I’ve been making my own balsa floats for Steelhead and trout fishing experimenting with different sizes, shapes, and fluorescent paints with much success. I am having a hard time finding “glow in the dark” paint that is ‘watery’ enough to use on my floats. I want to make floats for night fishing. Does any one have any experience or advice on this subject?

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Hows about Isotopes in them rather than fluro paint??

Never tried them, is there a web-site where I can veiw what you mean?

Did a Google search, those Isotopes look interesting, how long do the last?

Hi. Isotopes last for ages. Mine are at least 10 years old and they are still brighter than me.

Pete

Do you use them as the float it self, or is it part of the float?

AP,Isotopes or Beta Lights as they are some times known last up to about 15 years.Even when new they are only bright enough for relatively close in float fishing.MNr Mathew isnt reffering to Isotopes but Starlights.

I pressume that if you are using them for Steelhead and trout you will be wanting something bright enough to see when a fair way down stream? I would sugest that the disposable chemical "Starlight" type night light would be far better.They are certainly far brighter.You can buy purpose made floats that have the ability to carry one of these lights or it is easy enough to convert your own.

[ 09. February 2005, 01:31 AM: Message edited by: BUDGIE ]

Make sure your starlights are a decent size if you intend using them at distance. The small popular 1.5" starlights are useless much beyond 18-20 yards. In broken water it would be nigh on impossible to pick them out at that same distance without superhuman eyesight. The 2" starlights are probably a good start point. You can easily adapt any float with a little two pot glue to take a starlight holder. Floats attached only at the bottom are easiest to adapt by gluing the supplied holder tube to the top of the float via a section of large cocktail stick jammed in the top. Well...thats how I do it. If you get hold of a few starlights then it's easy to figure out how they fit.

Most of my drifts are at least 20 yards, would still appreciate any experiences with glow in the dark paint. I'll try a google search for floats that can carry these starlight’s but if any of you have any web links to them I'd like that very much.

I have used the luminous green paint that you need to charge with a torch but it isnt seen often in the shops these days.It is also really inferior to Starlights or Betalights/Isotopes.If you give me some details as to how deep,how fast the water and how much weight you need the float to carry it may help.If it comes to it I will gladly make you up a couple of floats that you will be able to use in flowing water at night.

The sort of float that we would use in quite heavy turbulant running water is an Avon or Chubber style.To save me drawing a diagram I will copy one from a book and send it in a PM to you this will show you the type of float Im on about and how we set them up.Either of these could be easily adapted to take a light.