Floats, an addiction

[Julian]

Really nice floats

[Greentura]

I've not been posting much here, been a bit preoccupied with my own 'TART' facebook group. restoring and building tackle and the dreaded 'W' word too. I thought I'd show a little of what I've been upto. These are some of the floats, my take on traditional, some simple and some a bit more decorated but all tested on the bank to earn a place in the float box
Assorted Pike and perch bobs, all one off pairs as far as the colours go

Large bream float cork, cane and peacock quill, about 12"

Crow quill and cork grayling/perch bob

double goose quill and cork perch bob

set of fluted Avon and grayling floats in natural with garnet whippings

Crow quill and cork tench float

feather inlaid Avons

tench lifters, these are still to be varnished ready for next weekend's 'testing'

crow quill and balsa avon

Pike and perch bobs


Amazing what can be achieved with the TV off

the sharp eyed will see i put a logo on them, 'Traditional Angling Retro Tackle', this was because i sold some last year only to find them back on a popular auction site being sold as their own , so if you see one without the logo that looks like the fluted ones, and they try to tell you they are from another float maker and ask more than £30 for a set of three, walk away, I'll make some for half that plus postage

Lovely floats Sir, but what is the dreaded 'W' word - whisky? wine? women?

work, it keeps me away from the three 'F's' Family, Friends and Fishing

[Greentura]

I have seen these floats on eBay, I really like the fluted avons - You have done a really good job.

I have to make room for more somehow

Many of the posts on the float makers thread here, and from float makers who visit my Facebook group, have been an inspiration, when i used to make floats it was almost mass production and they were simple peacock and porcupine quills, painted and varnished and used to barter for other tackle in a local shop, but when i was no longer in need of extra cash, also had nowhere to make them and the supply of my porcupine and peacock quill dried up I stopped making floats, apart from the odd one or two, mainly as a way or reusing broken floats, waste not want not , but with time on my hands a couple of years ago while Ill I had to find something for my idol hands to do before the devil found work for them, first I set up my Facebook group, not really into FB before that, then found there were dozens of other people there just like me and wanting to try making and restoring themselves, as well as many who did already. I purposefully made my FB group about the fishing rather than just the tackle to encourage people with modern tackle to join in, and in doing so to see some of our vintage and retro tackle in use. seems to have worked, over 800 members now in 14 countries, no adverts or links to this that and the other with exception to those asked for or relating to group or charity events.

I still wear my TFF badge with pride, and often direct people here as there is no way a FB group could be the wealth of knowledge and research material as is found here, and Google doesn't seem to find much on FB either so most of the time looking there will direct people here. FB is instant though, reel time online conversation, while waist deep in a river to someone trying to find where you're fishing when you don't have each other's numbers, the wife knowing where I am has it's good and bad side though, but in general it's a good medium when limited to a group. Twitter and others though, still can't get my head around those, and i think the first four letters say it all

[Loop Erimder]

Love that box of flutes

[Vole]

Might it rhyme with "Kirk"? The alternatives are absorbing enough to keep a chap from the keyboard, let alone the lathe.
EDIT Burger it, didn't spot page two!
How embarrassing....

[Greentura]

Might it rhyme with "Kirk"? The alternatives are absorbing enough to keep a chap from the keyboard, let alone the lathe.
EDIT Burger it, didn't spot page two!
How embarrassing....

how many posts have i deleted over the years because of that, don't worry Mr Vole

Thank you all, I have several of the flutes for sale on eBay, and can make up a boxed set of ten floats, I have one box left, and I have one boxed set put by for a raffle I'm running to put towards Bumble's 'Fishing for Heroes' charity. I sort of got carried away with the fluted floats, I love using them myself and have eighteen different styles in my own box, including wire stemmed, longer tips and even chubbers, plus a couple of crow quill versions in the pipeline. I am looking for more domatins of raffel prizes and many thanks to Barney and Ashby Cut for their donations, details via my Facebook group, and i will ask Mark if i can post the event here where the draw is to take place

[Greentura]

Just a few more floats. I've gotten quite heavily into turning cork bodied floats, the river ones have five patterns and two sizes of each, and with all the tip, body, stem and whipping colours and combinations there are over 13,000 possibilities, so I wont be making one of each here's a few now I have my own registered trademark transfers added and there are more on the website

http://arcaneandco.wix.com/arcane

[Marc]

Oooow. I like the badge. I also like experimenting with unusual colours, all hale humbrol.