Makeing my own

[Dick Dastardly]

If I remember right Steve "Zoomers" (they looked like long bodied wagglers) were fished top and bottom on wide rivers like the Nene and Welland?

 

In fact I think it was the Witham!

Edited December 19, 2010 by BUDGIE

[Steve Walker]

That rings a bell, Budgie, the float fishing section was all about the match scene and those rivers were big parts of it. "Zoomer" is the word I had at the back of my mind too, so I think that may be right. Zoomers and onions!

 

I once had a beautiful set of Billy Makin floats in a nice wooden box, bought for me as a present from a mail order advert. Included lots of old fashioned patterns. Sadly, it got nicked by a couple of little scrotes.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Steve Walker

[lozza]

Thanks for the replies I think it raise some interesting discussion. My original question has been answered as always with people best advice from their experience. To me building my own tackle and going through the process of trial and error to get some thing that works better then I can buy is part of the fun and interest.

[lozza]

I have just finished my stick float blanks and thrown them at my dart board they seem to be properly balanced. I was just admiring the paint job that you have done and was wondering what paints you use? The main problem i had with the stick floats was drilling the hole for the spigot i could not get mine to go exactly stright i was wondering how to over come this.

[Dick Dastardly]

Do you mean straight as so the two sections are in line, or in the middle so the two sections fit together centerally? (if you get what Im trying to say??)

[kirisute]

when my father was teaching my brother and i fishing we spent most weekends making our own floats!

At that time (late 70's early 80's) you could easily buy reed,balsa float bodies and plactics eyes etc to allow you create an almost endless variety of floats!

Father still has a huge amount of them sitting in his old tackle box!

the process was relatively simple..cut the reed to length, insert reed into the pre-formed balsa body and glue into place. Glue plastic eye into base of reed, then paint the bals body in Dope (http://balsamart.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=109_198&page=1&sort=4a)

which basically just seals it against water!

leave it all to dry and then paint to suit your choice!

i know that at the time we bought the stuff via mail order and things like the balsa bodies came in bags of 20 or so!

The company even sold porcupine quills and suchlike and the metal eyes to "whip" onto the ends of them! On top of that i feel certain we even had bodies for pike floats and similar!

http://www.mattstackle.co.uk/shop.php?viewcategory=158

seems a quick search of the internet will still produce some shops showing up balsa bodies for float making!

 

im getting all teary eyed here with my memories! LOL

[George387]

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!

Edited January 10, 2011 by George387

[76jerry]

George I notice that your stick floats don,t have a shoulder on is this because they are designed to be fished on a slower paced river and not held back much ? I make my floats out of Peacock Quill but limited to Wagglers and Insert Wagglers hope to move on to having ago at Balsa floats soon

[gozzer]

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!

 

Nothing wrong with doing it that way George, IMO it's the best way for the larger diameter bodies.

For thinner stuff like balsa, I have a few simple jigs made up. They are blocks of metal, (I've used steel), that are first bored through with a small hole, (I use 3mm) then counter bored with the diameter of the balsa dowel, (6mm, 10mm, 12mm). The block has to be at least 50mm thick, and counter bored half way. Then it's just a matter of inserting the dowel, and drilling the 3mm from the other end, and you have a hole drilled in the centre of your dowel. You can make the jigs with whatever size holes you want, to suit the size you make most.

 

I've had a chuckle reading this thread, all that fuss over a simple stick float, one of the simplest floats to make or use.

 

John.

 

PS, The zoomers are a weighted antennae float, fixed top and bottom, and used for distance fishing on slow moving rivers. I still have about a half dozen in my float box, from 30 odd yrs ago.

Edited January 10, 2011 by gozzer

[George387]

George I notice that your stick floats don,t have a shoulder on is this because they are designed to be fished on a slower paced river and not held back much ? I make my floats out of Peacock Quill but limited to Wagglers and Insert Wagglers hope to move on to having ago at Balsa floats soon

 

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.