Float making.

[peterjg]

Mark, are you saying that you never mend the line using an avon float? That's amazing. Fluted (vaned) floats make up for my total complete lack of skill.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Mark, are you saying that you never mend the line using an avon float? That's amazing. Fluted (vaned) floats make up for my total complete lack of skill.

There are times, especially in downstream winds, but also after casting when I and everyone else mends the line but the skill is in not disturbing the float whilst doing so. One benefit from running video cameras when I fish is that I get to analyse what I'm doing and holding back in a downstreamer at range does cause a float to gradually move towards my bank which is why the trick is to get the presentation right in the killing ground which is often just a yard of the trot.

Fluted floats look good on paper but are a design dead end; abandon them and focus on learning to use more conventional floats. Incidently I have almost every match fishing book published plus access to hundreds of fishing magazines and I know of no instances where experienced match anglers have ever advocated the use of fluted floats. Match anglers will try anything to gain an edge and I'm sure plenty have tried fluted floats - they have certainly tried floats with a single vane (flat floats as well as variations of Avon and stick floats) - but none have stuck with them; indeed I have only ever seen one angler using one, and that wasn't in a match.

 

[peterjg]

Mark, I am certainly not good enough at trotting to argue with you so we'll just have to agree to differ on that one. I probably don't do enough trotting, I rely heavily on laying-on and legering, dogged bloody mindedness and more than my fare share of luck!

 

[chrisjpainter]

Has everyone stopped making floats in the summer?
It seems like im the only one posting!

You've inspired me, and there are some floats I want to make, once I've asked some honourable and educated chap how to go about these:
I do a bit of lift method fishing for bigger carp (mid to upper doubles), but it's shallow and short floats make for less spookiness for the carp. Currently I've been using a cut down plastic waggler that's 3" long. It works, but something a bit bespoke would be nice. Over the summer, I've been playing with the weights, and hookups seem best with a single, heavier shot (2.5g is my current favourite, but I think anything butween SSG and 2.5g would be fine.) If I was to make something, what would you recommend for material - if something about that length and shotting weight is actually possible?

Secondly, and this is just so I can replace all my floats with handmade ones, have you ever made an antenna/drift beater float like below? any suggestion as to materials, particularly for the stem? I'm fully aware I might be biting off more than I can chew, but where's the fun in not having a go?

 

[peterjg]

I make mine:
Body and sight tip from balsa
Stem from old broken quivertips
Bottom from bits of barbeque sticks with a float adaptor pushed on

Good luck

 

[chrisjpainter]

I make mine:
Body and sight tip from balsa
Stem from old broken quivertips
Bottom from bits of barbeque sticks with a float adaptor pushed on

Good luck

Ah I like your style. Chimera floats are always fun to make. Your idea works

 

[purplepeanut007]

Salford Pete-Commercial Bagging

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

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Before I could wet a line in anger Salford Shouts ...."Son, I need some help with the landing net".
I trotted over and dutifully assissted him......read the rest on the blog.

 

[purplepeanut007]

View attachment 23265View attachment 23267

 

[purplepeanut007]

How to delet posts....lol.....?

 

[purplepeanut007]

New Shallow Water Stick Testing Session Plus An Irwell Grayling

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

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New, Loaded, Shallow Water Sticks - Irwell dace session with the Ginger Assassin

 

[Richard Bartlett]

You've inspired me, and there are some floats I want to make, once I've asked some honourable and educated chap how to go about these:
I do a bit of lift method fishing for bigger carp (mid to upper doubles), but it's shallow and short floats make for less spookiness for the carp. Currently I've been using a cut down plastic waggler that's 3" long. It works, but something a bit bespoke would be nice. Over the summer, I've been playing with the weights, and hookups seem best with a single, heavier shot (2.5g is my current favourite, but I think anything butween SSG and 2.5g would be fine.) If I was to make something, what would you recommend for material - if something about that length and shotting weight is actually possible?

Secondly, and this is just so I can replace all my floats with handmade ones, have you ever made an antenna/drift beater float like below? any suggestion as to materials, particularly for the stem? I'm fully aware I might be biting off more than I can chew, but where's the fun in not having a go?
View attachment 23199

Last year I made a couple of dozen very similar to that, all using materials obtained from eBay -https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/the-float-company?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2559

They do a decent range of pre-drilled H160 foam bodies (plus some balsa if I recall), fibreglass stems, eyes etc. I found the bodies weight rating to be spot on. Quality very good, as was the delivery. Only issue for me (& its not a problem with the supplier!) was that they only do stems up to 20cm in length. I wanted a few slightly longer stems so sourced some 1m carbon rod from a local model shop & simply cut to desired length. For the sight bobs I just used some tiny foam pole float bodies. Once the bare floats had been assembled I simply applied a few coats of primer to the body (plus very gentle sanding with 300-grit between coats to smooth them down), a couple of coats of modellers acrylic, & finished off with a couple of coats of matt acrylic varnish. Very pleased with the results - they work beautifully!

 

[Alan Tyler]

Fluted floats - try rigging them up as two-ringed sliders, and, to avoid them laying flat when you hold back, put the upper ring half-way down the body. That way, you'll get the ease of line-mending, the centre-pin friendliness, and smooth, silent striking, rather than trying to pull half the river back upstream to set the hook. Even in swims less than a yard deep, a few inches of slide seems, to me, to make a big difference.

 

[peterjg]

Fluted or vaned floats really do work. I'm not talking about the awful plastic fluted floats of 40 years ago which were poorly designed and obviously put anglers off using them. I make my own from balsa and glue small pieces of plastic sheet into the balsa. They do "grip" the water and can be advantageous in certain circumstances. Don't discount them, test them properly.

 

[seth49]

I bought three of these from Chris Lythe back in 2001, cost me a tenner back then, they were designed for grayling fishing by a chap here in Clitheroe, I’ve used them for grayling, but to be honest I prefer a balsa float for that.

 

[peterjg]

Seth, I am not a fan of those either. To my mind the flutes on those floats are not deep enough to make much difference?

 

[purplepeanut007]

Ive tried fluted and prefer std.

 

[purplepeanut007]

Some 6g avons recently completed.

 

[purplepeanut007]

Tried the Antennea Waggker out last weekend. Had a right good do.

A Silver Doller Race Peanut Vs The Casterman

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[purplepeanut007]

New Glow In The Dark Double Ended Pike Pencil

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

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I haven't made any pike floats in a very long time. So was pleased when I was asked to create a new slider based on a float I set asided many years ago.....for more pics and full write up hit the link.

 

[purplepeanut007]

Roach Avons With Alloy Stems

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

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I have been working on some new "Roach Avons With Alloy Stems" for a few weeks now and finally finished them last night. There are twelve in total, all taking appromimately 1.0 gm or 5 no 4s......For lots more pics and the full write up hit the link above.