Coarse Fishing Techniques
By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026
Coarse fishing is freshwater fishing for any species other than salmon and trout, and almost all of it is catch and return. Nearly every coarse fishing technique you will see on the bank is a version of four methods: float, feeder, ledger or pole.
Learning them is the easy part. Choosing between them is where sessions are won or lost, because the method that catches is the one matched to the water, how deep and far out the fish are, the species and the conditions on the day. On Windermere I swap between feeder and float for bream depending on how far out they are feeding.
This page explains each method in plain terms, how to choose between them, and the rules you must follow before you cast.
What Coarse Fishing Is, and Where You Can Do It
If it lives in fresh water and it is not a salmon or a trout, it is a coarse fish. The popular targets are carp, bream, barbel, pike, perch, roach, rudd, tench, dace, chub and eels.
Most coarse venues require you to return what you catch, so fish care is part of the job. Carry a landing net and a disgorger or forceps, unhook fish quickly, and slip them back unharmed.
Coarse fishing happens on three types of water, and each one asks something different of you:
- Rivers: flowing water, and the venue type with a national coarse close season.
- Stillwaters: natural lakes, ponds, reservoirs and commercial fisheries.
- Canals: narrow, usually shallow and shared with boats.
Wherever you fish, a rod licence is only half the paperwork. You also need the owner’s or club’s permission, or a day ticket. The rules section below covers both. First, the methods.
The Four Core Methods: Float, Feeder, Ledger and Pole
A tackle shop wall can hold hundreds of rigs, but almost every one is a variation on four ideas. Learn the idea and the rigs make sense.
Float fishing
A float made of cork, wood or plastic sits above the baited hook and shows you the bite. It is visible and versatile: change the depth setting and you can fish a bait on the bottom, mid-water or near the surface. Its limits are depth and range. Once fish are a long way out, or a strong wind is pushing the float around on a big open lake, it becomes hard work. Start with our guide to float fishing for beginners.
Feeder fishing
A feeder is a small container of bait that takes the place of a plain weight. Every cast puts free bait beside your hook bait, building a feed area even at range. On Windermere, once bream are feeding beyond easy float range, a feeder is my default. The weak point is bite detection, because you only see a bite at the rod tip. Our feeder fishing guide goes further.
Ledgering
Ledgering uses a weight to hold your bait still on the bottom. Bites show as twitches or pulls on the rod tip, or on a bite alarm. It is simple and works at distance and in flow, but you feed separately by hand or catapult, and it is a poor choice when fish are feeding off the bottom. See ledgering for beginners.
Pole and whip fishing
A pole is a light carbon rod up to 16m long with no reel. The line is tied to elastic at the tip, which cushions the fight. Whips are shorter, cheaper and simpler. Both place a bait gently and exactly with little disturbance, but if the fish are beyond the pole’s length, it cannot reach them. Read our guide to pole fishing for beginners.
| Method | How the bite shows | Best range | Strongest on | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Float | Float dips, lifts or slides away | Close to medium | Any level in the water | Depth, range and wind |
| Feeder | Rod tip pulls or knocks | Medium to long | Building a feed area at range | Bite shows only at the rod tip |
| Ledger | Rod tip, bobbin or bite alarm | Close to long | Bait held still on the bottom, flow included | Feeding is separate from casting |
| Pole and whip | Float, with elastic at the pole tip | Up to the pole’s length | Precise placement, little disturbance | Limited range, bulky kit |
For most anglers, the first real decision is float versus feeder. The water usually settles it.
River vs Stillwater vs Canal: Choosing a Method by Water
Pick the wrong method for the water and you can sit all day on a good swim without a bite. River vs stillwater fishing is the first filter, because flow, depth and width decide what will work before species or bait come into it. Treat what follows as a starting point, not a law.
Rivers
Flow carries your bait and its scent downstream. Feeders and heavier ledger weights hold the bottom, while running a float through the swim (trotting) suits roach, dace and chub. Learn to read the water: creases where fast and slow water meet, steady glides, and slacks where fish shelter. Our guide to river coarse fishing covers reading a swim. Rivers also close for coarse fishing in spring (see the rules section below).
Stillwaters
With no flow, presentation and feeding accuracy matter most. On commercial fisheries the method feeder and the pole dominate. On natural lakes, the waggler float and the feeder do most of the work. Distance to the fish decides between pole or float close in and a feeder further out.
Canals
Canals are usually shallow, narrow and busy with boats. A pole or whip fished to the far-bank shelf or down the near-bank edge suits them, with light, little-and-often feeding.
Labels only go so far. How deep the water is and how far out the fish are feeding matter more than whether the venue is called a river, lake or canal.
- If you are fishing a river, start with a feeder or a trotted float.
- If you are fishing a commercial stillwater, start with a method feeder or a pole.
- If you are fishing a canal, start with a pole or whip.
