I think the problem is that Canadians and Americans fish floats in completely differnt ways.

Canadians call our float fishing drift fishing because the goals of the American style is to have a drag free drift while Canadians swing their rig in like American driftfishing. So it is much easier to feel a strike if the rig is swinging in rather then just freedrifting downstream without tension.

Ok, calm down now. No more of this Canadian/American turmoil over floatfishing. And NO, not all of our takes with spoons/spinners are rod pulled out of our hands. Alot of us can tell the gentle grab of a steelhead as opposed to the natural rhythm of a spoon/spinner.

I learned how to float fish back in 1987 when I was an exchange student in Germany. Had friends who were diplomats in Parliament in Germany and arranged a few fishing trips in England for me. (They also arranged some browntrout flyfishing excursions in Europe too). Well, I can't remember the names of the rivers, but I do remember using the floats. They were a bit odd looking, but very similar to thills. It wasn't until I came back that I tried using them with bait in some slots that were way too slow for driftfishing and plugs. Just shortly after that I found a friend who was using jigs. Started running them under my floats and they started to score. So, to this day I still use the thill type floats. I just color in any light colored pieces for summer conditions.

You know, there can be a mastery of an activity. If you fish in one particular way 90% of the time you'll catch all your fish that way. I can hands down say that I've caught a hell of alot more fish driftfishing. But, I don't fish ONE particular way all the time. Limiting yourself to one style can limit your field of vision. I can catch fish in various methods (that's when I'm able to go fishing that is which is hard to do with two small kids). Right now jigs are the fad, but what's next? Oh well, I won't beat a dead horse here.

RT, knowing Os's situation, I can wholly understand him being a bit testy (that's if he's testy, looks more like Os to me). I myself was laid up with a back injury. Between being doped up with meds and literally being hit with SEVERE cabin fever I was going crazy. Having this BB as a medium to live through others helps for about 30 seconds until you realize you're NOT FISHING!!!! Man, I remember trying to fish (against doctors orders) and being absolutely miserable from pain and had to stop fishing after an hour. It sucks. If all else fails you may need to give him some slack. Once he gets a rod in his hand and gets some more time on the water he'll be fine.

Just my .02 here. Hope this may have helped a bit.

I can't believe nobody uses the same set up as I do. I get my floats from Jack-in-the box. The little white jack antena balls work great in low water and the "union 76" orange balls are great in low light conditions and are just a bit heavier for longer casting. I am experimenting with the new yellow ball from McDonalds now though. It is a big 3 in diameter one.....sure is solving the constant takedown problems I get with the smolts this time of year......takes a real fish to pull that baby under.!!

You're absoloutely right Sparkey. Our visitors from the North are confusing different types of fishing with floats.

To try and clear things up for them - we're not talking about a six-inch dink float with a dozen shot beneath it.

And I'm not going to say that one way of fishing is better than the other. They're just different.

When float fishing here in washington most people employ what is referred to as the "short float" technique especially with jig fishing. this style, with a properly balanced float or offering on a drag free (as little tension as possible from rod to float) drift will usually telegraph the bite via some type of movement of the float - down, left, right, upriver, or it may lay down.

If you are float fishing with drift gear, your have to have some tension to get the offering in front of the weight, and this tension creates the ability to feel the fish take. When float fishing by swinging through tail outs where, for example, you are adjusted to 5 ft in 4 ft of water then you are holding back alot and will again feel the take.

different techniques, but all are effective just the same.

[ 05-12-2001: Message edited by: Stadle ]

Hey O's what happened to your other post!?!?!!?!?!?!?>>>>>>TM

Sparky,

Please explain how you can achieve a drag free drift with no tension on the float. Remember that the water speed is faster on the surface than at the bottom. You guys crack me up. People in Ontario are probably the finest steelhead float fishing technicians in the world. Perhaps we could all learns something from them.

As for catching fish I don't seem to have a problem with different locales. Heavy pressure or no pressure.

Ahhh....I see the screw-up Fairy has visited us again......Os

Hey Kevin, he knows how to use his edit feature. I can edit too. Os and I kissed and made up. Which is cool but I went thru a whole bottle of mouthwash after the kiss. Yuk! ... Os is a good man, most of the time .

-------------
RT
Laundry Room Supervisor
Sauk River Steelhead Ranch

Ocean Pacific Pro Staff

Sparky,

I am looking forward to your reply. Not much to read on the last one but I am sure you will get something down by the end of the week.

:p

An empty beer can makes a great float. J/K

Seriously I've been reading the board and watching how other people fish with floats. I've watched fishermen use both the clear and dink foam type floats. I carry them with me along with a few maribou jigs. I think floats are the only way to go in slow/low water. Although I've seen fish caught in fast water with dinks.

Good post Steelheadman! I think floats can be used effectively in all types of water. In low water we regularly fish the chop with our floats. Practically the only way to fish when it gets low and clear. We have to remember that what is happening on the surface is usually a reflection of the bottom substrates. Chop is usually thrown up by faster current, higher gradient, some bigger nuggets on the bottom. Pretty much the only way to fish this type of water is to load up the lead and sink it in there. I assume Sparky has a stutter and it takes him a few posts before he blurts it out.

Suckerfish-
The reason that I am not putting much time into my posts regarding yours is because you came on this board solely to be antagonizer (sp?).
I outlined the differances in Candadian and American floatfishing and the goals of each and you came back with a smart*** answer so with that I say :p

[ 05-12-2001: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

Over the years I have done alot of experimenting with different types of floats. These are the floats I prefer:

For Summer fishing I really like the Clear plastic bubble floats. I like to paint the bottom half either black or dark brown, and the top a highly visible orange. Then I peg them to my line using a match stick. These floats have worked well for me in low clear water conditions.

For Winter fishing I prefer to use the dink float. This versitile float is great for fishing with jigs, bait or a combo of both.

For Chinook fishing I really like West coast floats. They give you a good read and slip under the surface of the water with little resistance.