Stick floats history

[Stuart Whiting]

Trouble is if the alternative bait is the wrong one 9 times out of 10, that approach won't win you much.

he used to do ok, so it must have worked. The theory isn't necessarily a different bait, that was just the synopsis. It's just the thought pattern that a matchman needs to adopt. To narrow down a field of say 100 anglers, you have to be doing something different to the rest. It might be that everyone else is definitely on " the method " but that is seldom true. Fads play a big part in match fishing. The fad only changes once someone else does something different and succeeds. Then the fad becomes the new method. The trick is to be one of the first doing the new fad. That can only happen if you are willing to stick you neck out and try something different, Going back to what I said at the start, it's all about cutting the field down. If you don't you will always be reliant on the luck of the draw. Waiting for that to happen, is a long wait. Sometimes it never happens.
I know some matchman would turn up every week, just hoping it was there week to be lucky in the draw bag. To a certain extent that is what happens on river matches, because it tended to be Chub or Bream that won, so you had no chance unless you drew a Chub or Bream peg. The sort of matches I fished in were much fairer than that and the draw bag didn't play such a big part. It's funny, but I know plenty of swims on the Canal that became so called flyers. They never used to be flyers until someone won the match from them. You could draw a peg and someone would say, that's a flyer, just because 2 years previous, a really good canal angler beat everyone easily from it. But as you may know a different day and a different set of circumstances and the peg might fish completely differently.
I don't know whether any of that makes sense, I hope so.

Yea mate it does all make sence, and I'm not a match angler, I'm more of a specialist angler with a first luv for rivers, to be more precise....chalk streams targeting quality roach n dace etc,

I always take notice of a good matchmans approach and adapt it to my type of fishing

Stuart

[Santiago]

Funny, I keep forgetting that the Thames is a chalk stream ( a rather wide one).

[Stuart Whiting]

I still like my Allerton and plastic-stemmed John Dean sticks which always ride the water very well and easily outcast wire/alloy stemmed floats. As for Avons I really believe that crowquill Avons are far better than the easier to make cane-stemmed ones.

Mmm....yea mate I can also see some truth in that aswell

Stuart

[Stuart Whiting]

Most of the Avons I use take between 6 and 10BB, with the smaller ones used on 4-6ft of water and the larger ones in up to 12ft, with the 'Topper' specials for distance fishing. I once spent an enjoyable 2 hours picking Topper's brain on the designs and method; certainly not a float for holding back! A mate of mine is currently interviewing John Dean on his methods from back in the day. I think he changed to trout fishing after match fishing but also didn't have the time to practise once he was jointly running a tackle shop.

John dean interview, that sounds interesting, be interested to know the outcome, please keep us posted mate

Stuart

[Stuart Whiting]

Funny, I keep forgetting that the Thames is a chalk stream ( a rather wide one).

Hi Trev,

With all due respect I don't think I said anything about the Thames

Stuart

[Santiago]

You didn't. I just keep forgetting the Thames is one almighty wide chalk stream. Your post reminded me that's all.

[Stuart Whiting]

You didn't. I just keep forgetting the Thames is one almighty wide chalk stream. Your post reminded me that's all.

Oh right, OK mate, got the wrong end of the stick ....lols....or should that be Avon

Stuart

[Match Aerial]

I've an inkling that crow quill avons are perhaps mainly underrated by those that prefer to use stick floats for trotting. I would choose a crow quill avon any day for most of my trotting and never bother with stick floats these day, although I did make one recently and intend to use it this summer.

In a recent ebay purchase I bought a collection of floats which include the smallest crow quill avons I've ever seen, with cork bodies; I must try to make some like them. I suspect they'll take about 2bb.

My own Avon floats start at 2bb Santiago
The billy lane ultra ones started at 2bb but they were cane and balsa I did have some originals at one time but cant find them.
Those sound interesting

MA

[Santiago]

I will post a photo when I can.

[Paul D]

I've an inkling that crow quill avons are perhaps mainly underrated by those that prefer to use stick floats for trotting. I would choose a crow quill avon any day for most of my trotting and never bother with stick floats these day, although I did make one recently and intend to use it this summer.

I think it's very much a fisherman's preference. I'm sure the avons would be just as good. As we can see from the different preferences expressed here, choice of float is not so important as how you use it. Plastic, wood, metal, quill - so long as it floats and feels right.

Well said Sir