Floats and Anglers

Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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First off, thanks to Mark for another interesting article.
This one got me thinking and wondering about my own collection of floats, some of which are well over 40 years old.

So, what is the oldest float in your tackle box, and do you still use it?

One of the floats from my boyhood days of fishing that I have been trying to replace for many years is the old Miranda Float. This was a sliding body float from about the late 50's through the mid 60's.
Anyone got one out there that they might think about parting with?
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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I've got an old porcupine quill float I made from a few quills I picked up by the Vaal River in 1968.
 
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Tony Myatt

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Late fifties/early 60s (given to me with some old tackle), cork on a cane stem, a smaller version of what I knew as a Thames float. Apparently made by a firm in Thames Ditton whos name escapes me now.

On a slight tangent, I was lucky enough to fish with Ken Clower on a couple of occaisions. He showed me the prototypes of the fluted floats which I understand Jim Sharp, Ken and pals designed. I guess you?d date these mid 50s, although I?m not 100% certain of that. No doubt Ron or yourself could put a more accurate date on them.
 
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mark norris 2

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I have a stret pegging vane float made by an angling pal in the mid 60`s. It is such a work of art that I have never used it in case I lose it.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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Ken Clower was a brilliant Nottingham angler. He contributed to the classic work: "Coarse Fishing with the Experts" edited by John Normanm an Angling Times book released about 1954.

The fluted float idea came long before the 50s. In fact **** Walker was making such floats with flutes and even vanes on them in the 30s.

Peter Drennan also used to make fluted floats. He won an Angling Times Float making competition with these floats and that set him off in business.

The idea of the fluted float is to grip the current in fast rivers when you are trotting some distance out. Today we have loafers and chubbers, made by Drennan of course which do much the same thing.
 
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Tony Myatt

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Ron

Thanks for that, like I said I wasn?t sure of the true history of them, though one of my mates mentioned a bloke called J Galway. I did get hold of some in the late 70s made by Camafloat and to be honest they were crap (though it was probably just me being crap at using them).

Ken, from what I gather he was brilliant and from what I hear he still catches plenty. I believe Ken had the Trent barbel record for a couple of years at a shade over 15lbs. I have a copy of the book you mention, yes a very good read. The book I also really like is his Angling Times one on the Hampshire Avon, unfortunately lent to someone never to be seen again. Lesson learnt.
 
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jp

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Peter I have what I'm fairly sure is an old Trent Trotter, you are welcome to it next time we meet up.

They're not that old but I've still got a couple of John Dean wire stemmed sticks that I used to use at Kings Weir 25 years ago, a bit light for the Avon 4 number 4s.



Tony, if you want to replace that book there are a few copies on offer here, from under a fiver:-

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/
 
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Nick King 2

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i`ve been lucky enough to collect loads of old porcupine quill floats in various sizes and condition,plus some old crow quill avons and some old perch bungs/bobs.i`ve also got a few of the old pike bungs as well.many of them have been bought at car boot sales,local flea markets and the e-bay auction site.the good thing about them is that they can easily be re-painted and rsstored to their former glory.
 
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sash

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Newark Needle Float - no idea how old these are or even if they worked! Can anyone enlighten me? Ron?
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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Tony,

Speaking of old floats, the float Geoff was using on Sunday morning would probably take some beating!Youll know the one I mean I'm sure.

It looked very similar to those Capt.Parker of the Bull recommended for trotting on the Avon.They were unusual in that they were like bodied wagglers with a big cork body but you attached them double rubber. They must have been effective given the amount of roach he caught but I've never seen anyone(save geoff!) using them as an alternative to the more traditonal trotting patterns.

Interesting that the great Billy Lane was disparaging of fluted floats in his Encyclopedia.
 
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Tony Myatt

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Nigel,
Those were the little ones! the big ones we tie the punts to. The reason he likes them is that when there?s a chop on the surface he doesn?t lose sight of them. I?d rather use a crowquill avon and wear glasses but as you?ve found out Geoff is something of a one off, thank goodness. Cheers.

Sash,
Newark Needle Floats, bin em mate
 
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Wolfman Woody

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My oldest now is a Benny Ashurst stick float from the early 70s. I lost a little crow quill a couple of years ago, the last of a card full. Also lost my Billy Lane slider bought in 1968 after I met him and he explained how they worked.
 
Mark Wintle

Mark Wintle

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Fluted floats - **** Walker often made reference to Major Albert Smalley for developing these floats. Smalley died in 1963. Newark Needle floats were around in about 1977. I went to a Gladding masters at North Muskham on the Trent in 1977 where Bower the inventor was promoting them. Useless as floats. Oldest floats shown in my article were bleakers made in 1971.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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John,
Thanks for the offer which I appreciate. Hopefully, we will get together at the end of season supper at my place.

Ron, remember we saw some of those original Drennan floats in that display frame at John Searle's shop? Pity they were so expensive as I have the perfect piece of wall at the new house just crying out for that frame.
 
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