Trotting floats for winter

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Mike J
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Trotting floats for winter

Post by Mike J »

Ive just been modifying a few floats.
I prefer a longer tip for trotting so its easier to see if it tips over and a body that doesn't absorb water after the slightest bump.

Nothing special, just various off the peg Avons with the short tip removed and replaced with a seabird quill plus a couple of homemades with bodies of insulation foam hardened with superglue.
All tips are undercoated with Dulux, painted with fluorescent nail varnish, bodies and tips given two coats of rod epoxy dried over a radiator.
My final task is to dull the gloss with 800 paper during some rubbish on TV.


3DED5415-8BB1-4A57-8BE7-B355FC6100AF.jpeg

:santa:

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Last edited by Mike J on Fri Jan 07 2022 10:13, edited 1 time in total.
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Fentiger01
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Fentiger01 »

They look the business Mike. :thumbs:

I was enjoying a bit of small river trotting last weekend, great fun. Same again this Sunday for me. :grin:
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Crackoff
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Crackoff »

Nice 1 Mike or is that 11 :wink:


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Oldskoolfool
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Oldskoolfool »

I've been fettling as well.

Making all sorts of floats as can't get out and if I could rivers are bank high! As you'll see still work in progress.

I'm making loads of Avons & balsa's for chub fishing usually using good old bread. Been having a ball until we got hit by all the storms.

Generally I use ready made balsa bodies but I do occasionally turn my own from hard foam or elder pith. Most often use Ronseal sati exterior varnish - nice matt finish and hard wearing. For tips it's either ready made ones or more recently using Starglow fluorescent paints.

Generally I don't paint the bodies but if I do it's hunter Green acrylic or a light oak version of Ronseal as an intermediate coat.

Most often these days I shot them using inline olivettes locking in place with size 14 elastic through the hole. To lock simple stretch thread the line through and relax. Olivette will be locked and movable without damage. Trim tag ends. Don't use a dropper shot with bread as no need
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Mike J
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Mike J »

Oldskoolfool wrote: Fri Feb 25 2022 09:26 -
I've been fettling as well.

Making all sorts of floats as can't get out and if I could rivers are bank high! As you'll see still work in progress.

I'm making loads of Avons & balsa's for chub fishing usually using good old bread. Been having a ball until we got hit by all the storms.

Generally I use ready made balsa bodies but I do occasionally turn my own from hard foam or elder pith. Most often use Ronseal sati exterior varnish - nice matt finish and hard wearing. For tips it's either ready made ones or more recently using Starglow fluorescent paints.

Generally I don't paint the bodies but if I do it's hunter Green acrylic or a light oak version of Ronseal as an intermediate coat.

Most often these days I shot them using inline olivettes locking in place with size 14 elastic through the hole. To lock simple stretch thread the line through and relax. Olivette will be locked and movable without damage. Trim tag ends. Don't use a dropper shot with bread as no need


Your locking method of using elastic, to you remove the rubber tube inside the olli before using the elastic or will it go through as it is?
I have been holding them inplace with float stops the normal method down here but I regularly tangle with sea trout and when they jump which can move the olli.
Your method sounds even better. Would you say the elastic grips tighter than a float stop?

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Oldskoolfool
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Oldskoolfool »

Mike

Yes remove the silicone liner waste of time ( good for aluminium stick bottoms)

I thread a packets worth of the Drennan inline olivettes onto a length of Middy solid size 14 carp elastic (red one)

I use either one of those float stop wire loops or a loop of 15lb nylon. You may need to wet the elastic but As you pull it through it should compress.

I've tried all methods and this is so far the best esp if you trim tight to the olivette. It works really well I find best method so far and allows easy movement.

All thr best
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Mike J
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Re: Trotting floats for winter

Post by Mike J »

Oldskoolfool wrote: Fri Feb 25 2022 17:36 -
Mike

Yes remove the silicone liner waste of time ( good for aluminium stick bottoms)

I thread a packets worth of the Drennan inline olivettes onto a length of Middy solid size 14 carp elastic (red one)

I use either one of those float stop wire loops or a loop of 15lb nylon. You may need to wet the elastic but As you pull it through it should compress.

I've tried all methods and this is so far the best esp if you trim tight to the olivette. It works really well I find best method so far and allows easy movement.

All thr best


Many thanks :handshake:

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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