Where have all the wagglers gone

Sit back and think for a while of the times that you have fished the waggler over the season past , if you can count them on both hands you need a severe rollicking , if you can count them on one hand it’s time to give up fishing for you have missed out on the very essence of angling the very basis of our sport from times gone bye the one method that started the ball rolling, yes you've heard it all before but it really is that important to learn and use this skill whenever and wherever possible, the amount of young talent moving through the ranks of match fishing without mastering this all important method is frightening to say the least , I have also witnessed many so called crack anglers using waggler set ups that make them look as though they have just started fishing and badly at that which enforces the opinion that they have not learned this correctly from the time that they first began to fish often giving the excuse that they have not fished it in a long time ,If you look at angling methods in a simple way it is much more beneficial to the angler trying to learn than to complicate the issue as so many do , think of there being just one waggler method , one feeder method and one pole method then from the basic method there are variations based on the method chosen, take waggler fishing for example if you master the basic principle first such as how to set up the basic rig with special attention given to the float adapter so that the waggler can react and fold in the water upon the strike with the correct placing of any droppers , 2, 3rds down the line etc , the correct bulking of any shot used around the waggler or down the line and the right float for the job , I.e. the deeper the water the longer the float etc , it is then far easier to accept the advanced areas of waggler fishing such as slider fishing or stick float fishing perhaps having mastered the basics first.
One area that surprises me the most when out talking to or watching people fish is the casting techniques or lack of them that anglers use even anglers of considerable standing on the match circuit , winching the waggler up to the top of the rod and making that awful whipping noise having taken lessons from Zorro no doubt, casting in the correct manner should come naturally to the angler if they have had the insight and time in which to practice , I remember well the countless occasions on my local field casting a waggler into an empty bucket time and time again to improve accuracy gradually moving the bucket further and further away assisting me to accurately cast to trees or rushes when I visited waters in my area , this process was also repeated with a bomb and light feeder rod , you might get some funny looks but I promise you it is well worth it all you have to do is practice regularly until you have cracked it which doesn't take very long, The thing that you must be aware of when casting is to use the rod as a lever and not to thrash the waggler out but to gently use the motion created when sending it forward to propel the waggler or whatever to it’s designated target , a good way to achieve an accurate cast with minimum effort is to leave at least five to seven feet between tip and waggler when casting , (a bit like a pendulum cast but with a little more finesse) , using whatever weight is involved to propel itself further from the amount of force that is used, One of the most important factors is the wagglers design I’m afraid tackle manufacturers are mostly to blame here producing many wagglers that are let’s say far from ideal , you will find that for the majority of your waggler fishing on still waters , canals etc where there is little or no flow to speak of a home made waggler made from peacock with a finer insert peacock top which has at least half it’s loading within it’s base using say two bb’s and a number 1 shot to lock it in place with up to four or five No 10’s as droppers is far better than many of the wagglers that you can buy over the counter as you can build them to suit every aspect of the angling that you may encounter especially as to loading quantity’s and to your own specific designs, I have built my wagglers like so many others ever since I can remember fishing however I do own some which have been purchased from a shop Drennan fast taper peacocks in the main and some stick designs which have stood the test of time although the fast tapers have been loaded to accommodate less shot around their base to ensure better and more accurate flight , as far as any droppers are concerned I nearly always use styl weights down the line mostly no 10’s and 12’s apart from fishing fast running waters where shot are used instead and a fine American snap link is used to connect the waggler to the line giving perfect manoeuvrability as you cast and strike also to enable the replacement to a different waggler in seconds if and when the conditions change.
I have always been a fan of the Italians and their ability’s to produce good wagglers especially the big ones that are used on some of their larger rivers , they appear to have a very good understanding of what is needed when a particular style or problem needs to be addressed which can be lacking in this country as far as the manufacturing of wagglers is concerned as it is only the last couple of years or so that we have seen an explosion in the amount of big wagglers in this country mainly from match men wanting to fish at distance for carp which is a great pity as it would have been nice to see some forward movement on the regular waggler designs, I remember well having a conversation with Roberto Trabucco about waggler design about five years ago after which he gave me a bodied waggler called the “Virtual” weighing in at a mere 8 gr ( six of which is loading ) it was designed for roach fishing at distance on big rivers and displays a superb knowledge of what is needed when approaching this problem , it has a sliding body in which the loading is housed , with flights for directional casting and a multiple tip arrangement that allows you to fish a fat slotted or solid thin tip with colour change in seconds , clearly the sliding body arrangement gives huge benefits when fishing at distance for finicky roach , for bite registration to hooking.
 I have often seen in top flight magazines explanations of waggler set ups from some of England's finest anglers who are at the forefront of angling in this country and abroad and it has got to be said some of these are most definitely miss leading to the angler wishing to learn , the countless numbers of young and general anglers that look to these publications for their tips and tricks buying these magazines every week or month to find out the latest methods , you know what I mean those photo’s of SSG shot bulked around the base of a waggler in a fashion all of it’s own packed tighter than a ducks rear end ,wagglers hanging like dead crows from a catch net and line with kinks like Percy's tail etc (the pig that is) , integrity is the one thing that should not be compromised but alas we did not account for money did we as long as life’s great pockets are being lined the information will flow freely whatever it looks or sounds like , things like , “the Trent’s dead” , “That bait is blown” and “he won of the next peg to me it’s full of fish”, as if they were living in a house and he was fishing through the window ? , they will remain some of life’s great mystery’s to me.
 If the youth of today doesn't learn to use and enjoy the fine art of waggler fishing where will they be tomorrow ? , they will not evolve into the all round anglers that they must become in order to take angling forwards , they will have no passion for waggler fishing as it slides to the rear of their angling armoury forgotten and replaced by modern day pole methods , if you think that I am being a little dramatic then I ask you this , “when was the last time if at all that you fished or you saw someone fishing the slider” , one of anglings great methods that falls well within this criteria ? , many of our great match men from all over the country cannot or will not fish it insisting that they have no need or that they do not fish deep enough waters , I am certain that the great Ian Heaps whom was renowned world wide for his ability’s in this once great and widely used method would disagree with these statements , using it with remarkable efficiency in waters which could have been fished with a fixed waggler, Perhaps every angler is guilty of neglecting this once powerful purists tool myself included opting instead for the soft option and ease of use presented by some of our said “more productive methods” on any given venue but the angler must , like a joiner , brick layer or plumber be just as efficient with every tool in the box if they wish to make a good job of it.
There is just something magical about watching a proficient waggler angler catching fish and enjoying it , using his rod like an extension of his arm , tweaking his line to keep in constant contact with the float and casting on a sixpence , “I wish” , so all anglers out there whom have neglected this area of our sport young , old or indifferent take some time out from whatever you do pick a venue arm yourself to the teeth with bait and rekindle your love affair with this fantastic method , you might just enjoy yourself.
 

"got to go I'm off waggler fishing" !
 

Tomo