Size, weights and equivalent alternatives
A Guide to Fishing Split Shot
Fishing information for beginners to Angling
According to history books, lead shot was invented and patented in 1782 by a man called William Watts from Bristol, England.
The process was to heat the lead until molten then drop it from a height.
Due to the act of a falling liquid becoming spherical the molten lead formed tiny spherical balls and solidified as it fell.
Due to the act of a falling liquid becoming spherical the molten lead formed tiny spherical balls and solidified as it fell.
History of Split Shot
The partially cooled balls were caught in a water filled basin at floor level. William Watts adapted his house by adding a three story tower and digging a shaft under the house to achieve the required drop.
The split shot is a small spherical piece of metal which is cut part way through the diameter and is used in angling to add weight to the fishing line to set your float, (sink the float so that only part of the float shows above the water).
The fishing line is placed in the cut of the split shot and the split shot crimped closed to hold it in place on the line.
What is split shot and how is it used in angling?
Quick rundown on Fishing Tackle
Split shot was originally made from lead but in 1987 certain sizes were banned due to a number of swans and water fowl being poisoned from coarse fishing lead shot and shot from gun cartridges.
Partly because of the ban, Non lead alternatives have since been introduced using materials such as steel, tungsten, nickel, iron, bismuth tin etc.
It is still legal in the UK to use certain lead weights in fishing and this includes split shot from size 8 down to size 14 and leger weights weighing more than 1 ounce (28.35 grams)
Beware: The penalty for fishing with lead shot in prohibited sizes can be a fine of up to £5,000 and the confiscation of your fishing tackle.
Nowadays other methods are used to make shot, one of them being the cold swaging process of feeding calibrated lengths of lead wire into hemispherical dies and stamping them into spheres.
Although not as soft as lead, the new metal non-toxic split shot still serves its purpose.
Some split shot also has a double cut (two cuts in the shot on opposite sides of each other) this allows the shot to be removed more easily and re used.
If you need to get your baited hook down to the bottom quickly, bunch the shot together near the hook.
As well as round split shot there is egg shaped shot, coloured shot, Stles and Stotz.
I have yet to come across a float that has the exact weight printed on it so use this as a guide only and add or remove split shot as necessary.
Most floats have a weight marking on them and this is a guide to what weight the float will carry.
To get your bait to fall through the water more slowly then spread the shot evenly apart between the hook and float (called shirt button style).
Although the main use of split shot is to set your float, the way you space your shot can play a critical part in your presentation.
UK Split shot conversion chart |
||
Size |
Weight |
Equivalent |
3SSG |
4.8g |
6 x AAA |
2SSG |
3.2g |
4 x AAA |
LG |
3g |
|
LSG |
2g |
|
SSG |
1.6g |
2 x AAA |
AAA |
0.8g |
2 x BB |
AB |
0.6g |
2 x No1 |
BB |
0.4g |
2 x No4 |
No 1 |
0.3g |
3 x No6 |
No 3 |
0.25g |
2 x No6 |
No 4 |
0.2g |
3 x No9 |
No 5 |
0.15 |
2 x No8 |
No 6 |
0.1g |
2 x No10 |
No 8 |
0.06g |
2 x No11 |
No 9 |
0.05g |
|
No 10 |
0.04g |
2 x No12 |
No 11 |
0.03g |
3 x No13 |
No 12 |
0.02g |
2 x No13 |
No 13 |
0.01g |
|
Unlike the round split shot, the Style is long and thin (similar to a piece of wire) with a cut along the length. Styles are used a lot by match anglers as they reputedly fall through the water more slowly.
When fishing with hemp or tares as the bait and using split shot the fish often mistake the shot for bait, resulting in false bite. The use of Styles or Stotz is perfect to help avoid this.
Stotz are a shorter and fatter version of the Style. Many anglers prefer Stotz to Styles as they reckon they stay on the line better
Charts are for your general guidance only
Continental Styl Weights |
|
Size |
Weight |
No 7 |
0.01g |
No 8 |
0.017g |
No 9 |
0.025g |
No 10 |
0.035g |
No 11 |
0.048g |
Note : Continental styls from No12 to No20 are not legal to use in the UK |
|
Pole Float Conversion Guide |
||
Float Size |
Weight |
Equivalent |
3 X 10 |
0.10g |
2 x No10 shot |
4 X 10 |
0.15g |
3 x No9 shot |
4 X 12 |
0.20g |
5 x No10 shot |
4 X 14 |
0.40g |
6 x No8 shot |
4 X 16 |
0.50g |
8 x No8 shot |
4 X 18 |
0.75g |
3 x No3 shot |
4 X 20 |
1.00g |
4 x No3 shot |
5 X 20 |
1.25g |
5 x No3 shot |
6 X 20 |
1.50g |
6 x No3 shot |
Article and images by J Boswell
Copyright www.fish-uk.com 1990
Copyright www.fish-uk.com 1990
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Copyright © 2007 to present www.fish-uk.com
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