Rare floats I would like to own.....

[chavender]

ps I had the devils own job trying to whip an eye onto the end of the swan quill-even inserting it into the end didn't work too well........plus the fact they are not easy to straighten to any degree...

i make my eyes by bending wire around a nail (or whatever) once or twice depending on needs ,once for light floats and twice for heavy shotted floats .leaving two wire legs used too fix the eye too the float stem .

(this picture will give a idea of what i mean )

the legs can be trimed to a 1/4" or 6mm ,then slid onto the floats stem ,if theres not enough tention to hold it in place , you can superglue it into place then whip over the legs & stem for secure fit ,then varnished too seal it

i hope this helps with your quest too whip eyes onto quills ,but straitening swan quills ,thats not so easy as they're eliptical in profile at the base (floattip end) on the larger quills ,with a squarish sectioned stem .

 

[Mark Wintle]

I've always found it best to Araldite a sharpened piece of 3mm cane into the float base. I don't bother with an eye as I use float adapters which allow me to change floats easily.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Thanks for that Chavender.

I think what you suggest will probably produce a more reliable joint-the peg bit looks more positive......I'll give it a whirl!
I have used paper clips in the past but because it seems a tad thick I now use finer diameter stainless steel wire.

As for straightening the quills-no,they can never be straight but I take out as much of the bend as possible over a low heat(all this covered on another thread recently).......

All I need to do now is find some more swans happy to give up a few feathers but I'm not holding my breath!!
I even went to Windsor where,on the Thames below the town simply hundreds of swans gather.They fight at every opportunity but do they lose feathers-no,they do not!!!


Mark..who's adapters do you use?Its many years since I've used them because I never found them reliable(at the time)but happy to accept your recommendation!
Thanks..

ps Many,many years a go I used the Drennan float adaptor which,although fiddly to use worked well(spring steel eye into an aluminium body then into a rubber sleeve-you must know the animal)but long gone now.....

 

[peter crabtree]

Attempt to show Matts picture......

http://www.fishingmagic.com/photos/data/500/drennan_float_waggler.JPG

Sorry no good, Theres a good picture of the waggler in Gallery taken by Matt.......

 

[George387]

Tee Cee here is another option to the wire technique that Chavender is showing you as I used to do the same as him but found this way much neater and only cost me £4 for 200 of them.
Small Brass safety pins bought from Lloyds chemist, and all you do is using wire cutters cut off the release mechanism and pin to leave you a nice foot. You can cut the wire short or lond depending on what length your float stem is.
I myself prefer the float adaptor method and all I use to attach my personal floats is a bit of silicone rubber pushed over the stem which allows a quick and easy change of floats if required.
Best Regards
George

 

[the indifferent crucian]

Drennan do two types of float adaptor now...this....

Drennan: Silicone Float Attachments - Lathams Discount Fishing Store



And this, anti splash one, a bit more fiddly and I have had them break, but I do like them......fourth one down.

Specialist Tackle - Manufacturers - Drennan - Clips, Tails and Stops


Another simple way to make a small float eye, even small enough for a pole float side eye, is to twist wire around the 'spike' of a safety pin gripped in a vice. You can even close the safety pin for...well, safety. Then grip the two tangs in a pair of pliers ( lock-wiring pliers if you can find some) and twist to a nice clean straight line.

Snip off at an appropriate length and glue the twisted shaft into a hole on the float with waterproof super-glue.


There are a number of people doing stiff springy wire for pole float stems on eBay now, I like to use this feller...and he keeps a lot more in too.....


Keiths Fishing Tackle items - Get great deals on items on eBay.co.uk Shops!

As you will see, he is away fishing at the moment

 

[matt1960]

Peter,
Thanks for trying to show my picture. I am a bit of a computer numpty and dont know why I cant get this picture up on the forum.
On some non-fishing forums I belong to, there is an easy attachment section that you browse through your own documents and attach. I cant find this here.

When I have made floats in the past, I use just a piece of cane dowel and glue in.
The drennan silicone adaptors are brilliant and this allows easy change of floats if the conditions change.

Matt

 

[peter crabtree]

Hi Matt , it seems the word drennan and float were not included in the url I tried to enter. Maybe someone in admin will oblige and post your picture full size for me. It is exactly the same float I am on about.
I also use adaptors for all my waggler fishing, probably one of the best and simplest inventions in modern tackle , remember when you had to break down your rig just to change a float.

 

[matt1960]

Yes Peter,
And I also sometimes use one as the bottom rubber on a stick float, so that if I need to quickly change to a waggler for some reason, I can, again without breaking down the tackle. My eyes are not what they used to be.

 

[the indifferent crucian]

Matt1960, you might consider opening an account with Photobucket, or someone similar. They have a number of ways to allow you to post pictures, or links to individual pictures within your account.


Perhaps greatest of all...if your computer ever dies and is beyond repair, that album is there for you in the future and you can access them again from another PC or a new one should you replace yours.

It's free, it sends me no spam whatsoever, and having lost some 400 angling pictures once, I like idea my pictures will never be lost again.

To open an account click 'need a photobucket account? Sign up' over on the right hand side......


Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket




How come others can see your picture of this most ellusive float and I can't ?



Stupid computers!

 

[chavender]

here is matts float

i see i should of used a plastic waggler (& i've got hundreds of them) eye in the base ofr the float i'm making but,i'm not far off though .

 

[matt1960]

Not elusive now, and its not a figment of one or two of our imaginations.
From memory, I bought 5 of them in one packet, all with different weight ratings and probably in the mid nineties.
They are incredibly fragile, and bend so easily. Just putting a silicone adaptor on you need to be very careful where you hold.
But, I have never realised why they have not been copied, or remade by Drennan. They are an absolute dream for dragging bottom with small baits, and if the bed is smooth quite a lot of line can be dragged. I tended to have a bulk and then no8 shirt button all the way to the hooklength.
A killing method on its day for the big Roach.
Matt

 

[peter crabtree]

Thankyou Chavender.

 

[chavender]

float eyes on wagglers is a funny thing ,i can make a veriety of eyes from ,all sort of things ,bits of wire ,bits of plastic tubing ,old hooks and gemini clips ,safty pins etc

or even swivels or turn the quill into a eye ,bird or porcupine , i've got hundreds of those proper little plastic waggler eyes (a peg with eye you glue in) never use them much , its all part of the fun of making your own floats and playing around with materials .but like most on here i guess for myself i go for the simplist method of peg and adaptor (even if i've made them myself from old hollow pole elastic cut offs etc) its just makes life easier.

 

[Alan Tyler]

What goes wrong if the bottom part of the float doesn't taper?

 

[peter crabtree]

probably wouldn't break so flippin easily....... may need a bigger bulk of shot though . I like them as they are......

 

[alan whittington]

Now ive seen the picture it is not the float i thought it was,sorry lads,one question,would not a piece of balsa(tapered that way),or maybe an old fashioned goose quill work similarly,without the fragility......just asking.

 

[the indifferent crucian]

It is a long gentle taper, isn't it? Balsa could do it for sure, with a hardwood peg in the bottom. I see Drennan now use a plastic peacock quill replica for most of their floats, surely that coulkd be made with the taper?

 

[matt1960]

Yes, its a long and gentle taper. Would balsa be bouyant or strong enough to match Peacock?
As with peacock, the core has to be exceptionally light and the outer very strong.
What about a rigid foam tapered core rolled in sticky backed plastic?
Or differing width crystal floats slid into each other to give a stepped taper?
But trying to talk to Drennan has always been historically difficult.
Matt

 

[chavender]

the natural alternative too give a longish tapering down and thick top would be porcupine quills ,but the taper might not be so delicate .but they would be stronger than balsa ,but shorter than peacock .i'll look later as i've a bunch of over sized porcupine quill 8/9" long ,tucked away someware in a draw.