-tables-disagree` for why that number does not exist.

    • Knots Every Angler Should Know — Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 2015 (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: A state fisheries agency's knot guide: which knot is set out for which connection, and the fishing it is presented for.States this directlyPassage read and verified
    • Learn to fish: tying the knot — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 2025 (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: The same connections set out independently by a second state wildlife agency, written separately and agreeing on purpose and material.States this directlyPassage read and verified

Skills behind it

1 more
What these connections rest on (9)

Practitioner consensus — 5 connections

Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.

  • Getting bait where you want it

    A link from a practice or a piece of equipment to the mechanism or explanation it rests on.

    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Classical British coarse angling practice: river float work, shotting, bait delivery and the reels and rods used for each.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Comprehensive British freshwater angling practice including river float fishing, surface presentation and the equipment for each.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • How weights and sinkers work

    A link from a practice or a piece of equipment to the explanation of what it is for. The two records are halves of one answer and the edge is what lets a reader arriving at either find the other.

    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Comprehensive angling practice including tackle setup, the function of each component and the balance between them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Coarse Fishing — A. & C. Black, 1912 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Classical coarse angling practice including float shotting, bite registration and terminal arrangement.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Line memory, stretch and bite detection

    Bite detection at distance is the central practical problem of ledgering and is discussed in exactly these terms.

    • IGFA International Angling Rules and World Record Requirements — International Game Fish Association (Angling or fisheries organisation)Relied on for: Tackle definitions and the dimensions by which tackle is specified.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified
    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: British freshwater practice on tackle selection and its reasoning.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Presenting bait in strong tide

    The problem and its solutions are recognisably the same in river and tidal fishing.

    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Sea angling practice on shore and boat fishing in tidal conditions.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Comparable reasoning about reading moving water and presenting bait in it, independently arrived at in the freshwater tradition.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Reading a river for fish

    A link from a practice, an environment or a geography to the mechanism it rests on. It asserts that the mechanism is load-bearing here rather than merely relevant, which is the test applied throughout this file.

    • Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK and European coarse, match and predator practice as reported by practitioners, including how conditions are read on the waters named.FishingHQ's interpretation of what it saysCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
    • General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated descriptions of how the condition named governs the practice named, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as scholarship.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

Scientific evidence — 2 connections

Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.

  • How fish smell and taste

    Static scented baits work through a scent plume rather than sight.

    • FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Species and habitat data underlying this connection. Static scented baits work through a scent plume rather than sight.States this directlyPassage read and verified

  • Reading the tide

    The same mechanism from the general technique's side.

    • NOAA Ocean Service tides and water levels educational tutorial — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: That tidal flow rate varies through the cycle.States this directlyPassage read and verified
    • Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Practitioner treatment of bottom fishing in tidal flow.FishingHQ's interpretation of what it saysCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

Authoritative guidance — 2 connections

Stated by a fisheries authority, scientific institute or recognised angling body. Authoritative, but summarising rather than demonstrating.

  • Ledgering, bottom fishing and legering: one idea, three words

    The method record and the vocabulary that surrounds it internationally.

    • FAO fishing gear types and fishing technology information — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Bottom-fishing gear configurations and terminology.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly

  • Sinker, weight and lead: regional vocabulary

    The freshwater case where the same object does a different job.

    • FAO fishing gear types and fishing technology information — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Weight and sinker types, their functions and the vocabulary applied to them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
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