Posted by Hooked Tackle on 6th Nov 2026
Trotting for Beginners: How to Trot a Float on a River
By Hooked Tackle · Last updated 6 November 2026
We are a tackle shop in Newmarket, and we sell Lark Angling tickets for the River Lark, one of the best trotting rivers on our doorstep.
Quick Answer
Trotting means letting a float travel downstream with the current so your bait drifts naturally through the swim, alongside a steady trickle of loose feed. To start, you need a 12–14ft float rod, a small fixed spool reel or a centrepin, 3–4lb mainline with a lighter hooklength, and a stick float or Avon fixed top and bottom. Feed a few maggots every cast, let the float run at the pace of the flow, hold it back now and then, and strike at any dip, hold or lift.
| What | Use | From our shop |
|---|---|---|
| Rod | 12–14ft float rod with a forgiving action | Drennan Red Range 12ft Float, £57.99, or Drennan Specialist River Float, from £139.99 |
| Reel | A small fixed spool to learn on, or a centrepin for the most control | Korum Allrounder Centrepin 4.5in, £99.99 |
| Line | 3–4lb mainline, 1.5–2.5lb hooklength for roach and dace; 6lb straight through if chub or barbel are likely | – |
| Float for steady, medium-depth swims | Stick float, fixed top and bottom | Drennan Alloy Sticks, £2.39 |
| Float for faster or deeper water | Avon or trotter, which carries more shot | Drennan Crystal Avons or Visi Trotters, £2.39 |
| Float for big baits and rough water | Loafer, for bread flake and streamy swims | Drennan Loafers, £2.39 |
| Hooks | Size 20–16 for maggot and caster, 14–10 for bread and meat | Drennan Super Spade hooks to nylon, £2.99 |
| Bait and feed | Maggots fed little and often; casters, hemp and bread too | Drennan Specialist Bait Pouch, £24.95 |
Shop by type: floats · float rods · reels · hooks to nylon.
What Is Trotting?
Quick answer: float fishing on a moving river, where the float travels down the swim with the current instead of sitting still.
On a lake, the float stays where you cast it. On a river, trotting turns the current into part of the presentation. The bait drifts down the swim at about the speed of the flow, close to the bottom, and arrives among the fish with the loose feed you have been trickling in. It looks like food that has been washed downstream, which is exactly what river fish expect.
Trotting catches almost everything in a river: roach, dace, chub, perch and grayling, and barbel on the right day. It also lets you search a long stretch of water from one spot, because the float can run 20 or 30 metres before you reel in. In winter, when rivers run clear and fish pack into shoals, it is one of the most effective ways to catch.
If you have never float fished, start with our float fishing for beginners guide, which covers plumbing the depth and basic shotting.
What Tackle Do You Need for Trotting?
Quick answer: a 12–14ft float rod, a fixed spool or centrepin reel, 3–4lb line, a few stick floats and Avons, a tub of shot and some float rubbers.
- Rod. Length is what gives you control. A 12–14ft rod keeps line off the water and lets you mend it and strike at range. The Drennan Red Range 12ft Float (£57.99) is a great first river float rod, and Drennan rate it for reel lines of 3–6lb. For the longest trots, the Drennan Vertex 14ft Float (£140) and the Drennan Specialist River Float (£139.99 in 13ft, £149.99 in 14ft) are the step up.
- Reel. A small fixed spool reel is the easiest to learn on. A centrepin gives the best control once you have the hang of it, and we cover the choice below.
- Line. A 3–4lb mainline with a 1.5–2.5lb hooklength covers roach and dace. If chub or barbel are likely, step up. Angling Times advises a minimum of 6lb where there is a chance of a barbel or a big chub. Use a line that floats, or treat it with floatant, because a sinking line drags the float off course. Our fishing line guide explains breaking strains.
- Float rubbers. Trotting floats are fixed top and bottom. Drennan Specialist Float Rubbers (£1.99) or Korum Stick Float Silicone (£2.99) hold the float without damaging the line.
- Shot. A dispenser with a range of sizes, such as the Preston Non-Toxic Shot Dispenser (£10.99), lets you change the pattern on the bank.
- Hooks. Ready-tied hooks save time in the cold. Drennan Super Spade hooks to nylon (£2.99) come in sizes 10–18, and Drennan Silverfish Maggot hooks to nylon (£2.99) go down to a 22 for shy winter roach.
Starting from nothing? The Guru 11ft Float Rod and Reel Combo (£99.99) gets you fishing on smaller rivers, though a longer rod gives you more control on bigger water.
Which Float Should You Use for Trotting?
Quick answer: a stick float for steady, medium-paced swims, an Avon or trotter for faster and deeper water, and a loafer for big baits in rough water. Use the lightest float that will hold its line.
| Float | Best for | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Stick float | Steady glides at medium pace, roach and dace on maggot and caster | Drennan Alloy Sticks, £2.39 |
| Avon | Faster, deeper or more boily water, and heavier baits | Drennan Crystal Avons, £2.39; Korum Glide Avons, £1.49 |
| Trotter | Long trots where you need to see the tip at distance | Drennan Visi Trotters, 2–5g, £2.39 |
| Loafer | Turbulent water, bread flake for chub, and grayling in fast runs | Drennan Loafers, 3AA to 5 swan, £2.39 |
| Speci stick | Bigger fish and bigger baits in heavier flow | Korum Glide Speci Sticks, £1.75 |
The faster and deeper the water, the more shot you need to get the bait down and keep it there, so the float has to get bigger. Carry two or three sizes of each and change up as soon as the float starts dragging under or racing ahead of the feed. You can browse every pattern in our floats range.
How Do You Set Up a Trotting Rig?
Quick answer: fix the float top and bottom, put most of the shot together below it with a few smaller shot spread towards the hook, and set the depth so the bait just trips the bottom.
- Fix the float top and bottom. Thread the line through a float rubber, then the float, and push a second rubber over the base. A short length of silicone over the bottom of the float also helps cut tangles.
- Shot the float. In steady, shallow water, spread the shot evenly down the line, so the bait falls slowly and naturally. In faster or deeper water, group most of the shot together around two-thirds of the way down, with two or three small droppers below it, to get the bait down quickly.
- Add the hooklength. Loop-to-loop a ready-tied hooklength to the mainline, or use a small micro swivel, keeping it within the shot pattern.
- Plumb the depth. Find the depth at the head, middle and tail of the swim. Set the float so the bait just trips along the bottom, then adjust as the bites tell you.
- Cast gently. Feather the line as the float lands, so the hook lands downstream of the float and the rig lies straight.
Hook size depends on the bait, not the fish. Our hook size chart matches every bait to a hook.
How Do You Trot a Float?
Quick answer: feed, cast just beyond your line, let the float run at the pace of the current with the line behind it, hold back now and then, and strike at anything unusual.
- Feed first. Throw a few maggots or casters in at the head of the swim. They sink as they travel, so feed slightly upstream of where you expect the bites.
- Cast and settle. Cast a little past the line you want, then draw the float back onto it.
- Let it run. Let line come off the reel so the float travels at the pace of the current. Keep the line from the rod tip to the float as straight as you can.
- Mend the line. If a bow forms and starts pulling the float off line, lift the rod and flick the line back upstream without moving the float.
- Hold back. Every so often, slow the float by stopping the line for a second. The bait rises a little and swings ahead of the float, which often triggers a bite.
- Strike at anything. A trotting bite can be a dip, a float that stops travelling, or one that lifts. Strike with a firm sweep of the rod, not a wild jerk that snaps a fine hooklength.
- Run it to the end. Let the float travel the full length of the swim. The bigger fish often sit at the tail of the run.
Feed little and often, every cast if you can. A steady trickle keeps the fish moving up the swim to meet the bait. A big handful fills them up and spreads them out.
Fixed Spool or Centrepin for Trotting?
Quick answer: start on a fixed spool reel. Move to a centrepin when you want the most control and the smoothest line release on long trots.
A fixed spool reel works perfectly well for trotting. Open the bale arm, let the line run off, and control it with a finger on the spool. It is cheap, casts light floats easily, and is what most anglers already own.
A centrepin is a free-running drum with no bale arm. The current pulls line straight off the spool, and you slow the float with a thumb on the rim. That direct contact makes holding back and mending easier, and many river anglers find it the most enjoyable way to fish. The Korum Allrounder Centrepin 4.5in (£99.99) runs on two Nippon miniature bearings, and Korum design it for faster rivers, larger floats and heavier lines. It is a good first pin for chub and barbel water.
Trotting for Roach, Chub, Barbel and Grayling
Quick answer: fine tackle and maggots for roach and dace, bread flake under an Avon or loafer for chub, heavier tackle and meat for barbel, and a fast-tracking trotter for grayling.
| Fish | Hook and bait | Float |
|---|---|---|
| Roach | Size 18–16, single or double maggot, caster or hemp | Stick float |
| Dace | Size 20–18, single maggot, fished a little off the bottom | Light stick float |
| Chub | Size 14–12 with bread flake, or size 16 with double maggot | Avon or loafer |
| Barbel | Size 10–8 with meat, worm or a banded pellet, on 6lb line or more | Large Avon or loafer |
| Grayling | Size 18–14 with maggot or a small worm | Trotter or loafer |
Our guides to roach fishing and chub fishing go deeper on both. Close to the shop, the River Lark at Mildenhall and Barton Mills is classic trotting water for roach, dace and chub, and you can buy your Lark Angling ticket from us. The free fishing spots guide has more local water.
When Is the Best Time to Go Trotting?
Quick answer: autumn and winter, when rivers run at a normal level and carry just a tinge of colour. Rivers are closed to coarse fishing from 15 March to 15 June.
Trotting works best when you can control the float, so a river at a normal level with a steady pace is ideal. A mild, settled spell after a flood has dropped and started to clear is often the best of all. When the river is high, fast and coloured, the float is hard to control and fish move into the slacks. That is the time to switch to a feeder, and our feeder fishing guide covers it.
In very cold water, slow everything down. Hold the float back harder, so the bait creeps through the swim, and feed less. The river close season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive, and you need a rod licence if you are 13 or older.
What Most Beginners Get Wrong
Quick answer: the wrong size of float, too much feed, and losing control of the line.
- A float that is too light. It races ahead of the feed and gets pushed off line. If you cannot hold it back without it riding up, go bigger.
- Overfeeding. A big pouch of maggots fills the fish up and spreads them down the river. Feed a few every cast instead.
- A big bow in the line. Line that runs ahead of the float drags it off course and makes striking impossible. Keep mending.
- Never holding back. A float that only ever travels at full speed misses bites that a slowed bait would have caught.
- A sinking mainline. With a float fixed top and bottom, a line that sinks pulls the float under and ruins control. Use a floating line.
- Striking too hard. A firm sweep sets the hook. A wild strike snaps a 2lb hooklength.
FAQs
What is trotting in fishing?
Trotting is float fishing on a river where the float travels downstream with the current. The bait drifts through the swim at the speed of the flow, alongside a trickle of loose feed, so it behaves like food washed downstream. It is the classic way to catch roach, dace, chub and grayling.
Do you need a centrepin to go trotting?
No. A small fixed spool reel with the bale arm open and a finger controlling the line works well and is easier to learn on. A centrepin gives more direct control and smoother line release on long trots, which is why many river anglers move to one later.
What is the best float for trotting?
A stick float for steady, medium-paced swims, an Avon or trotter for faster and deeper water, and a loafer for big baits in turbulent water. Use the lightest float that will hold its line without being pushed off course.
What line should I use for trotting?
A 3–4lb floating mainline with a 1.5–2.5lb hooklength for roach and dace. Step up to at least 6lb if there is a chance of a barbel or a big chub. A floating line is important, because a sinking line drags a top and bottom float off line.
How do you shot a float for trotting?
In steady, shallow water, string the shot out evenly down the line so the bait falls slowly. In faster or deeper water, group most of the shot together around two-thirds of the way down, with two or three small droppers below, to get the bait down quickly.
What is the best bait for trotting?
Maggots are the most reliable bait and the easiest to feed little and often. Casters and hemp catch better roach, bread flake is the classic chub bait, and meat or worm suits barbel. Feed the same bait you have on the hook.
How far should you trot a float?
As far as you can keep control and see the float, often 20 to 30 metres. Run the float to the end of the swim on every cast, because the bigger fish often sit at the tail of the run.
Get Kitted Out
A simple trotting setup is a Drennan Red Range 12ft Float (£57.99), a small fixed spool reel, a few Drennan Alloy Sticks and Crystal Avons (£2.39 each), float rubbers (£1.99), a shot dispenser and a packet of Drennan Super Spade hooks to nylon (£2.99). Add the Korum Allrounder Centrepin (£99.99) when you are ready for a pin.
Prices correct as of November 2026 — check the product page for current pricing and availability.
Pick up your maggots and Lark ticket in the shop, or get in touch if you want help choosing a float rod.