George387

Happy Birthday chris

Without giving too much of a gentle guide look at my signature in every post I do it contains a big float appearing simply click it...cant be any simpler than that... the blog is the very 1st button you will see lol

Nothing wrong with that mate if they do the job you want them to then thats all that counts, always nice to see floats made by other people.

There has been a link to a step by step guide on my blog for over 2 years now on how its done, along with other float makers tricks & tips.

Terry those pictures of the stickfloats were ones that someone had ordered from me, If Im making floats up for someone I just take a picture and when I revamped the website I used what pictures I had. I personally dont bother with stick floats as most of my trotting is for Grayling then I switch to fly in the summer and the odd trot for the chub thats about it.

I hear what your saying terry but everyone to their own, I think a lot of people want the old kit in preference to todays reels, I much prefer to use 1960s reels than todays sort, not that I dont have any I have, but I prefer my speedia's, rapidex's & match aerials to todays stuff, thats just me though & I still fish with cane rods. Your right about prices they are rocketing compared to last year & I think one of the reasons for that is the barbel anglers are now turning to centrepins for ledger tactics after seeing a programme on tv.

First of all I find centre by using this device and a pen, seen here on a cork but same principles apply for everything else I use in float building. after that I put it into a press drill and drill down exactly in centre with the drill piece taped off to the depth I want. PS. For the sceptics/ Stirrers out there this is how I do it, if you do it differently then dont email me critising me Im not interested!

Just as long as I dont see you on the tees fishing with it....

well in Ian they certainly give you a good pull thats for sure, I sometimes come across them on the annan when grayling fishing and they do test the tackle well done mate

Lovely looking reel but as you say too heavy and you would need to keep polishing it, Ive done enough polishing brass in my career, dont need another now retired...lol

Aye it does but only for a name swap on the waiting list, ...lol, was a good try though, and Im know barmy wont sell it after seeing it, as Ian says, I saw most of CL's reels when I visited him and I was drooling but after the thought of waiting 2.5 years I decided against it as I wanted mine sooner rather than later. Unpatient folk are anglers....lol Im more than happy with the near 30 reels I have nowadays anyway, Im on thin ice with the mrs if I buy another

I might have guessed you would be 1st in the queue Ian...Im 3rd by the looks of things after rusty...lol but should be 2nd as rusty hasnt posted his reply so 2nd looks good to me...lol

Ive been to CL's workshop as its only 20 minutes from me as last year I wanted a memorial reel as a one off to remember my parents but after looking at CL reels, handling them and the time required to build it I didnt feel it was worth the 2.5 years wait he quoted me and so opted for another make of reel with everything I wanted on it. I was brought up with an old rapidex, probably the 1st proper reel after a fly reel as I was originally a fly angler and this was what was taught to me at a young age, and I have to say some of the older reels are way over the top on Fleebay but after looking at the revolver folk must be mad to pay that sort of price for a reel unless they are a collector, which lets face it most pin users are. I laugh at the prices of the Marco Cortesi, I bought one when they werent so fashionable before everyone heard about them and for the money they are worth it but the okumas Tigger your right they are not the same quality as the older ones, one of the older ones came into my possesion midweek for the grand total of £55 including P&P and when I was in the tackle shop today I handled one of the newer models and the difference is unbelievable. Before long as you say the pins will become unfashionable again and we can get them at sensible prices again.

Sorry doesnt ring my ding a ling neither

as I said right at the start of this topic I would be out this weekend and true to my word I was, not to my usual Grayling river of the tees but the Ure this time. See my blog for full details and pictures...saves writing it all again

I see where your coming from Budgie BUT it is too late now, It certainly will never happen thats for sure, Too many people have different views on what a stickfloat should or should not be & its not just restricted to stickfloats so thats why i said what I said, it matters not because we are never going to change things its been lost in time and I give up trying to understand folk these days as you try & help a lad and all you get is stick! I know I will be joining the band of floatmakers who no longer reply to these sort of threads because why bother, your only going to get grief so better off not posting at all.

lmao Im not that far in front of you Lutra Im only 44. Ive just returned from a cracking morning fishing on the river Ure catching a few grayling and trout and whilst there I was going over in my mind about this thread. I was advised by other float makers who I keep in touch with over the internet that they no longer post on topics because there are too many armchair critics around and I think this thread has done that for me. This thread was entitled "Making my Own" where Lozza asked for help in making floats and so far the only posts Ive seen are posts bickering over what is and what isnt a stick float! Does it really matter what each individual thinks what a stick float should look like there are literally hundereds of different variations of stickfloats, you only need to look around at some angling websites to see the different ones on show. No wonder guys now dont bother carrying on a dying art and just go and buy them from a tackle shop because If I came onto a forum and read the posts that are in this one I wouldnt want to make my own either. I just hope this doesnt put lozza off from making his own and can only ask unless you are going to give the guy advice on making his own floats dont bother posting a reply, start a stickfloat debate on another thread, and give the thread back to Lozza for the purpose he asked the question which was advice on making floats.

Before I apologise which I will gracefully do if Im wrong. You are suggesting those floats are nothing more than a topped bulk waggler then please show me a photograph of a proper stick float then show me a picture of a topped bulked waggler next to it. I could probably google stick float myself and get 20 - 30 different variations to stick float in picture format so please tell me what a stick float looks like? I have now posted 2 pictures of stick floats here to help the guy out who started the thread and so far all he has gained is that we are all wrong but they have not showed how we are all wrong. Im all for learning

Im sorry but I have to say Im not with you on this one, If you look back in the archives you will see that some of the 1st stick floats were actually made from norfolk reed the way they have been discribed earlier in the post by cutting beween the knotches as the reed is watertight between them, although some of the earlier stick floats do look like wagglers they were actually used to great effect, some modern day float makers still use norfolk reed to make stick floats but add cane as a bottom stem to them. Here is a very good example of a norfolk reed & cane stick float made by a friend andy Field.

LMAO, I cant talk Im a scotsman living in Yorkshire, Now there is a combination....lol It isnt as bad over here at the moment with the snow you seem to have now got what we had 2 weeks ago and your welcome to keep it...lol

thats half the problem these days though with a lot of anglers they would rather just go and buy stuff than take time to source make & trial their own floats, and other bits of tackle, everything is such a rush that not many can be nothered to make their own stuff and learn from it. How many folk can say they make their own tackle...not many and if it is I bet its the older anglers . When guys want to learn how to make stuff and ask for assistance what help is Id rather just buy them? & your right budgie they are not the original sticks as sticks were thought of & being used a long time before Paul Woodward put his name on some floats

Simply click on the link in my signature and it will take you to the website with all the details etc

Tigger your only over the hills from me and 14" in Yorkshire is nothing, I will be fishing tomorrow. can tell you Lancashire folk arent bred hard...lol

cheers tigger always nice to know other anglers think there are ok.

I make stick floats from balsa/cane it is quite easy once you get used to working with the materials. One thing I learned from another float maker is always use a spigot joint to join the 2 together. I use a unimat lathe to shape all the floats I make. Here is a picture of some sticks I made.