Winter River Fishing: Trotting Maggots

Korum: New Video Release

I'm thrilled to share my latest project with Korum — a video that I believe captures everything I love about winter river fishing. The film, Winter River Fishing with Maggots, was born out of a simple observation: trotting maggots under a float has outperformed every other method I've tried through the colder months, and it's not even close.

Filming took place across multiple rivers and sessions throughout the winter. The goal was straightforward — demonstrate just how effective this single technique can be, and show the incredible range of species you can target simply by scaling your tackle up or down. From delicate roach on fine lines to hard-fighting barbel on stronger gear, it's all covered.

Korum Classic centre pin reel held beside a winter river — The new Korum Classic centre pin — a joy to trot with on winter rivers

The video also coincides with the release of two exciting new products from Korum: the Classic and the Allrounder centre pins. I put the Classic through its paces during filming and it performed beautifully — the line pickup is superb and you feel completely connected to the float as it trots downstream.

The Species

One of the things I wanted to get across in this video is the sheer variety of fish you can catch with this approach. Over the course of filming, I targeted and landed:

Roach — the bread and butter of winter trotting, and always a pleasure on light tackle
Dace — quick bites that keep you on your toes
Grayling — arguably the most beautiful freshwater fish in our waters
Chub — ever accommodating, even in the worst winter conditions
Barbel — the ultimate prize, caught on the classic centre pin to finish the film

Winter roach caught trotting maggots on a river — A cracking winter roach — trotting maggots delivers consistently

Some sessions were about putting together a nice bag of silvers. Others involved travelling further afield to target something special. One particularly memorable day saw me head down to Hampshire, where I found stunning grayling on scaled-down tackle — smaller hooks, finer lines, and patience.

Beautiful grayling caught on a Hampshire river in winter — A Hampshire grayling — arguably the most beautiful fish in our rivers

The chub fishing was equally rewarding. On one session, I found fish stacked up under a single bush — two trots down, two cracking chub. That's how devastating trotting maggots can be when you find them.

Large chub caught trotting maggots on a winter river — A classic winter chub — they love maggots even in the harshest conditions

Fishing Tips: Trotting Maggots in Winter

Throughout filming, I broke down the technique in detail. Here are the key tips that will help you get the most from winter river fishing with maggots trotting under a float:

Choose the Right Float

Float selection matters more than most anglers realise. For deep water, choose a long-stemmed float like the Korum Specy Stick or Avon pattern. For shallower swims, a missile-style float without such a long stem works better. The key test: if your float is travelling downstream at an angle rather than fairly upright, the river has control — not you. That means you need to add more weight.

Korum Avon float for winter river trotting — The Korum Avon 6g float — perfect for deep, pacy winter rivers

The Rig Setup

The beauty of this technique is its simplicity. The rig stays the same regardless of species — you're just scaling components up or down:

Float held on with float rubbers, down to a float stop
Quick-change olivette matched to your float weight
Quick-change swivel down to your hook length
Fluorocarbon hook length — around 6-7 inches
Hook sized to your target species

Close-up of olivette rig for winter river trotting — The simple but effective trotting rig — olivette, swivel and hook length

Light Setup vs Heavy Setup

For roach, dace and grayling, use a lighter setup: 4lb mainline, 2-3lb fluorocarbon hook length, size 16 hooks. For chub and barbel, step up to 10lb mainline, 6-9lb fluorocarbon hook length, and a strong specimen hook (size 12-14). Even small specimen hooks can handle barbel when the wire gauge is thick enough.

Maggots presented on a hook for winter river fishing — Simple bait, devastating results — maggots on the hook

Centre Pin vs Fixed Spool

This largely comes down to personal preference. A fixed spool can be more versatile on bigger rivers where you need to cast further. However, I find the centre pin gives better line pickup and a more direct connection with the float. When you get that bite, you can strike and get into the fish quicker. The new Korum Classic centre pin has been superb for this.

Stay Mobile and Travel Light

One of my biggest tips for winter river fishing is to stay mobile. Use a bait pouch so you're not constantly bending down to a tub. Travel light, drop maggots into likely-looking swims, and keep moving until you find fish. A good pouch and minimal kit means you can cover far more water.

Compact fishing pouch for staying mobile on winter rivers — Travel light — a compact pouch keeps you mobile and efficient

Maggots Are King in Winter

Fish absolutely love maggots in winter. This bait has unlocked sessions for me when I honestly don't think much else would have worked. Keep a generous supply and feed regularly to draw fish into your swim.

Handful of red maggots for winter river fishing — Red maggots — the ultimate winter river bait

The Barbel Finale

The climax of the video came when I put the new Korum Classic centre pin to the ultimate test — targeting barbel. After landing a couple of chub in quick succession, the rod finally hooped over properly. A classic float, a classic centre pin, and an absolutely classic-looking barbel to finish the film. It doesn't get much better than that.

Barbel caught on Korum Classic centre pin trotting maggots in winter — The grand finale — a stunning barbel on the Korum Classic centre pin

If you haven't tried trotting maggots on your local river this winter, I'd strongly encourage you to give it a go. It really is just one rig — float, olivette, hook length and maggots — and by adapting it slightly depending on your target species, you can catch everything and have a truly memorable winter's fishing.

For more winter fishing techniques, check out our recommended gear or browse more fishing videos for inspiration.