A float holds your bait at the depth you choose and tells you when a fish takes it. Different waters need different floats.
Wagglers: still water and slow rivers
A waggler is fixed to the line at its bottom end only, usually with most of its shot either side of it. It casts well and stays steady on a breeze, which makes it the standard float on lakes, ponds and canals.
Stick floats: running rivers
A stick float is fixed at the top and bottom, with shot spread down the line. You let it travel with the current and hold it back a little so the bait drifts naturally in front of it.
Pole floats
Small, sensitive floats for fishing directly under the tip of a pole, close in, where every tiny bite shows.
Pike and predator floats
Larger, buoyant floats that hold up a bigger bait and show a run clearly.
Shotting a float
Each float carries a set weight, often printed on it. Add shot until only the coloured tip shows above the water: the less tip showing, the easier it is for a fish to pull under, and the sooner you see the bite.
