Those of you who use rod floats like those pictured below may encounter a problem I noticed with mine.
A.jpg
For some light action rods the inside diameter of these floats is too large to grip the rod no matter how tight you make the Velcro fasteners. In those cases the float will slide up and down the rod as you cast instead of remaining stationary near the handle. I find that movement of the float annoying.
I discovered a simple fix I’d like to share with you.
I simply loop a rubber band around the rod where the float will go like this:
C.jpg
Then I wrap the rest of the rubber band around the rod and hold it in place with my finger like this:
D.jpg
I slip the float on the rod and allow the rubber band to “take hold.” Here you can see it under the float:
E.jpg
I finish by applying the Velcro. Here are two light action rods ready to go with floatation:
F.jpg
I believe some anglers use tape to increase the diameter of their rods to accommodate floats. That will certainly work. But I like the rubber band method because it’s fast to install and easy to remove. I don’t want anything to stay permanently on my rods’ lacquer finish. I remove my floats after each trip and rinse my rods with fresh water. If I left the floats on water would remain under them and possibly damage the finish of the rods. (I once ruined the finish on a custom rod by putting it away in rod sock and tube wet after a rainy trip and forgetting about it. I don't want to make a water damage mistake like that again.)
I hope those of you who use floats find the above hint useful.
A.jpg
For some light action rods the inside diameter of these floats is too large to grip the rod no matter how tight you make the Velcro fasteners. In those cases the float will slide up and down the rod as you cast instead of remaining stationary near the handle. I find that movement of the float annoying.
I discovered a simple fix I’d like to share with you.
I simply loop a rubber band around the rod where the float will go like this:
C.jpg
Then I wrap the rest of the rubber band around the rod and hold it in place with my finger like this:
D.jpg
I slip the float on the rod and allow the rubber band to “take hold.” Here you can see it under the float:
E.jpg
I finish by applying the Velcro. Here are two light action rods ready to go with floatation:
F.jpg
I believe some anglers use tape to increase the diameter of their rods to accommodate floats. That will certainly work. But I like the rubber band method because it’s fast to install and easy to remove. I don’t want anything to stay permanently on my rods’ lacquer finish. I remove my floats after each trip and rinse my rods with fresh water. If I left the floats on water would remain under them and possibly damage the finish of the rods. (I once ruined the finish on a custom rod by putting it away in rod sock and tube wet after a rainy trip and forgetting about it. I don't want to make a water damage mistake like that again.)
I hope those of you who use floats find the above hint useful.
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