The swing bite indicator is designed for anglers, who like to enjoy the very fact of being by the water.
My swing tip twitched, it rose slightly and after a while it returned to its previous position. Subconsciously, I hold my breath. Two pass, three seconds. The tension is rising. The tip comes to life again and slowly goes up. This time, however, more definitely. Then it goes down again. I look at the place, in which the fishing line enters the water. It gives me great pleasure, when I see a fish pull the line, even before the tip moves. Oops, now it pulled quite nicely! Almost at the same moment the felt tip immediately jumped high up and, without changing its position, began to jolt slightly. that means, that the fish is holding the bait firmly in its mouth. I was just waiting for it – jam! There is a strong resistance at the other end of the line - you can start hauling.
For connoisseurs
Biting with a swing rod tip is a fascinating spectacle. Personally, I do not know another such bite indicator, that would respond to bites so thoroughly and so beautifully. This is the main reason, for which I like to fish with the "swing-tip". It is true that not always, because winkelpicker is much more efficient, but once in a while I must fish with a "swing-tip". Especially then, when I want to enjoy fishing all day or just relax and calm down by the water. I consider, that the technique of fishing with a swing rod tip, just like fly fishing, as if they were made for true fishing connoisseurs. The method is the most important, while the results themselves seem to be relegated to the background. Of course, this is just my private opinion. If someone cares only about that, to catch as many fish as possible in the shortest possible time, should immediately decide to fish with a fishing rod without a reel, the winkelpicker method or on a set with a feeder. But if it doesn't make any difference to you, that, for example, instead of 20 only catch fish 15, if you want to savor every take, truly relax, admire nature while fishing, a swing rod is just that, what are you looking for.
The most sensitive of all
I consider, that the swing tip reacts most sensitively to bites of all possible indicators. This is because of this, that the tip hanging downwards does not put any resistance to the fish playing with the bait. This beacon enables precise observation of the entire bite process, from the first careful inspection of the lure to the firm start and pull of the line. You rarely need a super fast too, nervous reaction, so characteristic of the winkelpicker method. The swing tip gives us an unlimited amount of time, to choose the right moment to jam. Therefore, this method does not require haste, which, however, does not mean at all, that it is not exciting. Although I am an avid supporter of "swing-tip", then I only fish this way from time to time. It is so, that the swing tip "presents" all its possibilities only under strictly defined conditions. The weather conditions are decisive for success, and the nature of the fishery, but the choice is up to the angler.
Appropriate conditions
Let's move on to the details. The swing tip reacts to everyone, even the slightest movement of the lure. However, this incredible sensitivity means, that the behavior of our bite index will also be influenced by wind and water current. Of course, if the wind is very strong, we can always opt for a slightly longer rod tip and arrange the rod in this way, so that the tip of the tip is slightly submerged in the water. Even so, I like fishing on almost windless days, though not completely flat. The perfectly smooth surface of the water is an announcement of this, that the bites will be very sporadic. A gentle breeze slightly rippling the surface of the water, this is it, what I like the most. Besides, be aware, that only then will the swing tip show what it is capable of, when we go fishing with it in stagnant or very slowly flowing water. The strong current of the water significantly reduces the sensitivity of our bite detector. Under the most unfavorable circumstances, the swing tip will straighten on the line under the force of the current, and thus will stop signaling any bites. In such conditions, however, we can improvise a bit. That's enough, that between the swing tip and the actual rod tip, we will install a piece of bent plastic pipe. Each such tube, depending on the material, from which it was made, has a different "flexibility", so that the bite tip becomes to a varying degree less sensitive to the water current. Fasteners, in question (packed in pairs of four) I once brought from England. Unfortunately, so far I have not seen them on sale in our stores yet. another, a highly recommended method is provisionally weighting the tip with lead tape. In this respect, however, my experiences are not very positive. In practice it turns out, that the load shifts during the cast, and sometimes the swing tip hits the rod blank strongly. Consequently, throws become inaccurate and too short. To avoid such situations, it's best to make an assumption right away, that with a swing rod we will only fish in stagnant or very slowly flowing water.
At this point, I would like to discuss another factor "limiting" our method, namely the question of the depth of the fishery. Unfortunately, swing tips are not suitable for fishing in very deep places. Angle at a great depth of the fishery, what the fishing line forms with the fishing rod, it is too small and the tip does not react so sensitively to fish bites. For this reason, the ideal depth for swing-tip fishing is at most two to two and a half meters.
Big fish
So I mostly fish in shallow waters, with this, that I try to choose fisheries with as many large fish as possible. My fairly frequent prey are bream 50 cm tall, a fence weighing up to a kilogram, fine ides and small and medium-sized carps. Shallow joints, which are full of general cargo, rather unsuitable for fishing with a "swing-tip". In such fisheries, I usually choose a much faster winkelpicker. Big fish, shallow water, light wind, plus a swing tip – it's the most beautiful combination I know. Before you get infected with the swing rod virus for good, you must know, that the only remedy for this ailment is a full day of fishing in this way. This treatment really helps…