Porupine quill floats.....sealing ?

Tee-Cee · May 13, 2016

A kindly old gentleman recently gave me some old porcupine floats covered in yellowing and ancient varnish of some sort, which I have cleaned off.
Now looking very good with bright crimson tops ( actually flame orange, but I like words of yore ) I'm unsure if I really need to seal them as I do with other bird quill floats.

By ' seal ' I don't mean the use of dope but more a very light varnish if absolutely necessary....

Thinking on this subject varies and occasionally some bright spark comes up with a better way of doing things - hence this thread..

If anyone has any practical advice based usage I would be pleased to hear from them.
Guess work only serves to confuse ...............

Thanks !

ps In thinking about it, we are approaching the season for quill usage around tench / crucian fishing so they will get a run out pretty soon !

trotter2 · May 13, 2016

Its a personal thing . But quills don't need any sealer they will float as they are.

barbelboi · May 13, 2016

As above, I'd only use varnish if there were any whippings..............

S-Kippy · May 13, 2016

I would have thought porcupines were waterproof. If not then that's a serious design flaw isn't it ?

floatfish · May 13, 2016

For Bright Orange colour, or any other you fancy, I have used Humbrol model paints. Any decent model shop sells them. Sealing as said is only needed where whipping has been used. But any cheap Ladies Nail Varnish (Rimell name comes to mind)will do the job as well as anything.

rubio · May 13, 2016

floatfish said:
For Bright Orange colour, or any other you fancy, I have used Humbrol model paints. Any decent model shop sells them. Sealing as said is only needed where wiping has been used. But any cheap Ladies Nail Varnish (Rimell name comes to mind)will do the job as well as anything.

That's what I use. Tho I will deny it if confronted by the missus

lambert1 · May 13, 2016

My wife was a little puzzled when I came home with a bottle of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails (which someone on this forum recommended), until I said the one word "fishing". She just rolled her eyes and said no more. I also use Humbrol paints.

S-Kippy · May 13, 2016

Hard as Nails is brilliant stuff. All I ever use whenfly tying.

ciprinus · May 13, 2016

S-Kippy said:
I would have thought porcupines were waterproof. If not then that's a serious design flaw isn't it ?

porcupines contrary to popular belief are not waterproof Mr kippy,
you have to put gaffer tape on their mouth and bum to stop the water ingress then your good to go :wh

daniel121 · May 13, 2016

ciprinus said:
porcupines contrary to popular belief are not waterproof Mr kippy,
you have to put gaffer tape on their mouth and bum to stop the water ingress then your good to go :wh

Well I always thought they was waterproof but, I always used to vanish them with yacht varnish. It seals them really sell, appears like they are plastic coated.

Anyway I always thought I was being OTT but maybe it did do something?

S-Kippy · May 13, 2016

Showeproof then. You're splitting hairs...or rather quills.

no-one in particular · May 14, 2016

Cant really help you a lot TeeC but i do use nail varnish on quill floats. I do leave some all chipped and all the colour missing more through not getting round to doing them up a bit but as I fish fairly close in most of the time this is OK. I guess you could say there is something in them not having shiny varnish on them not reflecting the sun and putting fish off in clear shallow water but I doubt there is much in it but if I fished such waters I might opt for a matt finish. I don't mind beaten up floats but I guess your after something more aesthetic to the eye and a nicely redone quill does look good.
Nice quill floats, I am a big fan of them. They always seem to work well and last longer than other floats in my bag, some I have had for years and theres nothing like a bit of natural.

Porupine quill floats.....sealing ?

Tee-Cee

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trotter2

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barbelboi

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S-Kippy

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floatfish

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rubio

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lambert1

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S-Kippy

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ciprinus

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daniel121

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S-Kippy

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no-one in particular

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