Lee's Floats

A Steelhead Anglers set of 5 floats, just about ready for mailing.

Thames Style bodies handcrafted from used wine corks, on kiln-hardened bamboo stems.
Fluorescent Orange handwrapped thread tips over Base White and Black accent & security thread handwrapped stems.
All floats tank tested for accurate weight capacities of 6.8, 5.6, 4.8, 4.4, and 4.0 grams.

I have a couple more sets of 5 (similar capacities) if anyone is interested. Finished as these, each set is $50, P&P incl. in the lower 48.
If you’d like a custom (your name & 5 tip color options) or bespoke (you choose capacities, personalization, and any tip color) set, prices range from $55 to $65, P&P incl. in the lower 48. For International orders, airmail at cost.

Always good to see one of my floats in action.

Here’s a 5 gram Double Goldenrod Gall Side Slider, up close and personal with a surprised Bluegill.

Thanks for the pic, Adam!

Always pleased to see my floats make it into print.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Carper-Gold-New-Dawn/dp/B0DCSVT652

It’s time once again for me to make my Avon, Thames, and Trent style floats.

I’m handcrafting the bodies of these very special floats using only the finest of recycled materials.

Used wine corks from one of my favorite local Wineries; Trout Springs Winery!

https://www.troutspringswinery.com

Please help the USA Street Fishing Team represent us all at the 2024 Street Fishing World Championship, Peschiera del Garda, Italy.

It costs a lot of money ($3,500+ for each Angler) to equip, fly out, lodge, and feed an Angler at any World Championships. Most other Nations fund their Street Fishing World Championships Teams at the federal level. The USA Street Fishing Team relies on the generosity of business sponsors, private donors, friends, and family. Which is where you come in.

Anything you can spare (suggested donation is $25, but anything is welcome) will go directly towards helping the USA Team compete for National Pride & Medals (no cash prizes, it’s an Olympic style event) in Italy in October. They are up against the best Street Fishing Nations in the World and 100% of your donation will go directly to help the USA Team.

Thanks on behalf of the USA Street Fishing Team.

USAngling Street Fishing Team Donation Form Developing world-class Street Fishing Team takes significant resources, and most competitive nations receive government funding for sport development. Achieving international success in Street Fishing - requires dedicated philanthropic support from corporations, foundations, and generous individuals...

Well Hello There, you greater-spotted, bewhiskered, wide-mouthed, flat-headed…fishy thingy.

On a more serious note, if you want to jig fish artificial baits for Flathead & Channel Cats amongst the rocks and riprap edges of a typical upper Midwest river, one of the best ways to maximize bite and minimize jig loss, is to use a slider float. I always use one of my Side Sliders these days, so I can stop the jig from dropping too deeply into the sharp edges between the rocks, yet keep the artificial bait swimming right in the Cats strike zone.

Simple rigs seem to work fine, Side Slider stopped either side with about a foot of depth (so you can lift and drop) on a longer rod, with split shot added at least 3 feet above the jig, to ensure the float is just showing it’s extreme tip when the jig is swimming. Sink & Draw, interspersed with little lifts & drops; irresistible to Cats, Smallies, Drums, and even the occasional big Panfish that roam the edges & ledges of most rivers.
👍🎣🇺🇸

A couple of floats I just finished, while working on customer orders:
1. The rare Twin Goldenrod Gall, handcrafted as a highly stable bobber, for wide & windy waters
2. A “Frankenfloat”; a Goldenrod Gall I found broken off its stem. I carefully bored a hole through the Gall for a tightly engineered, kiln hardened bamboo stem.

Both floats feature hand-whipped Fluorescent Yellow thread tips, with Black thread sight rings.

If anyone would like these one-of-a-kind floats, please mesage me. Thanks for looking.

If you want to win at Slip Bobber Fishing…

If you know, You Know. 😉🎣🇺🇸

100% handcrafted, fully handwhipped fluorescent thread tips, black thread accent & security whippings, handwound wire slider eyes.

Prices from $5 to $11 (fully bespoke to your exact requirements). Every float purchased = $1+ donation to USA Street Fishing Team.

I like to see pics of my floats in action. Best pic wins a special prize!

Isn’t Nature Wonderful.

Goldenrod Gall Side Sliders, with tips handwhipped (wrapped) in Fluorescent Orange and Yellow threads, over base White thread, with Black thread band, security & accent whippings.

I use these floats for 99% of my float & finesse dropshot/shot/jig fishing with artificial baits, and my buddies really like them for all their slip bobber work; turns out that a side slider beats a center slider whenever there’s a little (or a lot!) wind or flow to combat. 😉

These 5 have tank tested weight capacities between 5 & 8 grams (1/6 & 1/4 oz.).
I also have Side Sliders with weight capacities between 2 & 4 grams and 8-10+ grams (1/16 & 5/32 oz. and 5/16 & 3/8 oz.) available.

A Big THANKS to Chuck Earls for the raw materials! 👍🎣🇺🇸

ALL of my standard specification floats feature:

1. 100% handcrafted from recycled natural and locally sourced materials:
A. ALL wine corks are used and recycled (rather than thrown in landfills); cork by its very nature is a sustainable & renewable source
B. ALL stem materials are recycled from indigenous plants & trees, or recycled natural materials
C. I don’t use BALSA, as most of it is unsustainably grown & harvested in the Americas, milled in China, then shipped back to America

2. ALL tips are handwhipped (wrapped) using at least two thread colors (multiple tip colors for custom & bespoke orders)

3. ALL stems are handwhipped with security and accent whippings in black thread (other colors available for custom & bespoke orders)

4. ALL cork bodies are handcrafted on a woodworking lathe, with stem diameters crafted for an engineered fit; I have no need for glue

5. ALL other bodies are carefully & ethically curated from indigenous plant materials (primarily Goldenrod Gall & Desert Trumpet flower stems), all I do is carefully remove any unwanted stem growth, to showcase Nature’s work

6. ALL floats receive my proprietary “smooth as glass” finish, which is environmentally stable, tough, and hard wearing

7. ALL floats are individually tank tested to ensure their handwritten weight capacity is accurate

8. Any float eyes are handwound from upcycled marine grade copper wire; suitable for sea & estuary fishing

9. ALL of my floats are designed to improve your float fishing, using 5 decades of float design & crafting experience.

A recent set of 5 Trent style river floats, now on their way to their new owner.
I handcraft several sets of these each year, they are a popular style for North American Salmon rivers and Trout streams.
All floats have handwrapped tips in Fluorescent thread, over base White thread, with Black thread accents.
All floats have used wine cork bodies, from chip cork (this, standard version) all the way up to vintage wine (whole cork, custom build).
Prices start at $55 for a set of 5 floats like this, a few $ extra for custom and personalized (your name) tip colors, custom bodies, etc.

For all floats ordered this year, I will make a donation to the USA Street Fishing Team, as they compete in the highest tier of competitive angling, the FIPSed World Championships. 2024 Italy & 2025 USA.

Just finished, a set of Avon style, shallower river floats.
They will be on their way to their new owner tomorrow, and I’m pleased to report that all Customers now have the chance to sponsor the USA Street Fishing Team whenever they buy a handcrafted set of my floats.

All orders over $50 will receive an Italy 2024 Sticker, orders over $75 will also get an Italy 2024 Cap. I will also donate at least 25% of the order to the United States Angling Confederation charitable fund for the Street Team.

So all my float orders will directly benefit our National Team, as they train & prepare to compete against the World’s best artificial baits, urban waterways anglers in Peschiera del Garda, in October.

👍🎣🇺🇸

Pheasant Quill Crucian Floats.
Probably the most sensitive floats I make.
These very fine tips are handwrapped (whipped) with Fluorescent Orange and Yellow thread, over a base of White thread.

I’ve been busy.

Just about to go to their new Owner, a set of 8 Goldenrod Gall Side Sliders, and a set of 4 Reversed, Loaded Goose Quill Wagglers.

Hornet (Fluorescent Orange & Black) and Wasp (Fluorescent Yellow & Black) tips are handwrapped thread, these tips will be visible in almost all light conditions.

I’ve been happily handcrafting vintage wine corks into floats with a glass-like finish for a few years now.
I guess it shows?

This set of Thames body style trotting floats is going to England with me, to present to a fishing buddy.
I think he’ll like them.

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”
Edgar Allen Poe

Here’s one of the quirkiest sets of Desert Trumpet Flower stem Wagglers I’ve ever built. They are of course absolutely unique, with shapes created by Nature and carefully finished by me. From their fluorescent Orange, Yellow, and White handwhipped thread tips, to their handwound base eyes, I will never have the opportunity to make a set of floats quite like this again.

I’m not sure if I want to sell these, or donate them. If you are interested in being the proud owner of these floats, message me.

Is that a Giant Hornet on my float making station?

Nope, it’s one of my latest Float Tip thread patterns, ideal for Float & Jig / Dropshot rigs, where delicate and controlled movement is often required, to get that confident bite!

USA Street Fishing Team

Goldenrod Stem Slim Waggler floats.
Handcrafted with fluorescent Orange and Yellow whipped thread tips, with Black thread accent and security whippings.
Capacities for this set of 3 are 1.0 to 2.2 grams.
Just $30 for the set, including mailing in the lower 48. Postage at cost anywhere else in the World.

Waggler floats are an excellent choice for all still or slow water (think lakes, ponds, canals) fishing where you will be using small baits for shy biting fish. Panfish are a case in point, there are often days when the bigger Bluegills and Black Crappies don’t want a chunky minnow or plump leach, but will gently sip in a couple of maggots presented on a fine wire No. 10 or 12 hook, under a slim Waggler.

The two easiest shotting patterns for Wagglers are:
1. Bulk shot either side of the float eye or directly below the float using a Waggler Adaptor, with just a few small shot down the line, with the lowest no less than 3” to 12” from the hook. I recommend 3-5 No. 8 (0.06 grams) or No. 6 (0.10 grams) small shot down the line; you can experiment by moving them close together to give a very positive presentation of the bait, or spacing them out evenly to give an attractive fall of the bait.
2. Sliding on the line, stopped at the required depth with slider bead or stopknot, fishing a Jig head (try Ned & Chebu, these both work great) or dropshot rig. Wagglers are great for the “twitch and stop” retrieve with finesse plastics and small live baits. Set the float depth to show the tip on the surface when the jig rests on the bottom. Cast out and let the float settle, then pull on the line until the float just goes under the surface, then wait for the float to reappear and “reset the jig/dropshot”… if the float doesn’t reappear or comes up farther out of the water than normal… Fish On!

I’ve been busy.

A selection of Bogglers and Chubbers.

Ranging from the Streamly Sublime to the Ruggedly Ridiculous, but both handcrafted selections that are fundamentally fishable.

Something Unique, the Desert Trumpet flower stem Chubbers.

And something almost Prosaic… until you realize those quills can be effectively fished either way up… 😱

Chubbers are perfect for big baits and smaller streams.

Bogglers are perfect for that wandering angling experience, where you never know what type of float you might need, but you can only carry a few floats on your journey.

These sets, as well as custom and bespoke builds, are all available from Lee’s Floats. Message me if you are interested.
Thanks for looking.

Here’s a Set of 6 (or, two Sets of 3!) Reversed Goose Quill Wagglers.

Ideal for all finesse and lift float methods, these range in weight capacity from 0.6 to 2.0 grams.

Fine but strong tips are assured, as I’ve double overwhipped (overwrapped) each tip by hand.
Fluorescent Orange, Black, and Yellow, over Base White thread, topped with my proprietary Orange Diamond tip hardener.
So, no chance of tips breaking or paint flaking in a lifetime of fishing.
Security and accent whippings by hand in Black thread, base fine Slider Eyes handwound in Marine grade Copper wire.

These floats are very popular in England for Stillwater fishing for the shyest biters like Crucians and Tench.
I have a few sets available here in the US:
$35 for a Set of 3, including mailing USPS 1st Class in the Lower 48
$65 for a Set of 6, including mailing USPS 1st Class in the Lower 48
All other locations mailed / airmailed at cost, please message me for details.
Tip colors in Reversed Hornet (as in Pic, with Fluorescent Orange above Yellow) or Hornet Fluorescent Yellow above Orange).

I will make a $10 to the USA Street Fishing Team for every set sold. United States Angling Confederation

A New design from Lee’s Floats; a set of 5 Cork on Wood Stem Floats.

All stems are recycled from woods with good linear strength and S.G.’s between 0.6 and 0.8.
This is the ideal S.G. range for most flowing water float stems made from wood (water has an S.G. of 1.0).
All bodies handcrafted from recycled wine corks; bodies on this set are based on the traditional Thames style of float.
Tips are handwrapped with White thread, then hand-overwrapped with Fluorescent Orange thread.
Base, stem, and accent wraps in Black thread.
Shotting capacities for this Set of 5 are 2.1 grams to 4 grams.
This set is for sale at $55 including USPS 1st Class Small Parcel throughout the Lower 48.
Worldwide delivery at cost of post & packing, please PM me for a firm price.

Custom sets (3 or more floats in a set, with your name handwritten on each float) or bespoke sets (you choose capacities/sizes, body styles, tip colors, and personalization) available to order, please PM me for details.

LOTS of floats in progress, some completing their final finish steps (pics will be appearing soon).

I’ve also started work on a few new designs, which I will demonstrate when the weather gets just a little warmer. 😉🎣👍

Just found a bunch of custom, handcrafted floats I built as spares or sizing options for customer orders between about 1997 & 2003… I apparently put them in a VERY safe place. 🤔

Anyway, I’ve selected a sample set of 9 floats that I think represent a selection of my cork on quill designs, and they are on eBay if anyone is interested; currently just $1 a float: https://www.ebay.com/itm/196183618413?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=gkxgqgdjqga&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=gkxgqgdjqga&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I’m honored and proud to be representing my Nation again at another World Championships discipline.

This time, it’s the 2023 Street Fishing World Championships, Mantua, Lombardy, Italy; November 8-12.

As a guest, it’s only appropriate that I handcraft a few gifts to take with me.

Here are some, handwhipped tips in the finest thread to represent il Tricolore, with a small Fluorescent Yellow tip for visibility.
Goldenrod Gall Side Sliders, an eccentric yet versatile Float, for all those Float & Finesse Artificial Bait rigs.

👍🎣🇺🇸

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantua