Perch Bobs

[binka]

Are these floats designed to be fished like a waggler, attached bottom only or they top and bottom fixed with a bit of tube or whatever?

They can be fished waggler or top 'n bottom depending on the needs of the situation

---------- Post added at 19:28 ---------- Previous post was at 19:19 ----------

Not having the time to start getting into making my own just yet does anyone know anyone who makes and sells 'nice' floats?

There are a fair few at it and all making beautiful floats.

For my money Paul Duffield takes some beating for the very sensible prices he asks...

Traditional Fishing Floats – Fishing Floats Handmade in the U.K.

A nice range of bobbers too including some Harcork replicas which I loosely styled mine on without wanting to imitate them too closely.

 

[binka]

Drifting slightly (although there are some nice bobbers included) if anyone's got the thick end of two grand to spare there's the ultimate Harcork float collection for sale on Ebay, he's got a few more very nice listings for similar if you've still got a few hundred quid to spare after all that...

Huge Very Rare Collection of 260 Vintage Harcork Fishing Floats! | eBay

 

[flightliner]

At that price I reckon they will be gathering dust steve.

 

[thames mudlarker]

Are these floats designed to be fished like a waggler, attached bottom only or they top and bottom fixed with a bit of tube or whatever?

I've only ever fished with a waggler when it comes to floats but as was said when going after stripeys with a honking great Lob on the hook you do get an awful lot of false indications.

I think it's also high time I started looking for some 'nicer' looking floats. Some of the handmade jobbies I've seen on here look like they'd make fishing almost a performance art.

Not having the time to start getting into making my own just yet does anyone know anyone who makes and sells 'nice' floats? Does Binka take commissions?

Hi mate,

Yes there are a fair few custom and hand made float makers out there and their workmanship is absolutely second to none, I have quite a collection meself

But one thing I will say though is that a lot of these floats can be quite dear IE £5-10 " each " being the norm

Some floats like Andrew field's floats can be as much as £20 odd " each "

A lot of these type of floats are kept for just show pieces within collections but some people do actually use em and at £20 a float is definitely not for the faint hearted in fishing in amongst weed and snags etc mg:....lols

 

[perchman292]

At that price I reckon they will be gathering dust steve.

I thought I might post, I was previously a member on the forum but had forgotten my login details and stumbled across the thread.

Some lovely floats on here, the Harcork and Auger collection as mentioned is mine, price is negotiable and I have actually had offers not a million miles away from the mark. There was a period last year where Harcork floats were selling upto around £7 each! so its swings and roundabouts.

I love vintage fishing floats and I am only 31, I have collected all these since I was a nipper and I started with 3 or 4 which my late grandfather gave me. I fell in love with them immediately and the collection spiralled since then.

I only use Harcorks and Augers for my own fishing now as I genuinely believe they are the best balanced and diverse floats you can buy, please there is an element of nostalgia about using one with a big worm for perch. Something modern tackle cannot replace.

I am not sad if they don't sell, I could honestly look at them most days and not get bored of them! Some great floats on here and would love the skills/talent some of you have to make the floats shown!

Michael

 

[binka]

I thought I might post, I was previously a member on the forum but had forgotten my login details and stumbled across the thread.

Some lovely floats on here, the Harcork and Auger collection as mentioned is mine, price is negotiable and I have actually had offers not a million miles away from the mark. There was a period last year where Harcork floats were selling upto around £7 each! so its swings and roundabouts.

I love vintage fishing floats and I am only 31, I have collected all these since I was a nipper and I started with 3 or 4 which my late grandfather gave me. I fell in love with them immediately and the collection spiralled since then.

I only use Harcorks and Augers for my own fishing now as I genuinely believe they are the best balanced and diverse floats you can buy, please there is an element of nostalgia about using one with a big worm for perch. Something modern tackle cannot replace.

I am not sad if they don't sell, I could honestly look at them most days and not get bored of them! Some great floats on here and would love the skills/talent some of you have to make the floats shown!

Michael

Nice post Michael and thanks for taking the time.

I wouldn't swear to it but I thought you had previously listed them at an earlier date and I assumed you must have had second thoughts and decided not to sell as the listing seemed to disappear, I certainly couldn't blame you for that as it's a stunning collection.

I understand completely where you're coming from on the nostalgia thing despite being of an age myself where perch bobbers were already nostalgic when I was growing up and already a thing of the past, generally speaking.

