ADTV Match Masterclass - The Most Effective Rig in Fishing that can't be Banned

The first rig is all about keeping the shortest lash that your fishery rules allow. At this venue I can fish with just a four-inch gap between the float and the pole tip, although many fisheries require six inches or even a foot or more. The shorter you make your lash, the more connected you are to your hookbait. The constant tension means that fish effectively hook themselves against the pole tip, and you dramatically reduce the number of bites that get missed.

I use a very light inline pole float (dibber float), loaded with a single No.11 shot beneath it and a 6mm banded pellet acting as the second shot. The inline design helps reduce tangles and keeps everything neat when fishing such a short lash. While it's never quite as effective as an overshotted rig, it's about as close as you can get while staying within the most common rules.

The other reason all of these shallow setups work so well is movement. A static bait rarely looks natural when fish are competing near the surface. By constantly lifting and dropping the float a couple of inches, you're creating movement that mimics loose feed falling through the water and it feels much more natural to them.

When fishing shallow, I don't think you can move the rig too much. Every lift and drop can trigger a reaction bite, and sometimes you'll hook fish simply by lifting at exactly the right moment. Combined with regular feeding, this keeps fish competing hard in your peg and dramatically increases your chances of converting bites into fish.

One of the questions anglers always ask me is "How deep should I fish?" The truth is there's no universal answer. Every venue and every day is different. As a general rule, if you're getting lots of line bites, come shallower. If you're not getting enough indications, go deeper. The fish will tell you where they want to feed.

On this session, the fish were swirling for pellets just below the surface, so I was fishing around 9 inches deep, I could probably have come down to 6 even. Regular feeding is really important too, five or six pellets introduced little and often, in between bites to keep the fish competing all the time.

Some fisheries insist on a minimum 12-inch lash, this is where we start to get a big problem for shallow fishing; slack line. To remedy this I place two No.8 back shots a two inches above the float. These heavy shot pin down the long lash and keep everything tight between the pole tip and the float. Below the float, I use two spread No.11 shots and a short hooklink with a banded pellet.

The principle remains exactly the same as the first rig, eliminate slack and stay connected to the hookbait. Although this setup isn't quite as instant as the short-lash version, it still converts far more bites than a standard pole rig and works brilliantly on venues with a 12 inch rule.

Keeping the line tight is absolutely crucial for these types of rigs to be effective in a match. Every piece of slack reduces your ability to hit bites.. Secondly, feeding little and often keeps fish competing and feeding confidently. A steady trickle of pellets is usually far more effective than large dumps of bait. Also don't be afraid to adjust your rig or even swap to another entirely. If fish are feeding deeper, switch to a float with a longer bristle such as an F1 Slim and maintain the same back-shot principle to reduce as much slack as possible. 

For this session, my number one choice was pellets. I coated the Dynamite 6mm carp pellets in a small amount of tiger nut oil, which helps them sink at a consistent rate and gives them a subtle boost to their attraction. Consistency is important because you want every pellet to behave at the same and have the same sinking rate in the water.

Maggots are another fantastic option, especially when targeting F1s. They can be deadly during colder periods and often outfish pellets when bites become harder to come by. If venue rules allow, casters are probably the best shallow fishing bait.. They're incredibly effective, although many fisheries now ban them in matches because of the cost involved and the advantage they can grant to anglers who are able to spend more money on bait.

While nothing quite matches the effectiveness of an overshotted rig or a float rig, these adaptations get remarkably close while staying within fishery rules. If your venue allows a four or six-inch lash, the short-lash rig should be your first choice. If you're restricted to a 12-inch gap, adding back shots above the float will help keep everything tight and maintain a high conversion rate. Combine that with regular feeding, plenty of movement and the right depth, and you'll be amazed how many fish you can catch when shallow fishing even without the rigs that everyone talks about.