Stick floats history

[Crucian]

Well gents, just read this whole thread and enjoyed every word.
Thanks for posting and keep it coming...

[AllRounder]

Having spent many years fishing stick floats on the Trent,Warwickshire Avon and The Severn if I could only carry one float style I would choose a wire stemmed shouldered stick float every time. The larger Avon style floats are great for deeper waters or where there is a need for bulk shotting - perhaps the lower Severn or Bristol Avon.
I spent the last day of the season fishing the upper Severn with a Wallis Avon Rod and centre pin reel. In the interest of keeping everything traditional I put an Avon style float on - I have to be honest and admit that I was dying to change it to a modern stick float!

[Santiago]

My all time favourite trotting float was a wire stemmed shouldered stick float that I found on the bank of the Yorkshire ouse. Sadly I lost it after years of using it on the Thames. My line snapped off by an underwater snag and all I could do was watch as this wonderful float floated away.

[Backhand]

Most of the Avons I use take between 6 and 10BB, with the smaller ones used on 4-6ft of water and the larger ones in up to 12ft, with the 'Topper' specials for distance fishing. I once spent an enjoyable 2 hours picking Topper's brain on the designs and method; certainly not a float for holding back! A mate of mine is currently interviewing John Dean on his methods from back in the day. I think he changed to trout fishing after match fishing but also didn't have the time to practise once he was jointly running a tackle shop.

That would be a good interview, you will have to tell, where you can hear it or read it. I know about the big Avons, you are obviously fishing big rivers, which one's ? I would have liked to have had the chance to,"pick Toppers brains" Which methods did he use. Was he fishing Bread? That Bristol Avon is a big river, I have never fished it, but have been down that area plenty of times and had a look, while doing something else.

[Backhand]

You didn't. I just keep forgetting the Thames is one almighty wide chalk stream. Your post reminded me that's all.

Oh right, OK mate, got the wrong end of the stick ....lols....or should that be Avon

Stuart

[Backhand]

I've an inkling that crow quill avons are perhaps mainly underrated by those that prefer to use stick floats for trotting. I would choose a crow quill avon any day for most of my trotting and never bother with stick floats these day, although I did make one recently and intend to use it this summer.

I think it's very much a fisherman's preference. I'm sure the avons would be just as good. As we can see from the different preferences expressed here, choice of float is not so important as how you use it. Plastic, wood, metal, quill - so long as it floats and feels right.

All these floats work on running water, the important things are getting the feeding right and the depth, plus the shotting. All these 3 are more important than the actual float.

[Backhand]

Well gents, just read this whole thread and enjoyed every word.
Thanks for posting and keep it coming...

I think everyone's on a roll, I hope we can think of more to say.

[Backhand]

Having spent many years fishing stick floats on the Trent,Warwickshire Avon and The Severn if I could only carry one float style I would choose a wire stemmed shouldered stick float every time. The larger Avon style floats are great for deeper waters or where there is a need for bulk shotting - perhaps the lower Severn or Bristol Avon.
I spent the last day of the season fishing the upper Severn with a Wallis Avon Rod and centre pin reel. In the interest of keeping everything traditional I put an Avon style float on - I have to be honest and admit that I was dying to change it to a modern stick float!

I tend to agree with you AllRounder. All though I tried to fish canals as much as possible I did use to venture on to river occasionally. My stomping grounds would have been the slower rivers like "the Nene" but did also fish "the Trent and Severn occasionally. I used to carry wire stemmed sticks, some with Shoulders and some without. These were between 2BB - 14BB the bigger one's were used more in flood conditions. Very versatile, you can run them at the speed of the current or slow them down and even hold them still on a tight line. In the winter I would bulk shot with No 4's and a couple of No 10's or No 12's as droppers. If you spread the droppers especially the 12's and fish the bulk just off bottom, you can run the float through very slowly, with the hook/bait in front of the float. If you fished with a long hook length (2-3foot)with the same shotting you can actually stop the float dead, the bait will then be on the bottom, when you let the float go, the bait will still be stationary until the float passes the hook/bait by about 2-3 ft. Quite often by then a roach has already taken the stationary bait and as the float goes past it, it will just go under because the roach has stopped the bait.

Does that all make sense, much easier to show someone in real life.

[Match Aerial]

Funny enough I was emailing Dave Harrel some time ago and he said there is no need for any other stick float other can a lignum or a wire stem these days. I noticed that all he now sells.
It makes fishing a bit easer thats for sure!

[Stuart Whiting]

I've an inkling that crow quill avons are perhaps mainly underrated by those that prefer to use stick floats for trotting. I would choose a crow quill avon any day for most of my trotting and never bother with stick floats these day, although I did make one recently and intend to use it this summer.

I think it's very much a fisherman's preference. I'm sure the avons would be just as good. As we can see from the different preferences expressed here, choice of float is not so important as how you use it. Plastic, wood, metal, quill - so long as it floats and feels right.

All these floats work on running water, the important things are getting the feeding right and the depth, plus the shotting. All these 3 are more important than the actual float.

Hit the nail on the head, totally agree mate

Stuart