Camafloat

[Olly]

Just watched the link to Pathe News. Ray and his brother were fishing about 400-800m above Teddington Lock opposite Trowlock Island. The house with the turret is still there in the current Google Earth.

I was able to fish just above & below the weir as my father was a a member of the Lensbury Club, part of Shell at about the same time as the film.

Bill Rushmer still paints his floats in the same 'camouflage' way as Ray is seen doing in the clip.

[Nobby]

I've since discovered the name and address for Camafloats and a Hardy price sheet...so Hardy listed them in their catalogues!














Sadly, the workshop is a fried chicken joint today. The display case only shows the swirly paint floats, here are some of the tinted varnish ones that let the grain shown through:






.

[Santiago]

Thanks for that Nobby. I will be posting a photo of some quill camo floats when the varnish dries. I quite by accident have discovered a good way of achieving a mackerel type camo pattern on some of my Naiads, but they're not painted.

[Nobby]

I think Peter Drennan also offered some 'swirly' paint camouflage ones too in the very early days.....I'm not certain as they aren't written on in anyway.

[Santiago]

Do you think camo floats actually offer any advantage even in clear shallow water?

[Nobby]

Probably not, but these things go in fashions don't they. I was surprised at Hardy offering them..presumably the fashion had a few followers?

I've only once seen fish spook at the sight of a float for definite...crystal clear water, waggler float hanging down, two carp on patrol stopped and then rushed out to deep water. But they were spooky fish that day....two hours later, after I'd changed to ledgering, they spooked again at the sight of Maxima Chameleon line. Should have used a back-lead, Nobby!

I've tended to make natural looking greenish floats myself and sometimes they can be a positive disadvantage....fry nibble them thinking it's algae....