Fly Fishing Tackle: Floats 1

Traditionally, an important item in fly fishing tackle was the float. Floats are also called bobbers because the way they move on the surface of the water. It can be quite meditative watching a float gently moving up and down with the motion of the water, but only exciting when the more animated bobbing starts up, letting you know that a fish is interested in your bait. Children tend to enjoy watching for the change in the bobber, and this can be a good introduction to fishing for them.

For many years floats were made of cork and many people still call them that, no matter what they're made of. There come in a range of shapes and sizes for different types of fishing. Cork floats are normally shaped like a bottle cork, with  a split in the side to run your line through. Plastic floats come in all shapes and sizes, but the spherical round red-and-white ones were the most common, having  a wire hook running through them and a spring to hold your line tight. Styrofoam floats are available in any shape you want and are extremely commonplace. Round or egg-shaped floats a either have a spring-loaded clip or a hole through the middle for your line. Corks with a hole through them work well as slip floats; alternatively you can stick a small rod in them to hold your line in place.

Quill floats are long and thin, attach to one end of your line and quiver and stand up at the slightest bite, which is why they are commonly used for match fishing and other times when you need to detect the slightest nibble on your bait. They are named after the porcupine quills from which they were originally made. A great addition to your fly fishing tackle.

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