Graham Marsden
Editor Emeritus
This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: All You Need To Know - Stick and Waggler Floats
All You Need To Know - Stick and Waggler Floats
- Thread starter Graham Marsden
- Start date
Excellent stuff Jeff, a well put together article.
Stealph Viper
Well-known member
Thank you Wolfy,
A very well put together description of the different types of Waggler and Stick floats available for different circumstances and situations.
A very well put together description of the different types of Waggler and Stick floats available for different circumstances and situations.
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Excellent stuff Jeff, easy to read, easy to understand, just the job mate.
One waggler missing off that list is a very useful one when fishing fast shallow water or in a down stream wind and thats the specimen balsa waggler taking up to 4SSG or more.
One waggler missing off that list is a very useful one when fishing fast shallow water or in a down stream wind and thats the specimen balsa waggler taking up to 4SSG or more.
Good stuff Jeff.
You might have given a mention though to the Onions, Zoomers and even the Trent Trotters.
As for some of those floats working still, you bet they do, I use similar patterns quite a lot - yeah, I know; nostalgia and all that.
Mind you, there are a couple of floats in the first picture that would be exceptionally good for Roach fishing (note that Mr. Spiller?)
You might have given a mention though to the Onions, Zoomers and even the Trent Trotters.
As for some of those floats working still, you bet they do, I use similar patterns quite a lot - yeah, I know; nostalgia and all that.
Mind you, there are a couple of floats in the first picture that would be exceptionally good for Roach fishing (note that Mr. Spiller?)
dezza
Well-known member
Ye've forgot lolly floats lad.
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
And now for those members amongst you who are poorly sighted -
Let’s clear up one small point about this series and this article in particular, it’s called “All You Need To Know” and not “All There Is To Know”. In other words, it’s not every scrap of knowledge that’s ever been written or is known about a subject, its just enough to help you make a sensible choice from what is currently available.
I hope this helps. :wh
Blind as bats some people! Hehehe!
Oh-er, touchy!
Jeff, go pour a large Jack Daniels and go sit in a darkened room.
[insert smiling thing - - - - H E R E]
Jeff, go pour a large Jack Daniels and go sit in a darkened room.
[insert smiling thing - - - - H E R E]
Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)
Senior Member
Well, one of the things we need to know is what situations/conditions each float is designed for.
Is this the subject of an article later in the series?
Is this the subject of an article later in the series?
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Oh! dear Jeff we are touchy today and I did say it was a good article btw. It wasn't meant as a criticism, look on it more as an addition to the list you already have.
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
I wasn't getting the hump, Graham. It just reminded me of an old Spike Milligan sketch whenn he'd finished reading the news and said "And now here are the headlines again for the hard of hearing." Picked up a megaphone and started shouting down it.
Funny ..... Hahahah!
I just thought I'd reiterate my statement in BIG type for the same effect. I wouldn't mind, but I did make the statement TWICE in the article though. If I'd included every type of float that's ever been made I still be writing the article. Key point was -"currently available".
Wobbly Face (As Per Ed)
Well-known member
Great article Jeff, may mate has most of them floats, after owning them for 40 years, he still hasn't a clue on how to use them. If only this article had come out 40 years ago! Kids, read up.
Sean Meeghan
Well-known member
An excellent summary Jeff. Just a couple of points though:
The stick float was originally developed for fishing canals and they were then adapted for fishing the Trent when the north west anglers began travelling there to fish.
The buouyancy of the material used in the insert on an insert waggler has no effect on the sensitivity of the float. A 3BB float with a 2mm diameter peacock quill tip has exactly the same sensitivity as a 3BB float with a 2mm cane tip.
The stick float was originally developed for fishing canals and they were then adapted for fishing the Trent when the north west anglers began travelling there to fish.
The buouyancy of the material used in the insert on an insert waggler has no effect on the sensitivity of the float. A 3BB float with a 2mm diameter peacock quill tip has exactly the same sensitivity as a 3BB float with a 2mm cane tip.
