Floats etc

[eric]

Does anybody know anything about these tiny floats and why they are for? They were with some gear a work colleague gave me a few years back before he retired. There's also some screw in tips, does anyone still use these or should I chuck them? Plus lookinv for advice on how to restore an aluminium disgorger Mbps Cheers

 

[Peter Jacobs]

The screw in tips are 2 off quiver tips and one spring tip.


They were very popular in the 70's and 80's and are still sometimes used these days although you would need a threaded tip eye on the rod to take one.


They were the forerunner of the modern quiver tip ros where the tip is now an integral spliced in part of the rod.


The small floats look to be some sort of early pole float, whereas the others are quill floats that were so popular some years ago. In fact many anglers who prefer to use "traditional" rods etc wil still use a quill float.


The disgorgers are probably aluminium so any ally cleaner would probably work on them.

 

[john step]

Those quills are from the porcupine. Anglers over a certain age will be very familiar with them. I have seen them advertised on the bay for silly prices.

 

[mikench]

I'll take the spring tip of your hands if it's surplus to requirements! I do swing tipping and fancied trying the spring tip!! Pm me if you prefer!

 

[eric]

Thanks Peter that's interesting. If anyone on here would make use of them feel free to pm me an address and I'll post them to out to you

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[eric]

I'll take the spring tip of your hands if it's surplus to requirements! I do swing tipping and fancied trying the spring tip!! Pm me if you prefer!

Ok no probs pm an address

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[Keith M]

As well as for fishing fairly close in; the porcupine quill floats are quite good floats for Stret Pegging :w

Keith

 

[laguna]

As Peter said, spring tip and 2 screw in quiver tips. But where's the swing tip and target board?
The tips were used with float rods when ledgering in the days when one rod did everything. I believe some float rods still have the screw in socket on the end.
Quills are attached to the line using a couple of float rubbers with the line running loose out though the eye - or not if you want to change them over. If you fancy using them, you can remove the eye and whipping and replace it with a piece of silicone tubing pushed over the pointy end to trap the line and either one or two float rubbers above. Quills are great floats for when tench fishing. I would suggest stripping them down and re-varnish.
There's also a couple of sticks in there too which are used for trotting on a river.

The aluminium disgorgers can be cleaned up with soapy water and some fine wet n dry paper to remove the patina. If they are really bad you can soak them in a very dilute solution of caustic soda for 5 minutes.

 

[eric]

As Peter said, spring tip and 2 screw in quiver tips. But where's the swing tip and target board?
The tips were used with float rods when ledgering in the days when one rod did everything. I believe some float rods still have the screw in socket on the end.
Quills are attached to the line using a couple of float rubbers with the line running loose out though the eye - or not if you want to change them over. If you fancy using them, you can remove the eye and whipping and replace it with a piece of silicone tubing pushed over the pointy end to trap the line and either one or two float rubbers above. Quills are great floats for when tench fishing. I would suggest stripping them down and re-varnish.
There's also a couple of sticks in there too which are used for trotting on a river.

The aluminium disgorgers can be cleaned up with soapy water and some fine wet n dry paper to remove the patina. If they are really bad you can soak them in a very dilute solution of caustic soda for 5 minutes.

Thanks that's really helpful. Thinking of keeping a couple now

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[eric]

Thanks Peter that's interesting. If anyone on here would make use of them feel free to pm me an address and I'll post them to out to you

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Floats (except one) are going on eBay now

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[eric]

Thanks guys

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[peter crabtree]

If you don't want the floats I'll certainly take them off your hands, they are the sort I've been looking for for ages...

 

[Tee-Cee]

A lovely float to use, the porcupine quill. I have a number from the early sixties, all of which have a repainted tip and the original eye rewhipped. Still as good as new and I still get a kick out of using them...

Unlike bird quills they are a heavy float and take a decent amount of shot. Good for trotting and still waters, if you like that sort of thing.....

