| A float when fishing does two jobs: it lets the angler | | | | slender float with a sensitive tip.The bubble float is a |
| know when his bait has been taken, giving him a | | | | favourite among trout and mullet fishermen. It is a |
| visual point where the line enters the water. It also | | | | clear, plastic ball with plugs, which allow the angler to |
| dangles the bait at a pre-determined distance | | | | partially fill the ball with water and hence regulate its |
| between the top of the bottom and the bottom. As | | | | weight and where it sits on the surface of the water. |
| with every other piece of tackle, the angler must | | | | Some floats are designed to lie straight on the |
| know what fish he is after and what the | | | | surface of the water and only stand upright when |
| characteristics of that fish are in order to select the | | | | registering a bite from below. These floats are not |
| correct tackle.Some fish are naturally suspicious of | | | | popular however as they are difficult to locate and |
| bait attached to a float. Although it appears to float | | | | track before the bite. Luminous floats can also be |
| invisibly in the water, the bait resists attempts to | | | | used, however these are not popular either as the |
| move it or swallow it. Some fish, particularly a | | | | luminous fades after a short time.Colours of a float |
| luderick, will immediately release bait from its mouth | | | | are important only to the individual angler and the |
| when it feels the drag of a float from above. A float | | | | best is determined by their ease of sight in various |
| should bob on the surface in a state of neutral | | | | types of water.With the exception of the lying-down |
| buoyancy. The slightest tug from below will be | | | | type of float, all other floats should ride upright in the |
| transmitted to the angler and will not alert the fish to | | | | water. If they don't, it is because they are either out |
| its presence. The ideal use of the float therefore | | | | of balance, or need an extra weight affixed to the |
| requires a careful balance between the weight of the | | | | line underneath them to draw them into an upright |
| float and the use of a splitshot sinker or weight.The | | | | position. The bait may also be resting on the bottom, |
| difficulty of using a line with a float is usually in the | | | | the water being shallower than anticipated by the |
| length of line between the float and the hook, which | | | | angler.To thread the float, simply pass the line |
| is hard to manage during casting. Ideally a float should | | | | through the eyelets of the float and then at the |
| be rigged so that it runs along the line and stops at a | | | | depth at which you want your bait to dangle, affix a |
| pre-determined point on the line with the use of a | | | | splitshot sinker or other device to stop the running of |
| splitshot sinker or swivel. This point is the desired | | | | the float along the line beyond that point. There |
| depth at which the angler would like his bait to dangle | | | | should be just enough pf the float above the water |
| underneath the water.The shape of the float is | | | | to make it visible to the angler. Too much and the |
| almost as essential as the weight or buoyancy of the | | | | wind will catch the stem and blow it away. |
| float. The bobbing cork of the rock fisherman must | | | | Experienced anglers can then watch their float and |
| be able to support the weight of the bait as well as | | | | know instantly what is happening beneath the |
| the turbulence of the water washing back from the | | | | surface where their bait is. The float disappearing |
| rocks. There is no need for it to as sensitive as the | | | | from view is a good indication the bait has been |
| float of the estuary fisherman who would use a long | | | | taken and time for the strike. |