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Hiya Mark,

No easy answer to this one, but this is how the Carp boys do it.

Have a cast to where you think you want to be, put the line on the line clip.

Have another cast with the line on the line clip, see where the lead hits (you may be a bit long, you may be a bit short). Take the line off the line clip. If you think you're long reel in a bit put the line back on the clip and repeat. If you think you're short pull some line off the reel, put the line back on the clip and repeat (this is a good way of edging up to snags, you cast short first time and edge up)

When you're casting to where you want to be off the clip then you need a marker on the line. A small piece of pole elastic water knotted in is pretty good, especially the hi-vis stuff. Put this marker either at the butt ring or if you can the tip ring (I'll explain why in a minute).

Now you're ready to fish, cast in with the line on the line clip, this will ensure your distance. Take the line off the line clip (or you'll be in trouble when you get a run).

If you need to recast check that your marker is in the right place, put the line back on the clip and reel in. You're ready to cast again and repeat.

If you get a fish it gets a bit more complicated as obviously the line won't be clipped up (this is where you need your line marker). You can either cast out and wait until you hear/feel the line marker against the rings, or make a false long cast into open water reel in until your marker is in the right place, clip up and cast back to where you're fishing. Putting the marker against the tip ring makes the above method a bit more accurate as you have the length of the rod to add to your reaction time when you hear the marker hit the butt ring. Also when you get a run the fish doesn't have to pull the marker through the rings.

All this work fine in still water, but on a river casting out on a tight line (against the line clip) is almost certainly going to pull your lead out of position in any kind of flow. So unless I was casting up to something I didn't want to hit I would recommend just using the line maker and casting until you hear/feel it hit the rings, either that or you need to whip the line off the clip very quickly when your lead hits the water.

Hope that helps.

As regards stiffening ground bait, instant mashed potato works pretty good, but to be honest on the river I'd clip up as above and put the bait down with a big open ended feeder. At least then you know it's on the bottom, balls of solid groundbait may well have a tendancy to roll.

Cheers
Paul