PICKING THE FLOAT

“I have floats from 1g to 5g tied up and ready to go, but on the Thurne where the tidal pull isn’t too strong, 2g is ample. On bigger rivers like the Bure or Yare, this would need increasing to double or triple that size.

“I’ll set up a 1.5g and 2g flat float and soon be able to work out which is best simply by the way it sits in the water. What you want is for the float’s bristle to stand bolt upright when held still – any angle created by the flow means that the float isn’t heavy enough. I’ll always try and fish as light as I can get away. If, for example, a 3g float sits properly, I’d also try a 2g to see if I could drop down a size and get better presentation.

“I have old-style round-bodied ‘flatties’, but I prefer the Cralusso Torpedo patterns as these have a more streamlined body that makes them sit better in the water.”