🪶 Bloodworm Pole Float
The Bloodworm Pole Float is a beautifully balanced, tapered balsa float designed for ultra-sensitive fishing with bloodworm and joker. This pattern was first given to me by Philippe Perriot, the French national manager, who described it simply as “totally for bloodworm fishing.”
I first used this float in 1986, lifting a single bloodworm delicately off the canal bed — and it quickly became one of my favourite patterns for fine presentation.
🧪 Design and Construction
-
Body: Tapered balsa
-
Tip: Long wire bristle for ultra-sensitive bite indication
-
Stem: Cane for balanced weighting
-
Eye: Positioned at two-thirds of the body height for optimal control
-
Finish: White base for minimal underwater shadow (colour camouflage)
The wire bristle allows the float to register every tiny movement of the bait — making it ideal for detecting delicate bites from wary roach, skimmers, and other silverfish.
🎣 Fishing Technique
-
Grease the bristle lightly to make it sit perfectly on the water’s surface.
-
Set the float so the bait is just on or just off the bottom.
-
A slight lift of the float raises the bloodworm off the bottom — a movement that often triggers bites.
-
As the float rises gently, the bite develops in stages:
-
The float lifts slightly
-
Then pauses or dips
-
Finally, it slides away — the perfect time to strike.
-
This lifting strike hooks the fish cleanly in the top of the mouth, increasing your hit rate significantly.
🪝 Continental Finesse
French anglers often use a butterfly knot on the top pole connection, keeping the pole tip light and improving bite sensitivity. This style of delicate presentation is a big part of why French anglers have dominated bloodworm fishing for decades.
🧪 Modern Materials
The evolution of materials like carbon, glass, polystyrene, balsa, wire, nylon, and tungsten has taken floats like this into the 21st century. It’s a timeless method enhanced by modern precision.
✅ In summary:
-
Tapered balsa body with wire bristle and cane stem
-
Developed for ultra-sensitive bloodworm presentation
-
Ideal for canal and stillwater silverfish work
-
Lift-bite technique gives a clean hook hold
-
A classic French design — still as effective today as in 1986
Illustration from the book
Now available in paperback: The Complete Float Manual. Over 169 pages of content
Click on the book to order from Amazon
📘 Download the Complete Float Manual – Instant Access
Bring decades of float-fishing knowledge straight to your screen.
Written by World Champion Clive Branson, The Complete Float Manual is a 167+ page eBook packed with practical techniques, classic float designs, diagrams, and championship-winning methods.
✅ Learn how to use wagglers, stick floats, pole floats and more
✅ Discover the history and evolution of float fishing
✅ Get pro tips and tactics used at the highest level
✅ Ideal for beginners and experienced match anglers alike
💻 Instant Download (PDF) — no waiting, no shipping
💳 Secure checkout with PayPal
👉 Order now and start reading within minutes.