Rolling Meat - Short Session on the Severn

Mid-October and I managed to fit in a short evening session before the clock's changed. The river was up so I headed to a local beat where there are a few long sheltered slacks against the near bank. My plan was to wander the beat rolling meat through a few swims for an hour each to see if I could provoke a barbel into snatching the meat before it trundled past. 

I'm a relative newcomer to rolling meat so still trying to refine my tactics and get confidence in the method. I'm yet to take a fish on it, but I'm sure once a few fish have graced the net it'll be a tactic I'll turn to more and more for my mobile fishing. 

Pin! Rolling Meat down the edge of a flooded river

Rig wise, I set-up on my 11ft Harrison Torrix. I had the rod custom built to be as light as possible, including titanium rings, and it's the perfect tool for the job. It's as light as a feather but pulls like a train when you lean into the blank. I paired the Torrix with a 'pin loaded with 15lb line. I used an olivette to provide a little additional weight, held in place with a float stop above and a swivel beneath to prevent line twist. A 2ft hooklength was finished with a size 6 hook to which I had mounted tungsten putty along the shank using shrink tube (instructions here: https://www.drennantackle.com/martin-bowlers-top-tips-12-rolling-meat/). 

Shrink Tube and Tungsten Putty - Credit: Photo and Idea to Martin Bowler!

Despite my best efforts the barbel either weren't on the feed, or just weren't in the parts of the river that I was targeting. The river was high and colored but the flow wasn't raging through so I suspected they were out dancing in the current rather than tucked up on my nearside line. Still, always nice to be out on the bank and a little more experience gained with a new method!