"Hinged" floats

[markcw]

I remember having some quill floats with a flat top and a sort of "bobber" attached via what seemed like a couple of staples, When the float was shotted up the bobber top lay either flat or at an angle on the surface, when you got a bite and body of float went under ,the bobber top was vertical or depending on bite followed the float down under the surface, I never could figure out what the idea behind this design was.

 

[no-one in particular]

I would imagine it gives a bit more indication; the bobber moving upright would be a bit more noticeable at distance. I found this once experimenting with homemade plastic straw floats, fished them laying flat at distance and when a fish took it would pop up like a flag, very noticeable especially as it had a brightly coloured flattened end.

Another design I heard about once from an Italian bloke but have never seen. The float has a disc about half an inch wide that sits just above the water line, when a fish takes it sends ripples across the water so easily seen. Must only work in calm water though. And would that work bolt rig fashion for a fish to hook itself?

 

[David Rogers 3]

These floats were discussed on the TFF a couple of years ago - Allcocks listed them in their 1967 and 1968 Anglers' Guides as the Pendant Combination Float: Hinged floats? - Page 2 - The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

 

[rayner]

Hinged floats, you keep jogging my memory Mark.
Another item of tackle I resisted. Most of the fish I was catching at the time were tiny canal match fish, so they weren't relevant to how I fished.

 

[lureed]

A similar principle on the float shown here, where you can buy one if you so wish (and many other types of float), with a bit of background to its creation:

Clive Branson's Gold Medal Fishing Floats

 

[peterjg]

I still use them sometimes to lay-on in flowing water. I make them out of two pieces of peacock quill. This design is mentioned in John Burrett's book Fishing the Lower Thames.