Fishing Leads and Weights Explained
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
Fishing weights do three jobs: cock your float, hold your bait on the bottom, and carry your rig to the spot. Pick the lightest one that does the job in your swim. UK anglers call them fishing leads, whatever they are made of.
This guide covers split shot sizes, ledger and feeder weights, carp leads and safety rigs, sea grip leads, a selector table, and the law.
In Great Britain, supplying lead weights over 0.06g and up to 28.35g for fishing has been banned since 1 January 1987. That is why the split shot in tackle shops is now mostly lead-free.
Leads, Weights and Shot: What the Terms Mean
American guides say sinker. UK tackle shops say lead, even for a tungsten weight.
- Lead: shorthand for any fishing weight, including tungsten and steel ones.
- Shot: small split balls pinched onto the line for float and light ledger rigs.
- Leads and bombs: larger weights threaded or clipped on for ledger, feeder, carp and sea fishing.
Learn one conversion: 1oz is 28.35g, the same odd number as the legal cut-off. For quick reference, 2oz is about 57g, 3oz about 85g, 5oz about 142g and 6oz about 170g. Freshwater weights are often sold in grams, carp and sea leads in ounces.
A running lead lets the line slide through, so a cautious fish feels little resistance. A fixed (bolt) lead stays put, so the fish pricks itself against the weight. Our terminal tackle guide covers both set-ups.
Shot is the smallest and fiddliest of the lot, so start there.
Split Shot Sizes: From SSG to No.10
Why does a No.10 weigh less than a No.4? Numbered split shot sizes run backwards: the bigger the number, the smaller the shot. The lettered sizes sit above No.1 and are bigger again.
From largest to smallest, the common sizes are:
- SSG, AAA, BB
- No.1, No.3, No.4, No.6
- No.8, No.9, No.10
| Size | Rough size class | Typical job |
|---|---|---|
| SSG, AAA | Large | Bulk shot to lock a waggler or carry a heavier float |
| BB, No.1 | Medium | Main bulk on smaller floats |
| No.3, No.4, No.6 | Small | Droppers and stepped shotting |
| No.8, No.9, No.10 | Very small | Tell-tale shot near the hook |
Gram weights per size vary between makers, so go by the figures on your packet or dispenser rather than any single chart.
Treat the float’s rating as a budget. Most floats carry a stamped figure, such as “3AAA” or “2g”, that tells you how much shot cocks them. Put most of it on as bulk, then use small shot to dot the tip down. Our guide on how to choose and shot a float covers shotting patterns.
When I’m float fishing for bream and perch on Windermere, I keep the bulk well up the line and a small tell-tale near the hook, so lift bites show on the tip.
The law names split shot directly, which is why most shot on sale is lead-free (see the law section below). If you only buy one dispenser, get a mixed one covering SSG to No.8.
Ledger and Feeder Weights: Bombs, Flat Leads and Feeders
You cast to a clean spot, tighten up, and the tip drops back as the lead rolls down the slope or trundles off in the flow. Your bait is now somewhere else. With bottom weights in fresh water, shape matters as much as weight.
Arlesey bombs are the standard ledger weight: a teardrop with a swivel at the top, sold from about 5g to over 50g. They cast cleanly, but the round body can roll on gravel or a slope.
Flat and pear-shaped leads sit tighter on the bottom. They grip slopes and hold in a river where a bomb would bump downstream. As the flow increases, go heavier as well as flatter.
Swim-feeders carry their own weight, so on a feeder rig the feeder is the lead. Weight built into a feeder falls outside the legal definition of a lead weight, so leaded feeders can still be sold.
When I’m feeder fishing for bream on Windermere, I go no heavier than I need to hold the feeder still, because extra weight makes bites harder to read. For the swivels, beads and hooklinks that finish the rig, start with our tackle explainers.
Best for: a bomb on still water over a flat bottom. Skip if: the bottom slopes or the river pulls; use a flat lead.
Carp Leads and Safety Rigs: Inline, Lead Clip and Helicopter
On a bolt rig, the lead does half the hooking. A carp picks up the bait, feels the weight, bolts, and drives the hook home. The system holding the lead matters as much as the lead.
Safety comes first: if the main line breaks, the lead must be able to come free so a fish is never left towing it.
- Inline lead: the line runs through the lead, giving a strong bolt effect and a compact cast.
- Lead clip: the lead hangs on a clip, with a tail rubber pushed on lightly so it can eject. This is the widely used safety system.
- Helicopter or chod-style: the lead sits at the bottom with the hooklink above, keeping the hook clear of weed or silt. It needs a top bead or buffer that lets the hooklink slide off if the line parts.
Pear and flat leads hold position, streamlined distance leads cast further, and textured leads grip slopes. Whatever the shape, match the lead to your rod’s test curve and casting weight.
Fisheries often set their own rig rules, so check with the fishery before you travel.
The verdict: a lead clip set up to eject is the safe default for most carp fishing.
Sea Fishing Weights: Plain, Grip, Watchgrip and Swivel Leads
A lighter grip lead can outhold a heavier plain one. On the shore, choose weights by tide and ground first and size second.
Plain bombs and torpedoes are the cheapest and cast well, but roll once the tide runs. They earn their place over snaggy rock, where you expect to lose some.
Grip leads have wires that dig into the seabed. Fixed-wire versions hold hard but are tough to retrieve, while breakaway designs release their wires when you wind in.
Watchgrips are for sand and stir up sediment on the retrieve. Swivel leads reduce line twist on light work in low flow, and drilled bullets keep the bait down on float rigs.
| Lead | Ground and tide | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Plain bomb or torpedo | Slack water, rough ground | Cheap, rolls in tide |
| Fixed-wire grip | Running tide | Holds hard, harder to retrieve |
| Breakaway grip | Running tide | Wires release on the retrieve |
| Watchgrip | Sand | Stirs sediment |
| Swivel lead or bullet | Low flow, float rigs | Light work only |
Shore leads are commonly sold in sizes such as 4oz (113g), 5oz (142g) and 6oz (170g). All sit above the 28.35g threshold, which is why lead sea weights are still widely sold.
Carry both plain and grip leads, and switch to grip as wind and tide build. Stay within your rod’s casting weight; see the best sea fishing rods if yours is too light.
Quick comparison: plain for slack water and snags, grip once the tide pulls.
How to Choose the Right Weight for Your Swim
Use the lightest weight that cocks the float, holds bottom or reaches the spot, within your rod’s casting weight. Apply that rule with four questions:
- What rig: float, ledger or feeder, carp, or sea?
- How far out?
- How much flow or tide?
- What bottom: silt, gravel, weed, sand or rock?
| Situation | Weight type | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Stillwater float, close in | Split shot | Shot to the float’s rating |
| River float | Bulk shot lower, heavier float | Hold the bait down in the flow |
| Stillwater ledger or feeder | Light bomb or feeder | Just enough to cast and settle |
| River ledger | Flat lead or heavier feeder | Add weight until it just holds |
| Carp at range | Streamlined lead on a clip | Within casting weight |
| Beach, running tide | Grip lead | Switch from plain as it builds |
| Sea over rock | Plain lead | Expect losses |
To test whether a weight just holds, cast, tighten and watch the tip. If it springs back and the lead stays put, that is enough. If the lead trundles round, step up or switch to a grippier shape.
Drop-shotting for perch on Windermere’s drop-offs, I change the weight as the depth changes. Start light and add weight only when you lose touch with the bottom.
The Lead Weights Law in the UK: What You Can Buy and Use
Is lead fishing tackle illegal in the UK? Not quite. The law bans supplying certain lead weights for fishing, not owning or using them.
What is banned. Supplying lead in the form of a lead weight for weighting fishing lines. Weights of 0.06g or less, and over 28.35g, are exempt. Anyone supplying split shot is presumed to supply it for fishing. Some guides still say only certain waters are affected; that is not what the regulations say.
What does not count. Weights fully enclosed in a line core, or built into swim-feeders, self-cocking floats or fishing flies.
Timeline. The 1986 regulations came into force on 1 January 1987. A 1993 amendment removed the import ban from 10 February 1993. England consolidated the rules into the Environmental Protection (Anglers’ Lead Weights) (England) Regulations 2015, in force from 1 July 2015. A breach is an offence punishable by a fine on summary conviction.
| Nation | Instrument | Check with |
|---|---|---|
| England | SI 2015/815 | GOV.UK |
| Wales | 1986 regulations (SI 1986/1992) | Welsh Government |
| Scotland | 1986 regulations (SI 1986/1992) | Scottish Government |
| Northern Ireland | Not confirmed | DAERA |
No newer UK restriction on lead fishing tackle was found at the time of writing, so check GOV.UK for changes. The EU is moving towards restricting lead in fishing tackle under REACH, but that is EU law and does not apply in Great Britain.
The rules exist because lead is toxic to wildlife, such as waterbirds that swallow lost shot. Our full guide to the lead weights law goes further.
Using lead shot you already own is not an offence under these regulations, but lead-free shot does the same job.
Lead-Free Weights: Tungsten, Steel and Bismuth
Lead-free shot does not change how you shot a float, only the size of each weight and the price.
- Tungsten is denser than lead, so a given weight is smaller. It is usually the most expensive.
- Steel and other ferrous alloys are less dense, so shot is bulkier for the same weight.
- Bismuth is a little less dense than lead, and soft.
Modern lead-free shot pinches on and moves much like lead. Some harder types can damage line if over-squeezed, so close shot gently and never slide it under pressure. Tungsten putty and tungsten drop-shot weights put compact weight near the hook.
Bigger carp and sea leads are still mostly lead because they sit above the 28.35g threshold, though lead-free versions exist.
Best for: all float and light ledger fishing. Skip if: you need several ounces for the beach and want the cheapest option.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to use lead fishing weights in the UK?
No. The regulations ban supplying lead weights over 0.06g and up to 28.35g for fishing, not owning or using them. England follows SI 2015/815, while Wales and Scotland follow the 1986 regulations. In Northern Ireland, check with DAERA. Fisheries can set their own tackle rules, so check with the fishery too.
What size split shot should I use?
Start with the rating stamped on your float and make up most of it with bulk shot from SSG to BB. Then fine-tune with No.4 to No.8 down the line, keeping the smallest shot nearest the hook so bites register.
What weight should I use for beach fishing?
Use enough to hold bottom in the tide, and never more than your rod's casting weight. Plain leads work in slack water; switch to grip leads once the tide runs. The sea weights section of this guide compares each type by ground and tide.
Why is 28.35g the cut-off for lead weights?
28.35g is 1oz, rounded to two decimal places. The regulations exempt lead weights over that figure, which leaves most carp and sea leads outside the supply ban. The instrument itself does not state why that threshold was chosen.