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Centrepin fishing - float size


The Flying Tench

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Thats the old "Fishing weights/Moulds" company/site.They had a terrible reputation for stuff (especially float making components) being out of stocjk yet still advertised and "orderable" Let us know how you get on Paul.

 

Thank you for that Budgie. Up until approx three years ago you could get the trotters on flea bay but I have really struggled to find any since then and I am down to my last few floats so I ordered 5 sets. Paid by paypal so at least some protection. I may have to order some balsa doweling and get on the lathe but it seems much too much of a long winded job to me when you can buy them off the peg. As is the norm today, there is very little around in the way of floats for river fishing compared with what there used to be. I also ordered some Ultra onions for still water use but they are not a patch on the originals. Also having a problem with finding some decent cork to refurbish the handles on my old Alan Brown 13/4s which I have been meaning to do for ages. Such is life :D

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Thank you for that Budgie. Up until approx three years ago you could get the trotters on flea bay but I have really struggled to find any since then and I am down to my last few floats so I ordered 5 sets. Paid by paypal so at least some protection. I may have to order some balsa doweling and get on the lathe but it seems much too much of a long winded job to me when you can buy them off the peg. As is the norm today, there is very little around in the way of floats for river fishing compared with what there used to be. I also ordered some Ultra onions for still water use but they are not a patch on the originals. Also having a problem with finding some decent cork to refurbish the handles on my old Alan Brown 13/4s which I have been meaning to do for ages. Such is life :D

 

Like everyone else getting down on my balsa's so like Tincatinca I have ordered Balsa...Thw wife is about to recommence making me some floats...I will post some photo's when she has made them not fancy like some makers but they work, which is all I ask.

From a spark a fire will flare up

English by birth, Cockney by the Grace of God

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.it helps too know what weight is required too break the inertia threshold and start the spool rotating of your centrepin .this is used as the base weight ,next you need too know how far you can cast a given weight or more correctly what weight is required too comfortably cast two - three rod lengths (less than 2 rod lengths you just swing your tackle out without casting) this is achieved by a few practice casts at home or someware suitable ,the minimum weighht you can use without assistance is 1½ x your base weight and your minimum casting weight is what ever you have found too be required too reach two rod lengths ,too the nearest ssg / aaa shot

 

i pick my floats according too the conditions ,The deeper the water the heavier/bigger the float , the slower the water runs the fatter the float , more surface area too catch the flow ,the wind resistance etc and the distance i want too cast too (remembering you'll cast a bulk shot further than a equal weighted strung out shotting patten) any distance over two rod lengths ,I always use a bulk shotting patten ,i only use a shirt button strung out shotting patten with my stickfloats but don't don't use them very often prefering avon /chubba floats for most of my fishing on rivers

 

 

then i look at my floats in there case and pick the float i think is the best compromise of these factors .usually a chubba or avon style float ,most are 2+X swan/ssg , i do have some lighter ones & some tiny versions of them too cater for shallow water . i prefer avons or chubba's as i tend too hold back a lot and these are better suited for that.

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Chavender
I try to be funny... but sometimes I merely look it! hello.gif Steve

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I too like the balsa trotters and have just ordered some more from the link below. They seem to be quite hard to find these days.

 

http://www.mattstackle.co.uk/productinfo.php?product=608

 

they're a loafer profile ,as budgie said they're not a company with the best reputation .i could recommend these as a alternative supplier of such flaots ,in green , black or quill style (paint effect) and they've a sale on right now so even cheaper (cheaper than i could make them & supply them for ) especially as they're free postage as well

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/fishingtackledire..._fsub=854960015

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Chavender
I try to be funny... but sometimes I merely look it! hello.gif Steve

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Most of my river fishing with a float was learned from some very good match anglers whilst I was into the match scene whilst serving in Germany.

 

The best thing I was told was "A floats job is to carry the correct amount of weight required to present the bait correctly" So I have allways used that to select the size of float I use.

 

Am same as you budgie learned most of my trade on the match scene in Germany & Holland fishing for my corps, in the 80s & 90s never know we could even have shared the same match together....RA always came top..ish....lol

 

Slitshot what do you mean by balsa trotters as there are several variations, have a look at my website and see if this is the sort of thing your after, I have a few made up I could let you have if your desperate.

