Wire stemmed stick floats

[binka]

A firm favourite of mine and pretty much iconic since their commercial inception around the early eighties, where they began emerging sporting names such as John Dean and many others to follow.

But...

What about carbon stemmed sticks?

The material was not as readily available at that time, certainly not in the diameters required so could they offer an advantage over wire?

My thoughts are that the wire has the weight to stabilise the float in the surface turbulence but carbon could offer more shotting variations, given that the weight saved in the wire would have to be added as shot.

Does anyone think that carbon would offer a less stable float than wire?

It could come down to horses for courses depending on the type of swim but either way I reckon there could well be a use for it in certain situations...

Edited to add: Would you credit it, by pure chance I have just paid Andrew Field's site a visit and low and behold he's using carbon for his wire stemmed sticks

 

[theartist]

I'm not the best at making floats but have tried a few variations with the stem, I've experienced problems when the stem has no weight to it. They seem to work ok till they are in a mildly boily swim then the whole float was riding up despite being shotted down to the very tip and even when there was a shot underneath the float

Like I say not the best at making floats but from this I assumed that the wire has to have some weight to it for stability in such situations, perhaps no weight in the stem would lead to a neutral bouyancy and be good for on the drop work on slow/stillwaters

 

[sam vimes]

I have a nasty habit of using carbon stemmed bolo and Avon floats, even in rather turbulent, fast, shallow water. I've never noticed any issues with stability. I use carbon stemmed floats far, far, more than alloy stemmed floats.

 

[theartist]

Thinking about what I said in my previous post I should add that most my homemade floats are extremely light regarding shotting which would cause them to ride, I wouldn't wan't to put off anyone from buying floats with carbon stems especially if they are handmade, and they would be handmade no doubt to a higher standard than I could manage

 

[tigger]

Personally I can't see much point in having a heavy wire stem on a stick float. Imo you only need a wire stem if your trotting in fast or fast and choppy water and if fishing in those kind'a swims why would you opt for a stick float which would most likely be invisible in the chop anyhow.
I would imagine the best reason for the wire stem would be to aid casting.
Ste, why not do both, a set with wire stems and a set with carbon stems and I will help you test them .