Santiago wrote:The string is probably braided silk. In a recent ebay lot I purchased, some float winders came with quite a few lengths of this type of line.
As for the fishability of the floats, I've made a few plugged quills of very similar design and can vouch that they are both exceptional in casting and bite detection and equal to modern floats. I can also see many similarities between plugged quills and stick floats, enough to say when stick floats were first on the market they were not actually new but merely a re- invention.
Isn't everything a re-invention of something else. Fishing is a very simple sport/pastime usually over complicated by angler's trying to make out it's more than it is. There isn't that many alternatives to floats. Basically a float that is fished bottom end only can be categorised as a wagglers. Floats that are fished top and bottom are river floats. They have various names Sticks/Avons/Balsa's and there are many more sub categories of these.
A simple Quill float can be fished waggler style or top and bottom. Surly the most versatile float out there.
I think if it wasn't for the resurgence of match fishing, we would probably still be using quills today. Every float has been developed to help a matchman get the maximum from his peg. Some were designed to help casting. Some for better bite detection. Others concerns could be strength, so that they can withstand the hammering they get in a 5 hour match.
But one thing is for sure, they all lead back to a basic float like the Quill.