Bombarda (sbirulino), which is a kind of float for long-distance casting, was invented in Italy and became widespread in our territories only in the early 2000s.
Now this tackle is becoming more and more popular, which is associated with the good efficiency of fishing using sbirulino and its rather exciting process. Bombarda provided an opportunity to abandon fly fishing gear. Using a bombard, even a strong wind will not interfere with casting extremely light baits.
Bombarda rod
For such fishing, a regular spinning rod will be inappropriate, since its length will cause a lot of inconvenience, both when casting and when retrieving.
When selecting a fishing rod, you should consider models with a length of 3 m or more. In order to save money, you can get a mast or feeder fishing rod, or a Bolognese fishing rod.
The leash must be at least 1.5 m long (with smaller values, the fish may be afraid of the sbirulino).
However, in the case of deep fishing, the leash and rod can be half as long. If funds allow, it is best to buy a rod designed specifically for bombards. There are no special requirements for the reel and fishing line, just be sure to check their reliability, and also take fishing line with a diameter of no more than 0.2.
Float sinkers
When fishing with a bombard, floats of different shapes, designs and weights are used.
A classic of the genre is a float with an oval body, equipped with a hollow tube. The body of the sbirulino can be made of foam, plastic or balsa, which allows you to vary the buoyancy of this fishing element.
Float-weights for bombards can be:
- floating;
- slowly sinking;
- sinking quickly.
To force the sbirulino to dive after splashdown, metal weights are inserted inside the body. Depending on their weight, sinker floats become sinking or floating.
In some Sbirulino models, the hollow body of the body can be filled with water directly while fishing. In this simple way it is possible to give the float optimal buoyancy for specific conditions.
Sbirulino also differs in transparency. For lakes and rivers with clear water, transparent floats are offered that become invisible in the water.
Float sinkers have a special marking consisting of two numbers. The first numerical designation indicates the total weight of sbirulino in gram terms. The following numbers indicate the weight of the float in the water. This is about a fifth of the test weight. The lower the second number, the slower the float sinks.
Bombarda float (sbirulino)
Previously, fishermen used egg-shaped floats, but with the advent of the bombard, it practically replaced them due to its better aerodynamic properties. The bombard made it possible for fishermen to easily control flies. It is divided into three types: floating, slowly sinking and quickly sinking.
A floating bombard will be appropriate for fishing surfaces for fish such as saberfish, asp or roach. A slow-sinking bombard is used for fishing in the middle layer of water, a fast-sinking one is used for fishing at the bottom of a reservoir (for example, pike-perch or perch). When choosing sbirulino, remember what test your rod has.
Fishing with sbirulino. Choosing a rod and reel for fishing with sbirulino
The Italian sports team Team Daiwa is considered the founder of such a fashionable fishing technique as sbirulino. The tackle was originally developed for trout fishing, but then its scope of application expanded significantly.
This young style of fishing came to the territory of our country 10-15 years ago. Russian fishermen often call this tackle a bombard. There is no particular difference in terminology, since Italians consider the words “sbirulino” and “bombarda” to be synonyms. Today, more and more adherents of this tackle are appearing in Russia, but it is still far from European popularity.
Sbirulino is a kind of symbiosis of spinning and fly fishing. The rod for this type of fishing is similar to a spinning rod, and ultra-light baits (flies, microwobblers, insects, fry) are borrowed from fly fishers.
A special heavy float, which fishermen usually call a bombard, plays a special role in the tackle. In addition to the well-known terms “sbirulino” and “bombarda”, many foreign companies also use such names as Bomb, Bombetta, Balerina, Saltarello. Currently, bombard can be confidently attributed to a separate fishing direction. The gear has its own characteristics, which the fisherman should pay attention to.
To complete the gear, you will need a long rod of 3-4.5 m. In addition to its large size, it differs from a spinning rod in its softness and lightness. Thanks to the thin and very sensitive tip, you can instantly determine the moment of hooking indecisive or passive prey.
Some fishing enthusiasts cannot get used to a long fishing rod, using the usual spinning stick instead.
Fishing with sbirulino requires the presence of a reel. It is required to store a supply of fishing line and ensure long casting.
The ideal combination of these two parameters is available in inertia-free models. A high-quality “meat grinder” with a spool size of 2000-3000 with a friction brake will be the most suitable option for sbirulino.
The bombard was originally designed for catching wary fish. So, first of all, the fishing line should be invisible in the water.
The second criterion that must be taken into account when selecting a material for the base is sufficient tensile strength.
You should look for a combination of these characteristics among monofilament threads. Thanks to the flexible rod, it is possible to dampen the jerks of large fish, which reduces the load on the fishing line. When specifically hunting for pike, you must install a metal leash.
When fishing with sbirulino, the sinker is installed only if additional depth of the bait is necessary.
