Make Your Own Floats - Part 3

Pike, zander or feature-finding float

Tackle making seems to be something of a lost art in today's modern throwaway society. A mere twenty years ago it was considered quite normal to make up a batch of hooklinks or floats during the close season. In the FISHINGmagic forums a number of people have asked about making floats. With this in mind I have written this article and a series of practical 'workshops' about my return to the simple pleasure of making floats.

PIKE, ZANDER OR FEATURE FINDING FLOAT

I get my raw material from Dave Havers at Tackle Bargains - www.tacklebargains.co.uk - but there could be other suppliers local to your area.

This float is primarily intended for fishing deadbaits for pike. However it can also be used for feature finding or as a sea fishing float. By reducing the size it could also be used for zander where less resistance is the aim.

Balsa dowel

1. Cut a 6 inch length from a piece of ¾ inch diameter balsa dowel.
2. Shape one end into a dome and the other into more of a cone shape. Drill or bore the centre of the coned end to a depth of approximately ¾ inch It may be easier to do the drilling first and then shape towards the hole.
3. Cut a piece of 1/16th inch brass wire to a length of approximately 1¼ inches. Bend this in the middle to form a loop. I usually use a piece of 1/8th brass wire as a former. Pinch the ends of the wire together in a vice.
4. Mix up a very small amount of Araldite epoxy resin and fill the inside of the drilled hole. Insert the brass loop. You will probably find that you need to hold the ends of the loop together with a pair of pliers positioned either side of the eye. Leave the epoxy resin to set. The time all depends on whether you are using quick setting or general Araldite. It makes no difference to the finished float.

5. Once the epoxy has dried smooth over any rough patches with very fine glass paper. Coat the whole of the float first with white paint - I always use acrylic. Once this first coat of white is dry apply a second coat of black paint approximately ¾ of the way up from the eye of the float. There is a tendency for commercial floats to be painted half and half of either black or green and a fluorescent upper. I've never really been sure why so I paint mine more like a conventional coarse float with an alternate colour in between them - normally white. The upper coat of fluorescent is entirely down to personal choice. Use whichever colour shows up best for you - or have a selection for differing light conditions.

6. Finally, finish the whole float off with a coat of varnish. Again, because I use acrylic paints I also use acrylic varnish as I find it is more durable than traditional yacht varnish.

Shaped balsa and wire loop

Please refer to my earlier article on porcupine quill floats for more details about the acrylic paints I use (see link below). Alternatives to painting could be one of the excellent wood dyes now available at many DIY stores. If you do decide to use the same acrylic paints as I do here's a tip; make sure you clean the top edge of the jar before you screw the lid down. To my cost I have found that if I do not do this the paint or varnish will turn into a thick mess. It can be thinned down again with white spirit but it will also need filtering through an old pair of tights. This can lead to some funny looks from your wife or partner when you ask for their old tights.