Float Weight

whats all this about?

I took up pole fishing 18 months or so ago. Most floats I had told me what weight (near as dammit) cocked it properly. ie 0.5g chop, Carp No7 0.75g etc.

Recently I've been trying to more accurately match my floats to the type of fishing I'm doing and more often come accross these floats sized 4 x 10, 4 x 12 etc. I've asked at 2 of my local tackle shops and got 2 different answers.

What does it all mean?

Scott,

These floats are designated in styl weights on the continent. As it happens a size 10 styl is the same as a no. 10 shot but to confuse things as the numbers get bigger so do the styl weights. So a no 8 styl is more like a no 11 shot, and a number 12 styl more like a no 8. 4 x 14 is getting on for 0.4 to 0.5 grams.

To make matters worse, occasionally a UK manufacturer marks a float in lead shot sizes so 5 x 8 means 5 x no. 8 shot.