This technique is used when studying such promising sites for large fish as whirlpools and channel edges.
The bombard is considered a fairly universal fishing rod that allows you to catch peaceful and predatory fish, fish different layers of water, and also use a wide range of artificial and natural baits.
When using natural baits (insects, fry, dough, insect larvae), the tackle is equipped with one or more single hooks. Their size is selected according to the size of the bait, as well as depending on the type of intended trophy.
Sbirulino supporters can use a wide range of spinning and fly fishing lures when fishing. In the spinning box you can find models suitable for bombards, such as:
small turntables, small vibrators, twisters and vibrating tails, poppers, wobblers. Fly fishermen can find different types of flies, streamers and nymphs. Thanks to the widest range of baits, Sbirulino fans have little chance of returning from fishing without a catch at all.
Heavy floats (bombards) differ in buoyancy. Each model is selected for specific fishing conditions.
Floating bombards are used to catch fish in the surface layers. Fast-sinking floats are suitable for guiding bait near the bottom. Slowly sinking models allow you to fish the middle water horizons. So, for hunting trout or asp, floating bombards are preferable, and when catching pike perch, a quickly sinking float is required.
Expensive Italian floats have a finer division. The bombarda is marked with two numbers. The first of them indicates the mass of the float in grams, and the second speaks of the lifting force that acts on its body in the water.
There is a division of floats for sbirulino according to the location of the load inside them. The Italian founders of this type of fishing distinguish the following categories:
Classiche are classic floats with a weight in the lower part of the body. Thanks to this design, the bombard is immersed in water almost vertically. Competition floats have a built-in weight at the center of gravity of the body. Such models maintain a parallel position relative to the fishing line during wiring. The equipment is distinguished by its sensitivity to bites and maneuvers. Sbirulino: fishing technique
The Magic Bombard is designed in such a way that the weights are located on opposite sides of the body. These are the most sensitive models, because the float occupies a horizontal position in the water even with a loose line.
The Match float has an elongated sinker. It is mounted in the upper part of the housing. During the posting, the bombard moves horizontally, and when diving, the upper part sinks to the bottom first.
In the Moretto bombard, the load is evenly distributed throughout the body. This model is designed for fishing in the middle and bottom layers of water. Thanks to the uniform distribution of the load, the trajectory of movement during wiring and diving becomes smoother.
Sbirulino opens up wide possibilities for fishermen in fishing techniques. Thanks to the heavy float, making long casts with light bait is not difficult. But how to do the wiring has to be decided right on the pond.
The technique of fishing with a bombard depends on the type of fish for which the angler came:
For example, insects or their imitations are used to catch a chub or asp on a river. The equipment is thrown into a promising location, and then alloy wiring is done. The bait floats realistically with the current, tempting the fish to bite.
If you want to catch sabrefish or rudd, which feed in the middle layers of water, then choose a slowly sinking float and a wet fly. After casting the rig, a pause is made to allow the bait to sink to the desired depth. Wiring is performed by slow, uniform rotation of the coil. The tackle can be equipped with several hooks, then you can catch several fish in one trip.
When hunting for pike perch, you need to deliver the bait to deep areas of the reservoir. The easiest way to do this is with a fast-sinking bombard. You can choose live bait or artificial fish as bait. While retrieving, you should pause and twitch the rod tip. It is important that the bait is always in the bottom horizon.
Fishing with sbirulino allows fishermen to take a creative approach to their favorite pastime. This tackle forgives even mistakes that may occur during the process.
You just need to decide on the type of fish for fishing, and then assemble gear suitable for the conditions of the reservoir, especially a bombard float. Then a good bite and pleasure from active recreation will be guaranteed.
Read other articles, reviews and testimonials:
- Spinning on the Black Sea. How to properly fish with a spinning rod in the sea from the shore
- Rock fishing casting and retrieving technique. Gear used for successful rock fishing
- Tips for choosing a rock fishing rod
- How to catch pelengas correctly. Tackle for catching pelengas
- What is a bombard? Types of sbirulino. How to fish correctly with a bombard?
Bombarda leashes
The length of the leash is at least 1.5, the optimal figure is 3 m. Only in the case of deep fishing, the length of the leash can be from 0.5 m. For the leash, you can take almost any fishing line, although the best option would be fluorocarbon, invisible in the water. The leash is attached to the main line using a triple swivel to avoid twisting.
How to fish with a bombard
Due to the fact that the leash is very long, you just have to hook something extra on your fly and there will be no catch. That is why the casting technique should combine fly fishing through the head and mast. Before landing the sbirulino on the surface of the water surface, you should slow down the fishing line so that the leash opens (without this, the leash may simply get tangled). The vast majority of fishermen use the well-known “Stop and go” as a guiding technique, which well imitates a drowning insect.
Author of the article: Vitaly Leonidovich Ivanov, 2021.
