Carp Fishing

Swinging-Arm Indicators

The most popular indicators today, swingers, are very versatile systems. Swingers consist of a bobbin attached to a swinging arm equipped with a sliding counterweight to enable you to adjust the weight of the bobbin, depending upon the style of fishing you are doing. Probably the most popular swinging arm indicator is the Fox Mk2 Swinger. Fox also have a Mk1 Swinger and a Euro Swinger for extreme range, but in our opinion the Mk2s are the best for all round fishing.

The advantage of swingers over bobbins is that they are very stable in the wind and, if you set them up correctly, they do not normally swing to give false indications. One of the most important points when it comes to setting up your swinger is to make sure that the counterweight on the arm is in the correct place for the style of fishing you are doing. The closer the weight is to the bobbin, the heavier the bobbin will be. We know it sounds obvious but we have frequently seen anglers fishing in the margins with the weight right up against the bobbin, or at long range with the weight at the other end of the arm and the indicator too light to do its job properly. If you think you are likely to get a drop-back instead of a screaming run, make the indicator as heavy as possible so that it will fall easily when the line falls slack. If you are expecting full-blooded takes then move the weight along the arm so that the bobbin has only a bit of weight to it. It's a case of trial and error, but it is important for you to think about your style of fishing and change your tactics according to that style. Never just use the same indicator on the same setting every session you fish, or your indication sensitivity will certainly suffer.