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
As Sean says the stick float was developed to fish across canals with casters.
One thing I did notice on the pics of the stick floats and other top and bottom floats is the use of very narrow float rubbers. In my experience it is better to use a much longer float rubber (18mm to 25mm) at the base so that it overlaps the base by about 2mm. This reduces tangles, casts better, prevents accidental movement of the float through slippage and sometimes improves bait presentation. I don't bother with a 3rd float rubber apart from crow quill Avons but do make sure the top rubber is about 3-4mm in length.
One thing I did notice on the pics of the stick floats and other top and bottom floats is the use of very narrow float rubbers. In my experience it is better to use a much longer float rubber (18mm to 25mm) at the base so that it overlaps the base by about 2mm. This reduces tangles, casts better, prevents accidental movement of the float through slippage and sometimes improves bait presentation. I don't bother with a 3rd float rubber apart from crow quill Avons but do make sure the top rubber is about 3-4mm in length.
Xplorer1
Well-known member
Excellent article - very clear and useful, and the illustrations really help. Not being a carp angler, I had no idea what a baggin' waggler was! But it does perpetuate what I believe to be a myth: that the material of which the tip of a waggler type float is made affects its sensitivity. A float has a mass and a volume: its volume dictates the amount of water it displaces when partiallly or entirely sunk by its mass (including the shot in use). How that mass is distributed throughout the float is irrelevant so far as sensitivity is concerned. The sensitivity of the part sticking out of the water is dictated solely by its diameter (assuming it's round in cross section). The slimmer it is, the less water a given length will displace as its pulled down, and hence the amount of pull needed to sink it lower in the water will be less. Whether it's made of peacock quill, dowel or fibreglass makes not a jot of difference to how much pull is required to sink it lower: that is entirely dictated by its volume.
Now in choppy running water where a stick or avon float is being tossed around from side to side, rather than being in equilibrium, then this is clearly not so, and buoyant tips do make a difference.
Now in choppy running water where a stick or avon float is being tossed around from side to side, rather than being in equilibrium, then this is clearly not so, and buoyant tips do make a difference.
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Steve Spiller
Well-known member
Very good Jeff and I agree, crowquills are hard to find and very expensive nowadays. Also, same as Mark, 3 rubbers on em.
Peter, I prefer the float 12 in from the right in the second picture for my roach fishing.............
Peter, I prefer the float 12 in from the right in the second picture for my roach fishing.............
Xplorer1
Well-known member
Just saw Sean Meeghan's post saying the same thing much more brriefly and eloquently!
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
Nit picker!
I think I said of the plastic inserts "In some floats, particularly plastic ones, the insert part is solid plastic and even less buoyant so therefore even more sensitive." Meaning less bouyant than the cane or peacock insert part. It's got to be, the bl**dy stuff sinks whereas cane and quills don't. Also, why do they use wire stems on pole floats, or does that have the same bouyancy as cane, which they get almsot as thin?Now on this I will agree, but I only started using them on the big rivers and it was indeed on the Trent. I am prepare to sell Mark that Benny Ashurst one if he can come up with a three figure sum without a decimal point in it.
---------- Post added at 23:23 ---------- Previous post was at 23:20 ----------
Mark, I can't remember when I last used some of these, but some of the rubbers were bought so they are as they are. As I got them out of the old box, I would love a nice small river like the Colne or Loddon to fish once again, then I might use them as you suggest. I usually do put a slightly longer one on the bottom but 15mm would be about it.
Oh and for your info all the ones below weren't bought. I dragged them from the rubbish left after a Thames flood. The rubbers there are as was, I think.
Same with my pike floats, I've never ever bought one, but I have six Drennans.
Rodney Wrestt
Well-known member
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I enjoyed that Jeff, I was going to mention that Mr Ashurst using the stick on the canals but by the time I got here it was already done...... so nothing else to add but WELL DONE.