Andy Field/ Chris Lythe Floats

kingfisher2007 · Jan 8, 2017

Hi I think the floats made by Andy Field, Chris Lythe look awesome but costly.
I will be buying a few in the future, but don't know wether to use them.

Does anyone here have them and use them ? I have just purchased some Ian Lewis ones and am planning to use them.
Don't know what I will do if they get caught on something. I am 65 now.

When I was 11/12 I get caught on the river bottom. snapped the line. Was not going to lose my Perch bobber. went in after it. in my underpants.

Be interested to see what people say.

Kind Regards

Peter Jacobs · Jan 8, 2017

I have a fair few of Andrew's floats and use them a fair bit.

They are expensive but then they should be used and not just kept in a box looking pretty.

I have lost two over the years but one if those I managed to get back with help from the bailiff, which was good as it was a pike bung that cost £25.

lutra · Jan 8, 2017

Lovely floats, but when i'm 65 and have the time, I will have loads of my own hand made floats and won't care if I lose 1 or 2.

theartist · Jan 8, 2017

Anyone who makes anything beautiful and hand made for angling should be rewarded for their endeavour. Buy the floats and use them, and if you lose one buy some more as i'm sure he has spent hours of labour making each one.

You could always err on the side of caution with a stronger mainline/weaker hooklength ratio not too mention extra float rubbers which make a lot of difference, and there's always jumping in with your pants after them.

seth49 · Jan 8, 2017

I have three Chris lythe floats, there fluted avons and are signed by Chris and have mm1 written on them, I take it from that they were made in 2001.
They were designed for grayling fishing by Chris and a chap in Clitheroe who is a very keen grayling fisherman.

I paid ten pounds for them back then, two of them have the Clitheroe chaps initials on them plus the word ribble, as in the river, would be interested to know what they are worth now, all three are as good as new, only used one once.

sam vimes · Jan 8, 2017

I tend to find that I very rarely lose floats. I honestly don't remember the last float I lost. However, I do find that floats get battered with extended use. Unfortunately, the biggest cause of dmage occurs in transit as the rattle around, or get crushed in, boxes.

Though I find the Field and Lythe floats very attractive, I doubt that I'll ever buy any. I couldn't buy them to collect and I'd never be prepared to use them. I would like to get my sticky mitts on a decent fluted Avon, but I'll not be paying the £30+ for a Field or Lythe one.

binka · Jan 8, 2017

I suppose it’s a personal thing but I reckon a float is made to get wet and not sit purely on display, I wouldn’t feel comfortable paying the sorts of prices that I often see though.

Having said that my first ever batch of homemade floats were a little agricultural to say the least but my most recent efforts have put me into the area of concern should I ever lose one and need to replace it given the time I put into each of them.

I might even have to go for counselling, this was the scene after a tree reached out and engulfed one of the more agricultural prototypes…

And…

I still never found it!

mg:

robtherake · Jan 8, 2017

Those handmade floats, however crudely finished, are often the result of a lengthy process of trial and error, and represent far more to their maker than their shop-bought counterparts. The loss of an off-the-peg float, regardless of expense, is merely an inconvenience. To see your own creation floating away out of reach, perhaps a one-off that turned out to be just right for a particular duty, is a little tragedy.

mikench · Jan 8, 2017

Steve are you the king of the selfie or do you have the paparazzi follow you around?

binka · Jan 8, 2017

mikench said:
Steve are you the king of the selfie or do you have the paparazzi follow you around?

Only when I'm doing something daft

Which is quite often...

seth49 · Jan 8, 2017

I bought the above floats on the Clitheroe chaps recommendation, and they are very well made it's just that I prefer a balsa float, or a drennan wire stemmed Avon for trotting.they will probably stay in the cabinet with my centrepins for now.

There's a couple of pins in there which haven't been used yet, I must give them a go this year. Not really fair if they don't get used, it's what there made for after all.

Bob Hornegold · Jan 9, 2017

I have plenty of Ian Lewis and David Pearce floats that I use all the time, but the Paul Cook, Andy Field and Chris Lythe floats stay at home where they are unlikely to get caught up in trees, bushes and snags.

It's bad enough when I loose a cheaper float, let alone a float costing over a score !!

Bob

chub_on_the_block · Jan 9, 2017

Could always try an over the top mainline down to just below the float, with an extra long hooklength after that! If the float gets stuck in a tree theres always the chance you could pull many a tree limb down to get it back, say with an 8Ib mainline.

Personally though, i would probably just keep a set at home mounted in a glass case hanging on the wall.

kingfisher2007 · Jan 9, 2017

Thanks for your replies. as mentioned I will be using the Ian Lewis ones.
I am also thinking of have a crack at making my own.
If I do get any Andy Field, Chris Lythe I will see how I feel at the time.
But the money could be better spent. ie. A Allcocks Ariel and a new angling club. plus the cost fuel going down to Hampshire regularly.

binka · Jan 9, 2017

Just as an aside, if I ever start buying handmade floats I would go down the Paul Duffield route.

They appear to be really nice floats at a sensible price without the worry of the expense when you lose one.

Unless I win the lottery, in which case I would have the other two on a permanent retainer! :w

S-Kippy · Jan 10, 2017

binka said:
Just as an aside, if I ever start buying handmade floats I would go down the Paul Duffield route.

They appear to be really nice floats at a sensible price without the worry of the expense when you lose one.

Unless I win the lottery, in which case I would have the other two on a permanent retainer! :w

I agree. I bought a couple of Paul's floats out of curiosity and because they seemed so reasonably priced. They are fantastic..... worth every penny IMO. I must confess to not being a big fan of some of these handmade floats. Beautifully made and finished but rather garish colour combinations. Blue has no business on a float IMO.

binka · Jan 10, 2017

If anyone fancies a box of ten Paul Cook floats there's one here if you've got the cool £200 starting price plus a further £8.55 p&p to kick things off...

10 No. Paul Cook Fishing Floats - mint condition and in presentation box. | eBay

I can't say as i'll be bidding

kingfisher2007 · Jan 10, 2017

I have been following on ebay 2 types of Chris Lythe floats.
The prices they went for were unbelievable. one was £50+ the £4 p-p.

Absolutely nuts !! I"d buy a Rapidex or Trudex Centrepin reel for that.

tigger · Jan 10, 2017

kingfisher2007 said:
I have been following on ebay 2 types of Chris Lythe floats.
The prices they went for were unbelievable. one was £50+ the £4 p-p.

Absolutely nuts !! I"d buy a Rapidex or Trudex Centrepin reel for that.

Just go direct to Chris, have a look at his web page, his floats are only a few quid. For some strange reason people go crazy on ebay!

binka · Jan 10, 2017

tigger said:
Just go direct to Chris, have a look at his web page, his floats are only a few quid. For some strange reason people go crazy on ebay!

I thought about you the other week Ian, there was one of his earlier pins listed at £800!

That's peanuts to a man of your means...

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