More floats

[John Milford]

Ive been doing a bit more float fettling, while this dreary wet weather has delayed my usual early spring start to my 'non pike' season.

4AAA Trent Trotters (they might also get used for shallow margin fishing for carp)

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Balsa on cane Antenna, Ducker and Trotter.

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Experimental colours, Ducker, Perch Bob and Avon

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[John Milford]

Some mini floater controllers, for when the sun finally decides to appear.

The built-in 4g weights are brass screws, with their heads and pointed tips cut off.

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[davelumb]

Some mini floater controllers, for when the sun finally decides to appear.

The built-in 4g weights are brass screws, with their heads and pointed tips cut off.


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Vintage swivels?

[John Milford]

Vintage swivels?

Not only vintage swivels, but brass swivels to match the weights!

[Steve Dennington]

Very nice, John

I haven't done many floats, but I'm currently doing a cedar bolt controller for surface carp fishing. It's going to be along the lines of a GT popper lure in shape and should hook up very effectively I hope

[davelumb]

Vintage swivels?

Not only vintage swivels, but brass swivels to match the weights!

Tackle tart!

[John Milford]

Very nice, John

I haven't done many floats, but I'm currently doing a cedar bolt controller for surface carp fishing. It's going to be along the lines of a GT popper lure in shape and should hook up very effectively I hope

Sounds interesting Steve, let's see it when it's finished!

I've got a cone-shaped bombarda with a cupped end for floater fishing 'bolt' style, but I've yet to use it.

[John Milford]

Vintage swivels?

Not only vintage swivels, but brass swivels to match the weights!

Tackle tart!

Unashamedly!

[davelumb]

Vintage swivels?

Not only vintage swivels, but brass swivels to match the weights!

Tackle tart!

Unashamedly!

[Jack H]

Very nice particularly like those mini controllers. Look ideal for a small local carp fishery where they seem to spook off of larger floats.

Jack

[John Milford]

Very nice particularly like those mini controllers. Look ideal for a small local carp fishery where they seem to spook off of larger floats.

Jack

That's exactly where I'll be using them Jack!

[whitey79]

Well done I do like a fine hand made float devils in the detail the work involved to make a well turned float is not easy

[Chris Hammond]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

[JoeNickel]

Cracking job, John.

I've made a few, but they invariably look like I've finished them in the dark while wearing wicket-keeping gloves.

[martin(rockape)]

Cracking job, John.

I've made a few, but they invariably look like I've finished them in the dark while wearing wicket-keeping gloves.

You ought to see mine, I wear boxing gloves.......the floats work though.

Regards

Martin

[John Milford]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

Peacock tail quills make excellent floats Chris! (Happy birthday, by the way!).

They need a really sharp blade to cut them to length without splitting, but are worth the effort.

The few I've made only have their tips painted as they are naturally waterproof. You can paint the bodies too, but it tends to flake off if not well keyed and primed (hence me not bothering! ).

[davelumb]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

Peacock wagglers were a big thing in the 1970s IIRC. Pretty sure the hollow plastic wagglers were modelled after them for greater consistency of manufacture.

[Chris Hammond]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

Peacock tail quills make excellent floats Chris! (Happy birthday, by the way!).

They need a really sharp blade to cut them to length without splitting, but are worth the effort.

The few I've made only have their tips painted as they are naturally waterproof. You can paint the bodies too, but it tends to flake off if not well keyed and primed (hence me not bothering! ).

I don’t know if it’s typical, but it’s not much thicker than the fattest crow quills. I can get several more if I care to hop in with my mate’s two emus. He says they will peck you non stop, but that it’s not too painful, but they’re an evil looking pair of beggars.

[Chris Hammond]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

Peacock wagglers were a big thing in the 1970s IIRC. Pretty sure the hollow plastic wagglers were modelled after them for greater consistency of manufacture.

It seems quite slender. The peacock is pure white, (which is a first for me) but he’s the same size as a regular peacock, including the tail display.

[davelumb]

Fine work there John.

I did a job yesterday out in the wilds of Norfolk on a small holding where the customer has, among other things, peacocks. I brought a quill home with me. Am I imagining it, or, along with porcupine and crow quills, were peacocks feathers used for floats back in the day?

Peacock wagglers were a big thing in the 1970s IIRC. Pretty sure the hollow plastic wagglers were modelled after them for greater consistency of manufacture.

It seems quite slender. The peacock is pure white, (which is a first for me) but he’s the same size as a regular peacock, including the tail display.

They do vary in size. I can remember stripped peacock quills being sold in tackle shops, along with porcupine quills, sarkandas reed, float canes and cork bodies.

[John Milford]

I can remember stripped peacock quills being sold in tackle shops, along with porcupine quills, sarkandas reed, float canes and cork bodies.

. . . . and you could buy a whole fistful for tuppence ha'penny!

[Steve Dennington]

They do vary in size. I can remember stripped peacock quills being sold in tackle shops, along with porcupine quills, sarkandas reed, float canes and cork bodies.

In the 80s, most tackle shops had float making bits and pieces (balsa bodies, reed stems etc.) but I suppose people can't be arsed these days.

[davelumb]

They do vary in size. I can remember stripped peacock quills being sold in tackle shops, along with porcupine quills, sarkandas reed, float canes and cork bodies.

In the 80s, most tackle shops had float making bits and pieces (balsa bodies, reed stems etc.) but I suppose people can't be arsed these days.

They sold rod fittings and blanks too. Same story, lots of cheap tackle readily available for those on a limited budget.

[John Milford]

I think these days people are more inclined to make floats purely for their own satisfaction, rather than through thrift. Almost everything needed can still be found online.

Although I've got (literally) hundreds and don't need any more, I really do enjoy making and using my own these days (or hand crafted beauties like Mark Houghton's pike floats).

In fact, I can feel an ebay purge coming on, as I reckon I'd not miss 90% of the 'shop bought' floats I've got!

[davelumb]

I used to make floats for fun TBH. Most never got used. One I made was an elder pith bodied Avon that I painted up in cammo. Looked great. Never got wet!

One I did use a lot was a design that wasn't available in the shops that I saw in an article. A weighted peacock waggler. Lots of plastic versions around now since the commercials appeared.

Take one whole peacock tail feather and carefully remove the thick hollow bit. Clean the inside of this out and whip an eye to the closed end. Cut a length of the pithy part so it will slide into the hollow part. Now put dust shot into the hollow part to give casting weight, then glue the pithy bit in. When dry test in water and trim until a little of the float sits above the surface when a shot or two is added to the line. Paint and the job's done. This was my number one summer canal float for catching roach and rudd up in the water with just one number eight near the hook. I could cast it tight to the stick-ups on the far side where they often hung out.

After 30 or more years it got damaged, let in water and rotted.

[John Milford]

Some very simple short peacock wagglers.

The eyes are stainless wire, Gorilla-glued into the pith. The eye is just pushed in to tap a hole, then removed and dampened which causes the glue to foam. It is then tamped down before it sets hard, creating a waterproof dome around the eye.

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[pikin]

As a kid my mates Dad was a good club Match Angler locally.

He used to set us up on the living room table with a pack of drinking straws, shot and polystyrene. We made him tons of floats that were mostly self cockers for Canal fishing and the local river. We painted the tops with Nail varnish.

He also showed us how to make ready made end rigs with some fancy hook tying gizmo and we populated boxes of empty After Eight mint wrappers with our inspected rigs.

He taught me how to Catch Roach upto 1lb locally when all my mates were catching Gudgeon and Stickle backs I was chuffed to bits with my efforts.

[davelumb]

As a kid my mates Dad was a good club Match Angler locally.

He used to set us up on the living room table with a pack of drinking straws, shot and polystyrene. We made him tons of floats that were mostly self cockers for Canal fishing and the local river. We painted the tops with Nail varnish.

He also showed us how to make ready made end rigs with some fancy hook tying gizmo and we populated boxes of empty After Eight mint wrappers with our inspected rigs.

He taught me how to Catch Roach upto 1lb locally when all my mates were catching Gudgeon and Stickle backs I was chuffed to bits with my efforts.

Oh for those simple old days.