Between Two Rivers: Handmade Fishing Floats

I have been making my own floats for the last few years. When I returned to angling after some 18 years without wetting a line I soon discovered that the days of Denton et al had passed. It seemed that plastic was king and mass production ruled. A quick look on e-bay and I soon found a host of sellers with traditional style floats for sale. I purchased some and with the help of a few kind souls,who were willing to share their expertise and knowledge, I was off making my own.
My first attempts were often poor but with perseverance and practise I soon became more proficient. There are things that I simply cannot do - I don't have a lathe so I buy ready made and drilled balsa bodies - cane stems can be cut and finished with relative ease. The shoreline of Morecambe Bay is a great place to pick up seagull feathers. Half and hour spent wandering the high water mark in late August and early September and you can literally pick up hundreds. I like to try and get a variety of sizes that can then be used to make standard quills, reverse quills or even sensitive antenna floats combining balsa bodies with quill stems. Making eyes and whipping is fine after a few goes and painting is more a case of a steady hand and patience. It's really just a case of practise and imagination. Nothing beats being out on your favourite water with your own handcrafted float sitting proudly in the water. It's even better when it disappears.

Here are some examples of the designs and I've made and use on my local waters.