I think they are a very underrated and widely overlooked float in today's fishing world, maybe with the exception of Drennan but who's blown plastic versions probably do just as good a job but just don't cut the mustard imo from the point of enjoyment from using them.

Good luck with everything and tight lines, I hope you get the outcome of your choice whichever you decide on

 

[perchman292]

Nice post Michael and thanks for taking the time.

I wouldn't swear to it but I thought you had previously listed them at an earlier date and I assumed you must have had second thoughts and decided not to sell as the listing seemed to disappear, I certainly couldn't blame you for that as it's a stunning collection.

I understand completely where you're coming from on the nostalgia thing despite being of an age myself where perch bobbers were already nostalgic when I was growing up and already a thing of the past, generally speaking.

I think they are a very underrated and widely overlooked float in today's fishing world, maybe with the exception of Drennan but who's blown plastic versions probably do just as good a job but just don't cut the mustard imo from the point of enjoyment from using them.

Good luck with everything and tight lines, I hope you get the outcome of your choice whichever you decide on

Thanks Binka, I was away with work for that period so took them down. Secretly I am not too fussed if they don't sell, the Mrs keeps on at me about freeing some finances and its very difficult to explain to a non "fisher person" how a bit of painted wood/cork is so valuable both financially and personally

On the subject at hand, I personally use a large style bobber for all my perch fishing, if fishing smaller livebaits then a 8g Drennan loafer is adequate but for larger baits which I float paternoster on a little rig I have now mastered you need a bobber type float for larger livebaits, I have caught all of my 4lb Perch+ on 4inch plus livebaits and most needing a larger style bobber float to work with a decent paternoster, for what it is worth and if it is of any help to people a large style bobber (12 grams or so) , a 1oz to 1.5oz weight on a float paternoster fished just on bottom so the bobber is semi buoyant is perfect at keeping a livebait static near a feature such as a tree or weed bed, this by far is the deadliest rig I have found.

In addition as someone already mentioned on the thread it also acts as a bolt style rig for livebaits and helps hooking, although perch are mostly delicate biters and prefer no resistance, in the summer to autumn months with warmer water temps they have no finesse in their takes, quite often I find the takes explosive and the necessity for a smaller and less resistance prone float to be not as important.


Happy to share the perch rig for livebaiting I use with a bobber float if it helps anyone and does not go against any forum rules!

Michael

 

[nottskev]

What a fabulous box of floats. Very evocative; reminded me of the illustrations in the library books on fishing I devoured as a kid. That was mid-sixties but the book stock was ten years old and full of drawings of cane rods, wicker creels and size 12 hooks. It's quite funny looking back - I was determined to get into the mysterious world of fishing but no-one in the family fished and none of my friends. So as a bookish child I set about studying it from books. After a couple of years Iknew the books backwards and I was mentally geared up to catch barbel from the Avon, bream from the Thames and tench from secret lilly-fringed pools. No wonder I was catching nothing from the polluted Northwest canal that was the only fishery I had access to. Never mind; the books wove an incredible feeling of romance around the subject that's not often there in our contemporary how-to-load-a-method-feeder publications.

 

[mikench]

Drifting slightly (although there are some nice bobbers included) if anyone's got the thick end of two grand to spare there's the ultimate Harcork float collection for sale on Ebay, he's got a few more very nice listings for similar if you've still got a few hundred quid to spare after all that...

Huge Very Rare Collection of 260 Vintage Harcork Fishing Floats! | eBay

I am rather surprised they are still available Steve Actually yours are as nice and i dare say just as good!

 

[thecrow]

I don't know if I as an angler have something missing in my make up but I haven't the same feelings about items of tackle as others have, they are just tools to me to be used for a particular job. Having seen the different applications of "bobbers" I have even thought about purchasing some myself but I wont fall in love with them


I do understand the pleasure there is to be had from making bits of tackle as I used to do when I was younger and also the time and skill that goes into making stuff, I have seen Steve's floats and believe me they are as good as any I have seen and better than some that cost what I consider a lot of money for a float.