 

Traditional Handmade Floats

A Scotsman in Yorkshire...http://traditionalfloats.blogspot.co.uk/

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Thanks, everyone. Well there's a clear difference of viewpoint between toad, budgie and co who I think are saying that you only need a float heavy enough to carry the required shot, and rusty, slitshot and co who opt for a heavier float - mainly because of different needs of different swims, but also to avoid the float being pulled off line. I'll bear it all in mind!

john clarke

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I think there is one point at which we will all agree on and that it experiment, experiment and experiment again different floats different shotting patterns, for your venue.

 

I am sure we are pretty likely to all agree on... trotting means the float does not move off the straight line unless its a bite

From a spark a fire will flare up

English by birth, Cockney by the Grace of God

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I think there is one point at which we will all agree on and that it experiment, experiment and experiment again different floats different shotting patterns, for your venue.

 

I am sure we are pretty likely to all agree on... trotting means the float does not move off the straight line unless its a bite

 

 

Sometimes i'll hold back to cause the float to kite across the river to another line and often get a take while the floats kiting across river so the common beleif that if bait doesn't act naturally by flowing exactly in a straight line downstream and at the same speed as the current is cobblers in my opinion. Take holding back for example, that ain't a natural thing for a bait to do ...is it (but it works very well)? It's said that jerking your bait will put fish off taking but imo it's just the opposite and an unexpected movement can often cause a take. I mean who's to say how bait should act ? When it's quiet and there's no takes it's well worth trying unorthadox tactics.

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Sometimes i'll hold back to cause the float to kite across the river to another line and often get a take while the floats kiting across river so the common beleif that if bait doesn't act naturally by flowing exactly in a straight line downstream and at the same speed as the current is cobblers in my opinion.

 

ANSWER:

Well I guess we cant all agree after all, although I admit to speaking about pure trotting in its traditional and accepted form and definition.

 

Take holding back for example, that ain't a natural thing for a bait to do ...is it (but it works very well)? It's said that jerking your bait will put fish off taking but imo it's just the opposite and an unexpected movement can often cause a take. I mean who's to say how bait should act ? When it's quiet and there's no takes it's well worth trying unorthodox tactics.

 

ANSWER:

YES I agree, there are times when doing that can work but and a BIG BUT I would never recommend unorthodox tactics or flash and smart tricks until one has mastered the basics...Yes they can produce at times, however master the technique first, there are lots of tricks and moves that can be made as many on here could comment and might. But it is not strictly speaking a trotting manoeuvre or even part of trotting.

 

Why trott? Simple to achieve perfect line control and bait presentation with the speed of the natural flow and allows one to be in touch with any hooked fish.

 

What is trotting? A method of fishing the swim in a straight line, that allows one to be perfectly in touch with rod, reel, line. float and bait, everything should be fluid from thoughts to movement, I believe it is (it certainly was) the case of all trotting was done with the lightest tackle possible under the prevailing conditions and taking into account the venue (river speed, river depth, weed growth, bottom condition and type, wind direction, target species - I could go on bit it will most likely get boring as it will get down to everything and his wife - not forgetting the kitchen sink).

 

Take holding back in the 1950's and 1960's (and by me still) holding back was never done to lift your hookbait to a higher level in the water (if you do that and get the species and size you are after then you are fishing to deep for your intended prey - so reduce the depth of your hookbait), holdingback was done solely as a means of checking your float to prevent your float getting in front of your hookbait and thereby dragging the hookbait unnaturally faster than the flow, it was done so that the hookbait constantly continued at the same depth and at the same speed as the flow and was followed by the float not lead by the float. Perfect Trotting with a centrepin (why centrepin because they are easier to trott with than a fixed spool - its just learning to cast with a centrepin that takes a bit more effort) was and is by me at least considered to be the mark of excellence in a good angler and a Roach, Dace, Chub, Grayling, Barbel angler in particular

Edited by watatoad

From a spark a fire will flare up

English by birth, Cockney by the Grace of God

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