Rig’s

Floats for Mackerel

Floats for Mackerel

The floats I use for mackerel are made from balsa which you can buy from most model shops, 1/2 inch dowell is a good choice as it requires less work to arrive at the required profile. The top stem is 1/4 inch beech dowell & the eyes on the float I usually fashion from copper wire stripped from electrical cable of a suitable size, & glued into place. The top eye is whipped over to provide extra strength.The finished float can be painted any colour & varnished over for waterproofing. Black is a good colour for the float top & shows up really well in calm conditions.I use the balls from roll on deoderants for the float tops & they can be used on their own with a bead glued in place as a line guide. Experiment with various sized drilled bullets for weights & use a stop knot which will allow you to vary the depth to suit the conditions. Team this set upwith a light carp rod & you will have great sport, you may even want to flatten the hook barb & return the fish in good condition. It helps in a small way to conserve our fish stocks. ( Personal best :-  3lb4oz after it was cleaned )      FOOTNOTE :- Floatfishing is not just for Mackerel it can be equally just as good for other species using different baits, i.e. Peeler, Mussel etc. Also when fishing venues such as South Gare which can be tackle hungry it will cut your losses to an absolute minimum. Using this method I have lost 2 ( yes two ) hooks in as many years & that was when a hooked fish was grabbed by a seal on the way in. Obviously conditions will determine your choice of tackle but float fishing is a great way to spend your summer evenings & mornings.