---------- Post added at 14:07 ---------- Previous post was at 14:06 ----------

Actually yours are as nice and i dare say just as good

Agree with that

 

[perchman292]

For me personally I think some of it is knowing that you are using tackle that my late grandfather was 60 or so years ago, I often wonder with the older floats what fish they have seen and what person has used them and enjoyed them whilst fishing

It is then still quite a nice feeling to catch fish on something that someone made and treasured decades ago and to keep that legacy go on, I do also much prefer a nice cork float over any modern plastic waggler , they look better, quite often they suit an application better such as using larger weights etc.

Like you say making your own is rewarding, collecting goose feathers, preparing them and personalising them is great fun, to then catch fish on them makes it very satisfying

 

[thecrow]

For me personally I think some of it is knowing that you are using tackle that my late grandfather was 60 or so years ago

That's something I can understand and identify with as I still have some of my fathers tools, I wont ever use them again as I no longer do any work on motorcycles but I would never get rid of them.

 

[thames mudlarker]

I thought I might post, I was previously a member on the forum but had forgotten my login details and stumbled across the thread.

Some lovely floats on here, the Harcork and Auger collection as mentioned is mine, price is negotiable and I have actually had offers not a million miles away from the mark. There was a period last year where Harcork floats were selling upto around £7 each! so its swings and roundabouts.

I love vintage fishing floats and I am only 31, I have collected all these since I was a nipper and I started with 3 or 4 which my late grandfather gave me. I fell in love with them immediately and the collection spiralled since then.

I only use Harcorks and Augers for my own fishing now as I genuinely believe they are the best balanced and diverse floats you can buy, please there is an element of nostalgia about using one with a big worm for perch. Something modern tackle cannot replace.

I am not sad if they don't sell, I could honestly look at them most days and not get bored of them! Some great floats on here and would love the skills/talent some of you have to make the floats shown!

Michael

Nice one Mike, welcome to the forum :thumbs:

---------- Post added at 15:52 ---------- Previous post was at 15:44 ----------

Thanks Binka, I was away with work for that period so took them down. Secretly I am not too fussed if they don't sell, the Mrs keeps on at me about freeing some finances and its very difficult to explain to a non "fisher person" how a bit of painted wood/cork is so valuable both financially and personally

On the subject at hand, I personally use a large style bobber for all my perch fishing, if fishing smaller livebaits then a 8g Drennan loafer is adequate but for larger baits which I float paternoster on a little rig I have now mastered you need a bobber type float for larger livebaits, I have caught all of my 4lb Perch+ on 4inch plus livebaits and most needing a larger style bobber float to work with a decent paternoster, for what it is worth and if it is of any help to people a large style bobber (12 grams or so) , a 1oz to 1.5oz weight on a float paternoster fished just on bottom so the bobber is semi buoyant is perfect at keeping a livebait static near a feature such as a tree or weed bed, this by far is the deadliest rig I have found.

In addition as someone already mentioned on the thread it also acts as a bolt style rig for livebaits and helps hooking, although perch are mostly delicate biters and prefer no resistance, in the summer to autumn months with warmer water temps they have no finesse in their takes, quite often I find the takes explosive and the necessity for a smaller and less resistance prone float to be not as important.


Happy to share the perch rig for livebaiting I use with a bobber float if it helps anyone and does not go against any forum rules!

Michael

That's exactly how I used to have me perch live bait rigs when I was fishing on the lower and tidal Thames around Sunbury, Hampton court and Teddington, took untold amount of 3 lber's aswell as a few 4's aswell on the rig, basically float ledgered paternoster live bait :thumbs:

 

[binka]

Happy to share the perch rig for livebaiting I use with a bobber float if it helps anyone and does not go against any forum rules!

Yes please do, you're certainly not do anything wrong by doing so and I and I'm sure many others would be very interested.

I finally settled on a decent perch bobber float-paternoster set up last season after quite a bit of mucking around and it worked very well, I suspect it may be very similar subject to the odd tweak.

On one occasion when I was fishing the river with Crow a perch made off upriver on a livebait rig with 2ozs of lead and covered around ten yards in a few short seconds without any problems at all.

I think that is a similar principle to that which you mentioned about the float negating the effect of the dead weight of lead if set at exactly the right depth to just touch bottom.

 

[perchman292]

Thanks Binka,

The rig I use is as shown.

Like I said either a 8g Drennan loafer or a larger more weightier bobber float depending on live baits being used.

Mainline down and passed through a small John Roberts paternoster boom, then to the hook link which I use a 3 or 4 inch hook link with a Kamasan B983 in 4 or 6, these I find a perfect for live baiting.

