PELLET POLE FLOATS

thomaspetch — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:37:38 +0000

Tested by Dave Coster

MAVER SLIM

£1.60
Streamlined body is finished with Maver’s trademark Black Ice marbled effect, having a carbon stem and a medium diameter plastic bristle. Sizes supplied ran from 0.1 gr to 0.5 gr, which are perfect for general pellet fishing on commercials, covering shallow to medium depths. These floats are nicely made and well balanced, suiting strung shotting or small, simple bulks set a few inches away from the hook. A great short line float when aiming to maximise hitting bites with 4 mm to 6 mm pellets, sweetcorn or small cubes of meat. Also robust enough for reasonably strong tackle.
SCORE: 27/30

GARBOLINO DC 19

£1.50
A new pattern with a streamlined body-down shape, carbon stem and hollow plastic bristle. Sizes range from 0.10 gr to 1.5 gr, covering everything from shallow margins to deeper open water. Bodies are finished in Garbolino’s distinctive blue colours, while the medium diameter hollow tips stand out brilliantly in all conditions. This is the perfect float for coaxing lots of action with small pellet baits, also suiting sweetcorn and punched or diced luncheon meat. Generally works best with a small bulk and no droppers, or just one tell-tale shot when using a longer hook length. A tough performer.
SCORE: 27/30

BROWNING F1

£2.51
Matt black bodies are streamlined with a hint of a body-up shape, combined with medium diameter hollow plastic bristles and long carbon stems. Sizes range from 0.10 gr to 0.4 gr, being aimed at shallow commercial fisheries and small carp, as their F1 name suggests. These are very well made pellet baggin’ floats and come into their own when slightly more finesse is required. They suit 0.12 mm to 0.14 mm rigs and medium pole elastics. The hollow tips are highly sensitive and show up brilliantly under all light conditions. Best used with slightly strung bulks or evenly spread loadings.
SCORE: 27/30

FOX MATCH MP4

£1.50
Neat rugby ball-shaped design with a medium solid plastic bristle and long carbon stem, available in 2×8, 3×8, 4×8 and 5×8 sizes. This float has a classy satin black finish and is a firm favourite with Fox Match stars Mark Pollard and Bob Nudd. The lightweight four sizes on offer suit shallow commercials perfectly. The long carbon stems offer tight control and allow versatile rigging, everything from strung weights to bulk set-ups. This robust float covers all match-style short-line pellet, corn or meat fishing, along with presenting firm old favourites such as maggots, worm and casters.
SCORE: 28/30

DAIWA TD6

£1.50
Streamlined rugby ball-shaped bodies are finished in matt black and silver with medium carbon stems and hollow plastic tips. The latter almost glow, and are highly visible in all conditions, having a medium diameter, which is ideal for general pellet fishing. Sizes range from 4×8 to 4×14, being aimed at shallow-set rigs for carp, with baits such as pellets, corn and meat. These floats are robust and can handle 0.12 mm to 0.18 mm lines in conjunction with medium to strong pole elastics. Rigging wise, they suit strung or bulk weights, covering on-the-drop, up-in-the-water, or full-depth presentation.
SCORE: 28/30

BEST BUY

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PB INTER 1

£1.99
Slim-bodied design with unusual painted nylon tips and fine carbon stems. Ranging from 0.2 gr to 0.6 gr, this float is aimed at on-the-drop presentation and shallow venues, working well with fully strung or bulked micro shot or Stotz weights. The streamlined bodies have a marbled black satin finish, while the painted nylon tips stand out really well and are very sensitive. Mainly designed as a pellet float, but suits most other small hook offerings, including corn, meat, maggots and casters. Robust enough for medium to strong tackle, this is a classic, versatile match carp pole float.
SCORE: 29/30

NOTE: All products tested January 2010. All prices correct at the time of going to Press. Angler’s Mail do not take responsibility for price or product changes or current availability.

