Barry Delderfield - Inline Leads

My preferred lead arrangement on weedy waters where it’s relatively close range, up to around 15 wraps, is a drop off inline system. The use of a fairly tight clutch ensures the lead falls off almost instantly on the take, reducing the risk of collecting a large ball of weed around the lead making playing fish easier and refusing the risk of bouncing the hook out.

An inline set up is also much quicker to react when the fish sucks in the hookbait. Along with a super sharp Kamakura hook, I believe this results in more hooked fish over the course of a season. When fishing for heavily pressured or cautious feeding carp, the reaction time of the rig being a split second faster to catch hold, can be the difference between a hooked fish and an ejected rig. An inline offers quicker direct contact in comparison to a Lead Clip or Helicopter arrangement.

I also like the way a small inline pear sits close to the lake bed, flatter in comparison to a distance or ball lead, which in my mind, makes it more discrete and harder for a carp to detect.

For me, consistency in carp fishing is being able to catch when the carp are not feeding with gusto and I believe this presentation will trip up the most cautious of carp, thus resulting in more bites and bringing you closer to catching that target fish.

Barry favours using the lightest lead he can get away with, often no more than 2.5oz, allowing him to quietly drop rigs into position with minimal disturbance.