Stick Float Making

[bailpy6]

Hey All,

Does anyone have any guides on making your own stick floats for river trotting? Obviously making these at home, fancy trying maybe!

Sites to be buy materials would be greatly appreciated too!

Thanks,
Bailey.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Top tip for stems: buy the packs of children's paintbrushes (PoundLand?) with tapered plastic stems and you can emulate what John Dean did all those years ago.
Alternative stems 1.6mm alloy rods, on ebay if you can find them.

After that just get some balsa dowel in 6mm plus paints to suit and you're away.

Cane stems tend to be too light to work well.

 

[stillwater blue]

You can collect Norfolk reed and use that, you can even add weight inside the reed should you wish. I've never used it but Sakanda reed is available on ebay and I'm sure you'll find more places that sell it if you google it.

Crow quills and swan quills are easily collected and make excellent floats too.

 

[Mark Wintle]

You can collect Norfolk reed and use that, you can even add weight inside the reed should you wish. I've never used it but Sakanda reed is available on ebay and I'm sure you'll find more places that sell it if you google it.

Crow quills and swan quills are easily collected and make excellent floats too.

Those materials may be used for float making it's true but not for making STICK floats.

 

[rayner]

Sakanda reed is far too light, I have loads of Ultra sticks with lignum stems they are perfect. Lignum vitae is a heavy wood that will sink without the balsa top.
Ultra floats are still trading search them out they may help with lignum if you struggle to find any.

 

[bailpy6]

Top tip for stems: buy the packs of children's paintbrushes (PoundLand?) with tapered plastic stems and you can emulate what John Dean did all those years ago.
Alternative stems 1.6mm alloy rods, on ebay if you can find them.

After that just get some balsa dowel in 6mm plus paints to suit and you're away.

Cane stems tend to be too light to work well.

I Guess you cut the tip you want from the shape you make the wood, any good tools to shape the wood to what I want on the cheap?

Is there any prep you would need to do to the balsa? I've made foam pole floats before.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I use an electric drill on a bench stand laid on its side to shape the balsa with sandpaper. Then I use sanding sealer, varnish an enamel paint.

 

[bracket]

This came up last year. Look at General Fishing and thread Shotting for a stick float. I put a post on there dated 21st Sept 2019 you may find useful. There are also many excellent posts there by other forum members on stick floats. This is the link
Link . Pete

 

[TimFB]

I make mine out of reeds. Like this fella

 

[Mark Wintle]

I make mine out of reeds. Like this fella

They're not stick floats, they're wagglers.

These are stick floats:

 

[bailpy6]

Thanks all for the advice! Really Helpful!

 

[Thorogoodone]

Hey All,

Does anyone have any guides on making your own stick floats for river trotting? Obviously making these at home, fancy trying maybe!

Sites to be buy materials would be greatly appreciated too!

Thanks,
Bailey.

I used to make them out of plastic straws and glue a piece of stainless steel wire in the base for self cocking and casting and a bit of wood glued in the top

 

[ian g]

I buy quite a bit of stuff from this site

Keiths Fishing Tackle

Keiths Fishing Tackle, Float Making Materials

www.keithsfishingtackle.com