Matching the Method to the Species
Each coarse species has a feeding style that favours one or two methods. Use this table as a first pick, then follow the link for full tactics.
| Species | Where you find them | Methods to start with | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bream | Lakes and slow rivers | Feeder, or float at closer range | How to catch bream |
| Tench | Stillwaters, close to weed | Float or feeder | Tench fishing |
| Roach | Rivers and stillwaters | Float or pole | Roach fishing |
| Barbel | Rivers | Feeder or ledger | How to catch barbel |
| Chub | Rivers | Stalking, float or feeder | How to catch chub |
| Crucian carp | Stillwaters | Float with delicate presentation | Crucian carp fishing |
| F1 carp | Commercial fisheries | Pole or method feeder | F1 fishing |
Bream shoal and feed on the bottom, and on Windermere I have found a steady feeder line holds them better than scattered bait. Rudd fishing is often done off the top in summer, and dace fishing is a river job, usually with a trotted float.
How Weather, Water Levels and Seasons Change Your Approach
The swim that fell to a float in July can be dead to the same rig in January. Conditions, not habit, should make the final choice of coarse fishing method.
- Warm months: fish spread out and feed higher in the water. Float, pole and surface approaches work well, and you can feed more heavily.
- Cold months: fish slow down and group in deeper or sheltered water. Scale down hooks and feed, and fish slowly. A feeder or ledger left still will often beat a moving bait.
- Rivers after rain: rising, coloured water pushes fish into slacks and the inside of bends, so step up to heavier feeders. A dropping, clearing river can switch fish back on, though not every time.
- Wind: on stillwaters, fish often follow a warm wind to the bank it blows into. A strong wind also makes float control difficult, so a feeder is usually the better call.
- Spring: the river close season from 15 March to 15 June pushes river anglers onto stillwaters and canals (see fishing seasons).
The verdict: check the weather and the river level before you pack, and take tackle for at least two methods.
The Rules: Licence, Close Season and Rod Limits
Fishing without a rod licence can cost you a fine of up to £2,500, even on a private lake. These rules apply to England and Wales and were checked against GOV.UK. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules, not covered here.
Licence. Anyone aged 13 or over fishing for freshwater fish with a rod and line in England (except the River Tweed), Wales and the Border Esk region needs a rod licence. Under 13s need none, and 13 to 16 year olds get a free junior licence (Welsh juniors must still register, so check with Natural Resources Wales). Check the current price on GOV.UK before you buy.
Permission. A licence is not permission to fish. You also need the owner’s or club’s permission, or a day ticket, and must follow national and local byelaws.
Close season. You cannot fish for coarse fish on rivers, streams, drains and waterways in England and Wales from 15 March to 15 June. Canals are exempt, and most enclosed stillwaters are open all year. Private waters can set their own close season, so check local byelaws and venue rules.
Rod limits. The trout, coarse fish and eel licence allows up to 2 rods, and the 12-month 3-rod version allows 3. Venues may set lower limits. Rods with no hooks, such as spod and marker rods, do not count (GOV.UK rod limits).
Catch limits. On rivers you may take up to 15 small fish up to 20cm a day (GOV.UK catch limits), but most coarse anglers return everything.
Full detail is in our guides to the fishing licence and fishing seasons and close season dates.
Your First Session, and Where Match Fishing Fits
You do not need much to start. Fishing in Wales puts a basic coarse setup at around £30 as a guide figure: a float or feeder rod, a reel, a few floats or feeders, hooks, a landing net and a disgorger or forceps.
Then get some help. Ask your local tackle shop, go with an angler who has done it before, or join a club that runs sessions for new anglers. For a first trip, pick a commercial stillwater and fish a float or a method feeder. Fish are plentiful and the banks are easy.
Match fishing is the next step for some. Pegs are drawn at random and the heaviest total weight wins, which sharpens every method on this page. Our guide to match fishing for beginners explains how to start.
- Best for: anglers who want structure and fast learning.
- Skip if: you prefer slow, single-species sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best coarse fishing method for beginners?
Float fishing or a method feeder on a commercial stillwater. A float shows every bite clearly and needs only simple kit. A method feeder is equally straightforward to fish, and stocked commercials give a beginner plenty of bites from level, easy banks.
Do I need a licence for coarse fishing?
Yes, if you are 13 or over and fishing in England or Wales, including on private lakes and club waters. Licences for 13 to 16 year olds are free, and under 13s need none. You also need the owner's permission or a day ticket. Fishing without a licence can bring a fine of up to £2,500.
When is the coarse fishing close season?
From 15 March to 15 June on rivers, streams and drains in England and Wales. Canals stay open, and most enclosed stillwaters can be fished all year. Private waters can set their own close season, so check the venue rules and local byelaws before you go.
What is the difference between feeder and ledger fishing?
Both hold your bait on the bottom and show bites at the rod tip. A ledger uses a plain weight, while a feeder carries free bait out on every cast to build a feed area around your hook bait. The feeder is the better choice when you want to draw fish in and hold them in one spot.