Trevor Jeans on the Wolvey pattern

I have had a lot of success fishing with these floats at Heyford Fishery, fishing up to 16 metres wide this winter. At the time either chop worm or caster with darkish ground bait sprinkled in were the two methods to get consistent results at Heyford and Makin's, although at the moment sweetcorn is the bait and when the weather warms up the meat will come into its own, but these floats are ok for these baits as well.

Looking around there were no floats, as far as I was concerned, were up to the job. Of cause there were chop worm floats on the market but I decided to design my own and with Micks help we came up with this pattern to cover both needs.

The pear shape body is a classic still water pattern, so the basic shape was there, but we made the body more bulbous at the base for added stability. I also wanted a thicker cane tip to give more visibility for when the water had a blow on it and at Makin's phase 2 and 3 the water does get a bit of a skim on it.

The stem started out as wire but having to fish close to the rushes they took a fair bit of stick, so it was decided to change them to carbon stems, more suited to fishing near the rushes.

On many of the lakes at Makin's there are two definite shelves, over and on the inside. Floats I use depend on the conditions. When it is calm I use carbon stems and wire when it is moving or there is a high ripple on the surface.

Genesis is the line I use in 0.12 main line and 0.10 hook lengths, but if I am on a lake where big fish are present then I step up to 0.14 to 0.12 hook length.

Down the channel where it can be 6 feet (1.8mtrs.) deep I use a 4x12 or 4x14 with a bulk of No. 10 shot 18 inches (450mm.) from the hook and 2 or 3 No. 12 shot as droppers. Using No. 10 shot as a bulk gives me flexibility on variation of shotting patterns.

Up the first shelf the same rig will do shotting wise but sometimes I string the shot out so I can push the rig past where I have plumbed, so that it can lay up against the shelf.

Against the rushes I use a 4x10 float with strung out No.10 shot as this can sometimes be less than 15 inches (375mm.) deep and again laying it up against the 2nd. shelve and where there is a gap in the rushes pushing the rig right inside the rushes.

Hooks I use are Faps KAJI AFKN 01 N barbless which I get from Trinders Tackle, these hooks are very similar to Tubertini 808 but stronger. Size 18 for caster and 16 for double caster, very small niblets of corn and 6mm. cubes of meat and if I am fishing phase 2 where there are some very big fish size 14's. I have taken double figure fish on these hooks.

Her are a couple of extra tips :

Use yellow tips as it is easier to change the tip colour, with yellow as a base colour.

If you have caught a lot of fish on a rig strip it and re make it, don't chance using it. 

Click thumbnail for examples of rigs:

[ Wolvey ]

M.B. (Handmade) Carp Specials