Odd float

I called in my local tackle shop yesterday and while having a nose around I came across some floats that I have never seen before.

The main float looked like a conventional antenna float but a short length of thick nylon line protruded from the bottom of the float, this piece of nylon was about an Inch long. this piece of line went into a cigar shaped piece of balsa about Two Inches long. The cigar shaped piece of balsa had Two small eyes, one near the top and one near the bottom. the two eyes were not in line but offset by 90 degrees.

The float is obviously a slider of some kind, has anyone on here used one? What is the purpose of the hinged bit? Are they any good?

Possibly to combat surface tow by the line being deeper when cocked? Never seen one myself, I'm sure someone here will have though.

If the lower body had three rings, out of line with each other, it would be a locking slider - just like a Polaris float, but two doesn't make much/any sense to me...
Ask the geezer in the shop? And do tell...

It is possibly,just possibly, a sliding float for F1 carp fishing on the pole.The bulk shot are above the float,as the bait sinks, the line between pole tip and float is kept tight,the bites are indicated by the elastic flying out.The shots above the float act as depth fixers and keeping the line above the float tight ,One could fish this method with no float at all,but in windyconditions it adds stability.

I will buy one the next time I am in the shop, photograph it and put it on here. I think it is a slider. I don't know if it's a new type or possibly or old stock (pre-Polaris). It looks to me as if it locks on by the line binding against the body of the lower part as the eyes are out of line. There were two types, one a fine antennae the other had a peacock quill antenna. I fish several deep lakes and a deep river. I think it should be over shotted and fished as if you were laying on.

The lakes I fish are irrigation reservoirs. The bottom contour is like a large bowl, in other words, constantly changing. These may be ideal as I don't like the Polaris floats as they seem a bit clunky and cumbersome.

I am going to the lakes again next Thursday. I will buy a couple and let you know how they/I fared.

Ray

It is a self locking float. That idea of a separate section dates back to the 60's. I was unaware that they were made commercially. I did make some using a short piece of knitting needle. The off set eyes provide the resistance to lock it in place. I actually caught some tench with it fishing a water 20ft deep a rod length out.

It is, I think, a 'hinged' sliding float. The idea is that the float 'folds' at the nylon hinge on the strike so there's less resistance and the hook goes home better. Why two eyes I have no idea - possibly just stronger, or so you can put a single shot or leger stop between the two eyes to lock it