SILVER FISH POLE FLOATS

thomaspetch — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:10:54 +0000

Tested by Dave Coster

FOX MATCH MP5

£1.50
Classic streamlined body canal style pole float, with a fibreglass stem and super sensitive fibre tip, offering six sizes from 2×10 up to 12×10. All floats are finished in matt black, with attractive cosmetics and clearly marked capacities. The latter cover everything from fishing shallow to deep, suiting delicate rigs including strung and bulk set-ups. The slim body shape and sensitive, highly visible tip performs well with popular silver fish baits like punch, hemp, squatt, pinkie and bloodworm. Only drawback is these floats need to be coaxed upright with strung rigs, due to their lightweight stems.
SCORE: 26/30

GARBOLINO COMPETITION DS 14

£1.75
Slim bodies are finished in matt green and black and feature fine plastic tips and medium wire stems. The range starts at 0.1 gr going up to 1.5 gr. Smaller sizes take minimal weight, perfect for shallow far bank canal and feature work with tiny bulks or strung formats. Larger sizes suit olivette bulks and small droppers when fishing deeper and tight to the bottom. These are popular bloodworm and squatt floats, designed to be fished on a short line with light 0.06 mm to 0.08 mm traces and tiny size 20 to 24 hooks. Also good speed floats with bread punch, hemp and pinkie because they cock fast.
SCORE: 26/30

MIDDY SILVER FISH ULTIMATE 2

£1.50
Streamlined body-down shaped floats with long fibreglass stems and super bright, extremely sensitive fibre tips. Sizes range from 4×10 to 1.5 gr being ideal for most stillwater applications. Smaller sizes can be used with strung shot, while larger capacity floats suit bulk set-ups with 2 to 3 strung micro shot, or Styls, spread out below. Body-down floats like this are particularly good in deeper lakes, fishing a short line for optimum tackle control, targeting species like roach and skimmers. The extra long sight tips are very handy for combating drift and windy conditions.
SCORE: 26/30

MAVER SERIES 4

£1.50
Body-down floats with bright fibre tips and stable wire stems, ranging from 0.10 to 0.5 gr finished with Maver’s distinct Black Ice cosmetics. The wire stems help to cock this pattern unaided, which makes fishing with strung shot a lot easier – especially when looking for bites up-in-the-water or on-the-drop. The highly visible and sensitive fibre tips show up well in all conditions and highlight the most delicate of bites. These floats suit shallow to medium depth canal and lake venues, being perfect for roach and skimmer fishing with smaller baits, light lines and tiny fine wire hooks.
SCORE: 27/30

BROWNING SENSITIVE

£2.51
Slim, streamlined body floats with short fibre sight tips and medium wire stems. Finished in Browning’s trademark burgundy, yellow and black colours. Sizes range from 0.10 gr to 2 gr, with smaller floats suiting shallow work for silver fish, with spread micro shot of slightly strung bulks. Larger sizes are better with an olivette bulk and two or three micro shot spread out below. These floats have ultra fine tips, ideal for baits like bloodworm, joker, squatt and pinkie. They perfectly suit canals and shallow lakes when targeting small fish at speed, where the wire stems cock them quickly.
SCORE: 27/30

BEST BUY

DAIWA TD4

£1.50
Matt black and silver diamond shaped body has a long, stable wire stem and a sensitive, translucent fibre tip. With weight capacities covering 0.1 gr to 0.5 gr, these floats are ideal for bloodworm and other small baits when targeting silvers in big numbers. They are very stable in wind and drift, working well with strung micro weights or small bulks. The long wire stems cock these floats quickly without any prompting, superb for speed fishing on a short line in shallow to medium depths. Also makes a great bread punch or squatt design in slow moving rivers and drift affected drains.
SCORE: 28/30

NOTE: All products tested January 2010. All prices correct at the time of going to Press. Angler’s Mail do not take responsibility for price or product changes or current availability.

Anglers Mail » floats

PELLET POLE FLOATS

Tested by Dave Coster

MAVER SLIM

GARBOLINO DC 19

BROWNING F1

FOX MATCH MP4

DAIWA TD6

BEST BUY

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PB INTER 1

SILVER FISH POLE FLOATS

Tested by Dave Coster

FOX MATCH MP5

GARBOLINO COMPETITION DS 14

MIDDY SILVER FISH ULTIMATE 2

MAVER SERIES 4

BROWNING SENSITIVE

BEST BUY

DAIWA TD4