ever used these floats

#21

I spent days and hours trying to make those Stafford Paste Floats.
Never got anywhere near gettng one right.

I think they were the thinnest cane imagineable. towards the base was a long triangular shaped length of balsa; they were obviously weighted with brass and a hole drilled in the bottom. Another link was made out of wire for the float rubber and that was it; sounds easy but I tried to make them that many times it was untrue.
They were a good six inches long but the cuts were deeper then.
I think they made them to a set of certain weights and measurements; I tried many times to codge one of these floats but no way would they let one go. They were amazingly sensitive and always put the guys off next door with the rattling noise they made with a fish on. They all fished paste, never punch if I remember right.

PhuketBlue · #22

joffmiester wrote:

What was the name of the magazine that these images are from? I seem to think it was from Marks and Marlow tackle and used to have it years ago but lost it. I'm trying to find a copy of it but can't remember the name to know what to search for.

Mark Wintle · #23

It is the Marks and Marlow catalogue which came out in different editions over several years circa the mid to late 70s. I had a copy but sadly lost it years ago and could have done with a copy when writing my book, Ivan Marks and the Likely Lads, last year.

PhuketBlue · #24

Thanks for that Mark. I have searched for that but been unable to find it. It looks like it is pretty much impossible to find now.

By the way I just started on your book and am finding it excellent so far.

Mark Wintle · #25

The nearest I got to getting a copy was borrowing John Essex's one to scan but his one had quite a few diagrams missing as they'd been cut out. Glad you're enjoying the book.