On the other end of the boom around 10 inches of hook length can be a rotten bottom length of 2lb line which breaks off easily if needed, both ends of boom tidied off with some anti tangle sleeves.

I find live baits tail hooked result in far better hook up, The gudgeon in the picture was very active this way and was pulling too much on the rig so lip hooked him (he actually caught me a 3lb 15 shortly after)

The rig is pretty much tangle free, you can change the depth of the live bait easily by changing length of line on the weight. The hook length free passes through the boom so if rig ever snapped above the boom the worst result is fish has a 3 inch hook length with no weight.

If fishing river I would change the hook length for a longer supple wire trace in 8lb or so, knot2kinky or Drennan supple is good.

And just a few "proof in the pudding" shots!

 

[thames mudlarker]

Thanks Binka,

The rig I use is as shown.

Like I said either a 8g Drennan loafer or a larger more weightier bobber float depending on live baits being used.

Mainline down and passed through a small John Roberts paternoster boom, then to the hook link which I use a 3 or 4 inch hook link with a Kamasan B983 in 4 or 6, these I find a perfect for live baiting.

On the other end of the boom around 10 inches of hook length can be a rotten bottom length of 2lb line which breaks off easily if needed, both ends of boom tidied off with some anti tangle sleeves.

I find live baits tail hooked result in far better hook up, The gudgeon in the picture was very active this way and was pulling too much on the rig so lip hooked him (he actually caught me a 3lb 15 shortly after)

The rig is pretty much tangle free, you can change the depth of the live bait easily by changing length of line on the weight. The hook length free passes through the boom so if rig ever snapped above the boom the worst result is fish has a 3 inch hook length with no weight.

If fishing river I would change the hook length for a longer supple wire trace in 8lb or so, knot2kinky or Drennan supple is good.

And just a few "proof in the pudding" shots!

Nice one fella, absolutely spot on, well said,

One of the best perch posts I've seen for a fair while :thumbs:

Almost identical to how I've always done me Thames live bait perch rigs, only difference is that I don't use the John Roberts booms as I prefer to just use me trace coming directly off of the rig body as the trace swivel is held in place with a couple of power gum stop knots and 2 beads

Pucka fishing mate

 

[binka]

I hope this thread continues, I'm really enjoying it and some cracking posts and perch from perchman292.

If we still had 'Thread of the Month' (A-herm!) I reckon it would have it sewn up.

I'm similar on the rig and like Stuart I don't use the booms, I've also used the knot2kinky but in the 6lb although i've found it a bit hit and miss to get hold of in the past, otherwise it's the Drennan Soft Strand in 10lb if I feel I need a trace.

The knot2kinky is weird stuff in a way, in that you get that stretch which is the last thing you expect from a wire and I wouldn't be surprised if it actually helps when you've got a big stripey thrashing it's head around on a run.

These are just to keep the momentum going and for a bit of self indulgence, they don't really compare to Michael's fish but have that 100% feeling of satisfaction when bagged on a homemade float and of course the good ol’ bobber...

 

[perchman292]

Thames_Mudlarker

I have recently moved to Chertsey and fish the Thames around Shepperton and Chertsey, interesting to know you use your rig to success around this area, I have not had much luck for them on the Thames around here, although I suspect more my fault more than anything! Will try again in the new season.

Binka they are beautiful perch, and super pics! Like you say watching a float sail away with a big fat lobworm to me is one of the best feelings ever. Its a great talent to make floats as nice as them and one which I wish I had!

I don't know if you guys have the same experience but I would say approximately 90% of the big perch I have caught have been in the margin, some in no more than a foot of water. I had quite a funny situation where I was fishing a notoriously hard water, there was several perch anglers there (sponsored by a well known company) and they had all the gizmos, expensive rods, reels, alarms, buckets and buckets of bait and chucking it out all over the place, they literally had a lot of the fishable water taken up. They had nothing all week between 3 or 4 of them, I literally picked the witching hour on one morning and a small shallow margin near a wooden jetti and I think I had a 4lb 7oz, 4lb 1oz and 3lb 15 in the space of 10 minutes, 2 of them I had to net at the same time. I woke up the next day to them all moved to my swim and in the same spot unsurprisingly.

