Billy Lane's float fishing book

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 18, 2007

Hi guys, thanks for the advice on getting a float fishing book. Today my Encyclopaedia of float fishing by Billy Laneand Colin Graham arrived. I have been reading through it for most of the day.

The different floats he talks about are very interesting such as zoomer, mini-missile, missile and Trent trotter.

Have you ever made yourself a float and still use it? And did you name it?

Pete Shears · Sep 18, 2007

I bought that same book years ago and the mechanics of each type of float still works as Billy Lane described although the materials are different - in answer to your question Wendy,I did make some long range loaded wagglers with a sight vane for long range fishing at Sywell when it was float only - a right sod to cast but the sight vanes made it easy to see at 50-60yds+ ,especially when an early start caught up with your eyelids - it never got an official name,usually it was that f***ing things tangled again

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 18, 2007

Pete, it's a really good book isn't it. It makes me laugh how he came up with his own inventions, especially the Trent Trotter and the trout trotter. I have read lots of different fishing books and never really took any of it in. But this book i can't put down, and it makes me want to have a go at making some myself. Maybe call it Wendy's Waggler /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Pete Shears · Sep 18, 2007

Just be careful where you waggle it

Mark Wintle · Sep 18, 2007

It's interesting that the floats you mention are some of the most specialised and least useful of the many varieties! The Trent Trotter (nearly said Tent Rotter - Barney in a Bivvy!) has some occasional use if you fish very shallow water - leave your centrepin at home though.

I developed a balsa bleaker many years ago that was a godsend in tough winter leagues and the like for catching bleak at maximum catapult range.

I'dpersevere in getting the Ashurst World Class Match Fishing book if you can - it's cheap too, and a far better book in my opinion.

Wolfman Woody · Sep 18, 2007

You still using that Monster Pellet Waggler I made for you, Wendy?

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 18, 2007

Woody the Perry missile hahah....erm no/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Mark, i will have a look for that one now thank you. I don't know if the floats he made were any good, all i am saying is it is interesting how he came across them.

Pete Shears · Sep 18, 2007

It is being confronted with a problem and workingout a solution,much like **** Walker with his carp & avon rods as he couldn't buy the piece of kit to do the job - make it yourself,the reward is when it works just as intended,I have never had the reason to use Billy Lanes Trent Trotter though,that shot hanging below the float trapping the line twice still seems very odd but with his match record who am I to argue ?

Paul (Brummie) Williams · Sep 18, 2007

Pete........there are anglers that see a problem and try to overcome it, and there are sheep......Billy and **** weren't sheep?/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 18, 2007

Yes pete i saw how he had set up the Trent Trotter and wondered how the hell it would work. But like you said, with his match record who are we to criticize. It oviously worked for him.

Neil Maidment · Sep 18, 2007

I used to use the Trent Trotter a fair bit on some really shallow stretches of the Stour and Avon, catching some fine dace and chub. It was the first time I ever used a "bottom end only" float on moving water. It cast a treat and was great to use in an upstream wind (not so good in a downstreamer tho!).

Back in the 60's and 70's virtually all our floats were self made. I tried it many, many times but I was lucky (and lazy) in that my Uncles made some superb floats and even better boxes to keep them in (or rather to display them - as they were far too good to actually use!).

Peter Jacobs · Sep 19, 2007

Wendy,

The Trent Trotter, as both Mark and Neil say; is ideal for shallow water.

I've used them extensively for Dace and Grayling on the Hampshire Avon, and I think that Mark wrote a piece or two on FM about fishing with them.

I know that modesty prevents him noting this, but Mark does make exceedingly good floats, and some pretty good bread punches too, although he most likely forgot to send me a set.

Neil is quite right, in the 60's and 70's we did tend to make all out own floats as shop bought ones were (comparatively) too expensive. I still have a few of mine knocking about in the tackle room somewhere.

Graham Whatmore · Sep 19, 2007

"I still have a few of mine knocking about in the tackle room somewhere."

You mean the warehouse don't you Peter. :0}

A lot of the old floats were made redundant by the arrival of the waggler andlater the stick floats which can be made to work in most conditions, in fact when you think about it you could manage quite happily with a stick, a waggler and a balsa, they will cover most types of fishing and conditions. I have never made my own floats mainly because I have been lucky enough to know chappies that could make a far better fist of it than I could or perhaps it was because I was too lazy, I have yet to find one thatdisappears every timeit goes down the swimthough thats for sure.

Benny Ashurst or Billy Lane, hmmm! interesting question, both innovative, both brilliant match fishermen and both very successful, perhaps there isn't an answer.

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 19, 2007

/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gifi have a Benny Ashurst and a Kevin Ashurst book on the way too /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gifI love reading these old books of how it used to be. I suppose the newer anglers coming into the sport don't know how lucky they really are!

Floats have always confused me in fishing, and i'm hoping these books will sort me out/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Peter i've yet to come across a shallow river, but if i do i would certainly think about using something like his Trent trotter.

Peter Jacobs · Sep 19, 2007

"I love reading these old books of how it used to be"

<u>Cheeky young whipper-snapper</u>

How it used to be indeed!

[insert daft smiling face: Here]

Wendy, fishing a river in shallow levels can be terrific fun, maybe I'm just lucky having the Hampshire Avon on my doorstep - well, across the road and through a neighbours garden to be honest.

Joking aside, many (if not all) of the techniques that you will read in the works of Lane, Ashurst etc will all work perfectly well today.

Graham,

Well, okay, Wharehouse then.

As to your problem of the float not disappearing every time it goes through your swim - ever thought of adding a little more shot, down the line?

[insert another daft smiling face]

Wolfman Woody · Sep 19, 2007

You disappoint me Wendy. I thought you'd have given the Perry Air-Missile a go. It's a great float for taking mullet off the rocks if you ever get the chance.

Floats used to come in all different styles, sizes, and colours. Fluted floats, perch or grayling bobbers, and there were two sorts of zoomer, one being a broad topped stick float for trotting. The colours included red (was really a fluoro pink) and green and I even saw a few painted blue, unlike the standard orange and yellow you get now.

Putting on a nice float improves your confidence no end.

Peter Jacobs · Sep 19, 2007

"Putting on a nice float improves your confidence no end"

It certainly does Jeff.

I do wonder though, just how many of those floats caught more 'anglers' than fish?

How about those lovely old sliding cork bodied floats that were painted in some (for the period) quite garish colours?

I have some lovely old Perch and Grayling bobbers in my collection and the skill that went into making and painting them is just amazing.

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 19, 2007

Peter hahahah, i didn't mean to be cheeky/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gifI'm not that young ya know. I meant how things were so different.... Ok i'm digging myself a great big hole here, i guess i better shut-up/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Woody, sorry to dissapoint you, i did try it out /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one) · Sep 19, 2007

Tell the truth --- You told me you'd sold it on e-bay ...........

Wendy Perry 2 · Sep 19, 2007

Shhhhhh Ed i didn't wanna upset my mate woodster/forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif

Billy Lane's float fishing book

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