Trotting floats (wire stemmed and dibbers and bobbers

Do you always attach float rubbers and line top and bottom and is top the very top of the float or just the top of the stem? If the former does the line run down the bulbous bit of the float like on a bolo?

Do you use a bag of assorted ( colour and diameter) float rubbers or special tubing?

Do I sound like Matt?

As a general guide Mike wire stems and dibbers are top 'n bottom floats, attach the top rubber (where needed on floats that don't have an upper eye) just below the colour of the sight tip and this carries through for other similar floats such as Avons.

Eventually, when you've got the hang of it, you'll learn to position the top rubber lower down such as when you're holding back hard on flowing water as it will help prevent the float from submerging.

Bobbers can be fished both ways, including and quite often, bottom end only.

Thanks Steve! Non of the floats I possess have a top eye so I guess I just put the rubber over the float and the line using a tight rubber( oo err- don't go there)

I bought a bag of bits of rubber/plastic in various colours and bores when I only possessed wagglers! Do you use these or should I have something better?

Use whatever does the job Mike, it's only when you get to my levels of OCD that they all have to be black mg:

Dave Harrell does a good range of silicone tubing in all the diameters you will ever need including assorted packs (recommended), I'm no expert but there seems to be a difference in rubber which over time becomes hard and brittle whereas silicone tends to be more resilient imo.

I will look those out; Thanks Steve!

Just to add if it helps, some hastily taken pictures...

You should just about be able to make out where the float rubbers sit on these, my newly painted yellow tip floats wh).

Did I mention I usually use black... mg:



If I were laying on or holding back in extreme conditions I would think nothing of using oversize rubbers just below the shoulders on these...



And where the rubber sits on a bobber when it's being fished top 'n bottom...

I will shot my floats as low as I can ,with trotting floats like avons I will shot them so there is only a 1/4inch showing. If I have trouble seeing it I will alow more show on the float.
Sometimes bites can be very minute and hardly move the float. The more you have sticking out above the water line the less sensitive it is. But on the other hand you need to see it first its a bit of a balancing act.
Never used a Bobber float since I was a kid a long time ago. But I do use avons both cane stem and the wire stem type.

You did Steve! I have an awful lot to learn but that is ,I suppose, part of the fun! I have ordered some silicon from DH and will affix some to my float selection in advance and then remove it to affix the line to to the float or should that be the other way round I assume you pass the line through the silicon ring and then fix the ring to the float. Can you easily adjust the float on the line to suit the depth needed?

trotter2 said:

I will shot my floats as low as I can ,with trotting floats like avons I will shot them so there is only a 1/4inch showing. If I have trouble seeing it I will alow more show on the float.

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That's really interesting, do you fish Avons due to the flow characteristics of your river/swim?

The reason I ask is that I usually go with a stick on mine (Trent) and despite altering the shotting pattern to something I think is a positive weight down rig I often don't encounter barbel.

However...

When bites go quiet I've learned to run a second rig through on an additional rod with an Avon style float which is heavily shotted down with a bulk and as often as not I will pick up a barbel within a couple of runs despite the swim not needing an Avon type of float on face value.

Which pretty much says that my 'positive' stick rig isn't behaving the way I perceive it to be.

For this reason I leave plenty of tip showing, right down to the shoulder, as I'm looking for commitment but it's a great example of how the same type of floats can be used in different circumstances if that's the case?

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mikench said:

I assume you pass the line through the silicon ring and then fix the ring to the float. Can you easily adjust the float on the line to suit the depth needed?

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Yep that's the way Mike, it's really easy to slide your float up and down the line but fix an additional middle rubber to stop it slipping.

binka said:

That's really interesting, do you fish Avons due to the flow characteristics of your river/swim?

The reason I ask is that I usually go with a stick on mine (Trent) and despite altering the shotting pattern to something I think is a positive weight down rig I often don't encounter barbel.

However...

When bites go quiet I've learned to run a second rig through on an additional rod with an Avon style float which is heavily shotted down with a bulk and as often as not I will pick up a barbel within a couple of runs despite the swim not needing an Avon type of float on face value.

Which pretty much says that my 'positive' stick rig isn't behaving the way I perceive it to be.

For this reason I leave plenty of tip showing, right down to the shoulder, as I'm looking for commitment but it's a great example of how the same type of floats can be used in different circumstances if that's the case?

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Yes you often find that changing the float, shot load can produce some startling results.
When match fishing its a good idea to have two rigs set up one light and one heavy so you can rig the changes.
As you know even moving the shot around can make a difference.