It was at this point you realise that perch fishing like most is brilliant in that no amount of gear or money will get you the fish, you can quite as easily catch them and a specimen fish on a £14 shimano hyperloop real, a broken old feeder rod , half a pint of maggots and a little cork float. That is the beauty of perch fishing for me.

The knot2kinky stuff can be hit and miss I think like you say, I do like the Drennan soft strand but I feel like screaming sometimes trying to pass it through a crimp twice, I know people say you can knot it but it always pigtails for me personally so feel happier crimping! if there are any knots which stop this or methods to stop this I am all ears!?

 

[thames mudlarker]

I hope this thread continues, I'm really enjoying it and some cracking posts and perch from perchman292.

If we still had 'Thread of the Month' (A-herm!) I reckon it would have it sewn up.

I'm similar on the rig and like Stuart I don't use the booms, I've also used the knot2kinky but in the 6lb although i've found it a bit hit and miss to get hold of in the past, otherwise it's the Drennan Soft Strand in 10lb if I feel I need a trace.

The knot2kinky is weird stuff in a way, in that you get that stretch which is the last thing you expect from a wire and I wouldn't be surprised if it actually helps when you've got a big stripey thrashing it's head around on a run.

These are just to keep the momentum going and for a bit of self indulgence, they don't really compare to Michael's fish but have that 100% feeling of satisfaction when bagged on a homemade float and of course the good ol’ bobber...

Very true words Steve, well said mate :thumbs:

 

[thames mudlarker]

Thames_Mudlarker

I have recently moved to Chertsey and fish the Thames around Shepperton and Chertsey, interesting to know you use your rig to success around this area, I have not had much luck for them on the Thames around here, although I suspect more my fault more than anything! Will try again in the new season.

Binka they are beautiful perch, and super pics! Like you say watching a float sail away with a big fat lobworm to me is one of the best feelings ever. Its a great talent to make floats as nice as them and one which I wish I had!

I don't know if you guys have the same experience but I would say approximately 90% of the big perch I have caught have been in the margin, some in no more than a foot of water. I had quite a funny situation where I was fishing a notoriously hard water, there was several perch anglers there (sponsored by a well known company) and they had all the gizmos, expensive rods, reels, alarms, buckets and buckets of bait and chucking it out all over the place, they literally had a lot of the fishable water taken up. They had nothing all week between 3 or 4 of them, I literally picked the witching hour on one morning and a small shallow margin near a wooden jetti and I think I had a 4lb 7oz, 4lb 1oz and 3lb 15 in the space of 10 minutes, 2 of them I had to net at the same time. I woke up the next day to them all moved to my swim and in the same spot unsurprisingly.

It was at this point you realise that perch fishing like most is brilliant in that no amount of gear or money will get you the fish, you can quite as easily catch them and a specimen fish on a £14 shimano hyperloop real, a broken old feeder rod , half a pint of maggots and a little cork float. That is the beauty of perch fishing for me.

The knot2kinky stuff can be hit and miss I think like you say, I do like the Drennan soft strand but I feel like screaming sometimes trying to pass it through a crimp twice, I know people say you can knot it but it always pigtails for me personally so feel happier crimping! if there are any knots which stop this or methods to stop this I am all ears!?

Oh wow how so very true mate, I really couldn't agree more on this :thumbs:

Truth be hold fella I've actually got about 30 years big perch fishing experience of fishing the Thames,

Incidentally as much as it's obviously a loverly way to fish with the floats my other very successful method is roving and touch ledgering with ultralite glass tip rods, I'd just simply Use about 4 AAA or 2 swan shot just pinched onto me mainline about 18" from a size 8 hook and use air injected lobs,

From experience I've learnt to realise that many perch prefer to actually attack from underneath as opposed to lying directly on the bottom, I also fish rather close to marginal bank side features IE large over hanging bushes and tree branches etc aswell as deep water marginal pillings ( boat moorings)

The places that I've fished on the Thames within the last 30 years are :

Staines, Penton hook, Laleham, Chertsey, Sheperton, Desbourough island, Desbourough cut, Walton, Sunbury, Hampton court, Kingston and Teddington.

I've also fished the tidal, stick float fishing from Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Isleworth, Kew, Strand on the green ( Chiswick ) Mortlake, Barnes, Leg of mutton, Hammersmith and Putney.

All this perch talk is now getting me all hyped up once again .....lols

Maybe I can feel a Thames big perch reunion coming on sometime :thumbs: