Pole Floats
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POLE FLOATS
INTRODUCTION
The
history and introduction to pole floats, we must first begin with the
basics.
Pole fishing and its rudiments have been with the British angler for
decades, yet it was only in the World Championships, on England
Warwickshire Avon at Luddington in 1981 that it really came home to the
British angler that pole fishing methods and techniques can and does
beat the waggler and stick float methods. France won the event fishing
with the pole.
France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, were the Front runners on pole methods
for many years, with these four counties dominating the World scene,
England knew they had to learn these deadly methods, if they were to
compete.
I was privileged to be one of the anglers to see in the early years of
the developments, from the conception of pole fishing and methods from
those championships. Pole floats are designed to be controlled at all
times by the angler, with the use of the pole, and most pole floats are
aerodynamically shaped, another words, shaped to perform with the water
conditions, still or moving, also making them ultra sensitive to shy
biting fish.
The two basic designs are pear shapes, a drop pear and a reverse pear.
From these two shapes most pole floats are developed. A rule of thumb
is a drop pear for still water and a reverse pear for running water,
although the opposite can work equally as well if controlled.
A 25 years ago I made an article with one of the weekly angling papers;
I was fishing with one of the best river anglers of the time, Chris
Taylor, from the West Midlands. He was winning a fair share of matches
at the time, fishing at Stratford on the Warwickshire Avon he opted for
the waggler and I fished the pole. Catching a few fish and mastering
the Avon chub with the pole, opened the eyes of the feature writer,
Kevin Wilmot. With a double figure bag at the end of the day I quoted
''one day matches will be won with the pole'' Now these days there
isn't a week that goes by without someone winning a match on the pole
on natural venues and commercials.
Still water pole floats are developed very differently to running water
pole floats this is generally for the benefit of working the float in
the still water. The basic designs are developed from a pear drop or
sometimes called tear drop. The aerodynamics of this float is the
tapering affect, allowing a sharp taper of the body, which in turn
becomes more sensitive as the float is weighted down in the water. The
broader base of the float being down most, allows balance and stability
in the still water, from this shape most still water pole floats are
developed.
Conversely most river pole float shapes are a reversed pear with the
bulk acting as a shoulder, allowing the float to held back easy in a
flowing swim, also by over shotting the float the angler can control
the speed of the float along the swim.
(See Diagrams below)
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In my opinion the French anglers are the best in the World on still
water pole fishing, their development with still water pole floats over
the years have been an inspiration to me and most other great anglers
in this country and abroad. Swapping our British float methods and
techniques for pole methods and techniques have been easy for me, for
being the first World Champion to win on the British waggler; has
opened many doors for me. Making many friends and acquaintances in the
international scene has had a great advantage, having swapping, and
testing many pole floats. Using the principle of colour camouflage I
colour the base of most of my pole floats with a white colouring thus
achieving minimum dark shadow over the feeding fish. With
materials such as carbons glass, polystyrene, balsa, wire, nylon,
tungsten, and other space-age compounds, pole floats are now well into
the 21st century; the poor fish have no chance at all
POLE FLOAT
CONVERSION GUIDE
3x10 = 0.10g (2 x No10 shot)
4x10 = 0.15g (3 x No9 shot)
4x12 = 0.2g (5x No10 shot)
4x14 = 0.4g (6 x No8 shot)
4x16 = 0.5g (8x No8 shot)
4x18 = 0.75g (3 x No3 shot)
4x20 = 1g (4 x No3 shot)
5x20 = 1.25g (5 x No3 shot)
6x20 = 1.5g (6 x No3 shot)
Contents of directory....
Click on float to access the page.
RIVER POLE FLOATS
FRENCH PEAR SHAPE
REVERSE PEAR
SHOULDER PEAR
SMALL
SHOULDER
LONG SHOULDER
LONG BODY RIVER
OVAL BODY
BARREL BODY
WINE BOTTLE
ROUND
RUDDER
DIPPER
STILLWATER POLE FLOATS
STILL WATER PEAR
STILL WATER REVERSE PEAR
EXTRA LONG PEAR
LONG CANE TIP
LONG OVAL
WIDE BASE
MATCHSTICK
BLOODWORM BALSA
ALL BALSA
CANALS
FUNNYFLOAT
PENCIL WHIP
BOLOGNESE
The Contents of this
Website and other Fishing CD’s are available here
www.angling-news.co.uk
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