Regarding the avons I use I don't allows fish them with a bulk shot, sometimes I will string them out shirt button style with no 8 shot like a stick.
I carry avons in sizes 2 bb right up to 6 bb I find them very usefull sort of a Jack of all trades float that works satisfactory in a lot of different situations.
They are great for roaming the river banks a few trotts in each swim and move on to a different location.
I also use stick floats but when moving swims I prefer the versatility of the Avon.
Nice floats buy the way :thumbs:

Mike, next time I see you i'll show you whats what with trotting floats etc. For the biggest part the wire stemmed avon bolo Woodys floats you got from NWA and your Steve Maher avon bolo carbon stemmed avons will cover your trotting, they do for me anyhow.
Regarding rubbers I usually use drennan stuff.....

Silicone Tubing | Drennan Latest

I very rarely use a stick float for trotting, usually on small clear rivers when targeting shyer biting fish and it would be quite a light affair under those circumstances.

If you like we can meet up and go and have a trott with no hook attached so you can get to grips before the season starts.

Thanks Ian I will look forward to that!

tigger said:

Mike, next time I see you i'll show you whats what with trotting floats etc. For the biggest part the wire stemmed avon bolo Woodys floats you got from NWA and your Steve Maher avon bolo carbon stemmed avons will cover your trotting, they do for me anyhow.
Regarding rubbers I usually use drennan stuff.....

Silicone Tubing | Drennan Latest

I very rarely use a stick float for trotting, usually on small clear rivers when targeting shyer biting fish and it would be quite a light affair under those circumstances.

If you like we can meet up and go and have a trott with no hook attached so you can get to grips before the season starts.

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Ian just out of interest when do you use the carbon apose to the wire stem floats mate?.

tigger said:

Regarding rubbers I usually use drennan stuff.....

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Are durex still available

Yes but not big enough!

thecrow said:

Are durex still available

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Yes but there not reusable

trotter2 said:

Ian just out of interest when do you use the carbon apose to the wire stem floats mate?.

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I use carbon stemmed most of the time T.
If I drop into a pacey swim with a chop/riffles on it I use a wire stemmed Woodys avon bolo as it sits high and straight in the water and holds line better than a carbon stemmed. I leave the full length of the tip showing and a chunk of the shoulder also to keep the float visible in the ups and downs of the chop, if you get my meaning. Thinking about it I nearly always leave a bit of the shoulder exposed when shotting the floats anyhow.
The carbon stemmed bolo is my favourite though as it pops up that little bit in the water as your bait drags bottom giving you a great idea of where your bait is at on the trott and telling you where the humps and dips are. On some swims where it pops up or vicar-versa I know i'm in the taking spot and know that if the fish are there and willing then any second now i'll be striking .
My go too size of float is a 4g but 3,4,5 and 6g are my usual range. I have used 8g but not very often. I did have a couple of carbon stemmed shrimping floats, a 6g and an 8g (still got the 8g) and if I remember rightly they where Mavers creations, or at least had their name on them. I lost the 6g one on a snag when trotting a swim when there was a bit of extra water on the river which peeved me off to say the least as I haven't seen anymore since. The sight tip pushed in and pulled out and was very long. The tip holding bit was just the right size to accommodate a chemical night light for use in the dark so if your fishing a swim and catching well as it's going dark you could carry on...something i've yet to try as my stomach has always been tugging on my throat for attention!

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thecrow said:

Are durex still available

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I always go bareback, the sensitivity is the issue with rubbers in'it :wh.

tigger said:

I always go bareback, the sensitivity is the issue with rubbers in'it

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Bareback I cant even catch the bloody horse

trotter2 said:

I will shot my floats as low as I can ,with trotting floats like avons I will shot them so there is only a 1/4inch showing. If I have trouble seeing it I will alow more show on the float.
Sometimes bites can be very minute and hardly move the float. The more you have sticking out above the water line the less sensitive it is. But on the other hand you need to see it first its a bit of a balancing act.
Never used a Bobber float since I was a kid a long time ago. But I do use avons both cane stem and the wire stem type.

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Spot on. Dotting them down as much as possible not only helps with shy bites but also presentation especially on windy days. The difference between seeing the float well and just seeing enough is a huge gap, one which the latter will mean more fish.

theartist said:

Spot on. Dotting them down as much as possible not only helps with shy bites but also presentation especially on windy days. The difference between seeing the float well and just seeing enough is a huge gap, one which the latter will mean more fish.

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I've never had a issue with the smallest of fish pulling large 6g bolo floats under when shotted so the whole sight tip and a bit of the shoulders is showing also.
Using a float shotted down so there was the merest bit of it's tip showing would be a waste of time for me as I often trott 100yds and would need bino's to try and see it.
If I was wanted to have a small bit of float tip showing then i'd be looking at using a different sort of float altogether anyhow.