 

[Philip]

Those quills are from the porcupine. Anglers over a certain age will be very familiar with them. I have seen them advertised on the bay for silly prices.

I didnt realize they were a collecters items as such.

Its interesting as I accidently hit a Porcupine in my car early one morning a while back ...not something you expect to see in the road at 4am ....it stuck it spines up in the glare of the headlights & gave me quite a jump. I dont think I killed it (I hope not anyway) but afterwards there were some of its quills stuck in the bumper.. unfortunatly just the ends of them so not quite enough for a good float.

 

[eric]

If you don't want the floats I'll certainly take them off your hands, they are the sort I've been looking for for ages...

Ok pm an address and I'll post them to you

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[Jelster]

Have you tried soaking the disgorgers in in coca cola? It's amazing what that can do....

 

[thecrow]

Have you tried soaking the disgorgers in in coca cola? It's amazing what that can do....

Or ketchup ...............

 

[Another Dave]

I seem to remember that porcupine quills were some of the cheapest floats back when i started around 1980. You'd use them if you had to but a Drennan or Middy float was your go-to. These days i'd be curious to just see one once again.

 

[no-one in particular]

I still use quills a lot, versatile, pick em up anywhere, sea gull wing quills, found a swan that had been killed by a fox once, got some nice quills off that from the wings, Even tiny little quills make a nice margin float I use these when just the weight of the bait makes them cock sometimes. Got any old broken bodied floats, stick a quill in the body bit and you can fashion all kinds of float. I have shoved them in old wine corks before and fashioned them to suit. trotting, laying on, drift beaters; all manner of float can be made using quills; natures gift. Paint whatever colour you like, have a set same size with different colours for changing light conditions, attached double rubber just change the float in seconds. I think the appeal as well with porcupines is they where straight, some of mine are curved but the fish don't mind.
A very nice set of floats in the op's pictures.

 

[Tee-Cee]

I totally agree markg... I've just finished a set of six bird quills made from very small pigeon feathers. They won't take much shotting as you say, but fished of the end of 14' rod and just lowered into the water (next to lilly pads for example.) they work well. Mine ranged from three to six inches long..
Some of the bigger feathers make very good lift floats if they are reversed. I've used Araldite Rapid to set a small ring into the thicker end and with a bit of whipping that is strong enough. The painted very fine 'thin' end sits very well in the water...
Regarding the natural curve of feathers; All bird feathers have a thick 'skin' down one side and opposite this a slightly thinner one. The opposing two sides are relatively soft and if a secondary curve is found here I have used an iron (with a cloth over the top) to inject some heat into the quill and then just lifted the float gently to bring it straight. With care this works well..

The natural main curve is more difficult to deal with IF you want to straighten it even slightly, as you are trying to straighten against the thick side which doesn't want to be straightened. I have tried bring one straight and all that happens is the thick side just creases and the resultant soft sides of the quill 'bulge' (the material has to go somewhere) and, well, it just doesn't work, at least not on large quills!
However, again with an iron, I have force straightened the bottom 50mm or so against the thick side (very thin so consequently far more flexible) to the point where this part of the float is parallel to the top, thicker end and this has the effect of making the quill 'straighter' and the curve slightly reduced - if you see what I mean!
In essence, none of this is absolutely necessary but to my mind the quill looks better and imho with the line closer to the remaining curve of the float it means it should offer less resistance, no matter how small, on the strike.

Of course, it is just as easy to take a quill of (say) 20cm long, trim off all the feathers, use a scalpel blade to remove most of the rough edges, give it a quick rub down to smooth the whole quill, add a touch of paint to the top 10cm and you have a pefectly good float in less than an hour!!

Just depends if you want a thing of beauty or something rough and ready that might only last a few sessions...................

ps I used to use a gas ring to straighten quills but the wife insisted we needed a new-fangled,more fashionable hob when we did up the kitchen, so my ring went to the dogs....Grrrrrrr