The slip-float paternoster rig
A slip-float paternoster combines two things: a slip float that sets the depth, and a paternoster below it where the hook hangs on a dropper loop tied in the line while a small weight on the end anchors the rig and keeps the hook standing out. It is a perch rig for the bank, for fish sat tight on the bottom in deeper swims.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid, PE 0.8, or mono |
| Bobber stopper | A bought rubber stopper, slid on to set the depth (no knot) |
| Bead | One small bead below the stopper |
| Float | One slip float, ~11.5 g |
| Hook branch | A dropper loop tied in the line, standing out to the side |
| Hook | Float hook, #6, on the dropper loop |
| Weight | 3–14 g, on the end below the dropper loop |
| Bait | Maggot or worm |
What it's for
Perch, from the bank, for fish holding tight to the bottom in deeper swims. The slip float lets you set and read the depth in deep water. The paternoster below it presents the bait just off the bottom on a dropper-loop branch, with a small weight on the end anchoring the rig, so the bait sits proud and visible right where bottom-hugging perch are feeding.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom. The main line comes down to a bobber stopper, then a small bead, then the slip float (about 11.5 g), which runs free up to the stopper. Below the float the line carries on down, and here is the key part: a dropper loop is tied straight into the line, standing out to the side, and the hook (#6) hangs on that loop. The line then continues below the dropper loop to a small weight (3 to 14 g) tied on the very end. The hook sits on a branch part-way down and the weight anchors below it. No three-way swivel.
How to build it
- Thread a bought bobber stopper onto the main line near the rod-tip end. It grips the line but slides by hand, so you set and adjust the depth with no stopper knot to tie.
- Thread a small bead onto the main line below the stopper, then thread on the slip float. The bead stops the float sliding up over the bobber stopper.
- Below the float, tie a dropper loop straight into the line, so a loop stands out to the side. Hang the #6 hook on the loop. Keep the loop short so the bait sits just off the bottom and the branch stands out cleanly.
- Below the dropper loop, tie the weight (3 to 14 g) to the very end of the line with a Palomar knot. This anchors the rig and keeps the dropper-loop hook branch standing out above it.
How to fish it
Set the bobber stopper so the weight just touches bottom and the float cocks, then cast or lower it out along the deeper bank edge or off the fishing pontoons. The weight anchors the rig and the bait hangs just above it, standing out on the dropper-loop branch. Watch the float the same way as a sliding float rig: a dip, a slide away, or the float lifting flat. Because the weight holds bottom, this rig reads better than a plain float in a bit of drift or wind.
Where this rig works
Right now this rig is fished on one water: Lac du Bourget, in France, for perch sat tight on the bottom in deeper bank swims. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses it will link to this same page.
Slip-float paternoster questions
Presenting bait just off the bottom in deep water, with the depth set by a slip float. It suits perch holding tight and low in deeper bank swims, where a mid-water bait is ignored. The slip float reads the depth and a small weight on the end anchors the rig so the bait stands out on the bottom.
A dropper loop tied straight into the line gives the hook its own branch standing out to the side. The line carries on below it to the weight on the end, so the hook hangs above the anchor. A dropper loop does the job, so there is no three-way swivel to buy or tie on.
On a plain float rig the hook hangs straight below the float. On a paternoster the hook sits on a dropper-loop branch part-way down, with the weight on the end below it, so the weight anchors on the bottom and the hook stands out just above it. It presents the bait hard on the bottom, where bottom-holding perch feed.
A 3 to 14 g weight on the end of the line below the dropper loop. It only needs to anchor the rig and keep the hook branch standing out, not to cast a long way, so go as light as holds bottom. Tie it on with a Palomar knot.