The new range of aerodynamic Bolognese-style chub floats has taken the match fishing scene by storm in recent years. But their story started much earlier.
A few decades back, my good friend Phil Lyons designed a chub float inspired by the original Bolognese shape. We discovered something remarkable during testing: when we mended the long length of line from rod to float in mid-river, the float held its own natural procession downstream without disturbing the presentation.
Thanks to its broad shoulder, the float would hold firmly under the surface when mending the bow in the line, keeping the bait running true and natural — and that meant more bites.
A tackle manufacturer happened to spot one of Phil’s floats in his box, and before long, the Boly River Float was in full production, becoming one of the most popular big river floats of the new era.
The design is based on a reverse pear shape, giving the float excellent holding power and stability at long distances. Stems come in carbon, aluminium, or cane, while the tips can be nylon, cane, or balsa, all with high-visibility finishes for easy sighting when trotting at range.
I’ve used this float to great success — most notably when I won a winter league match on the River Wye at Hereford, taking 44 lb of chub on bread flake.
Having worked on my own range of these floats, I’m confident anglers will catch more fish on big rivers like the Wye, Thames, Severn, and Trent using this simple, effective design.
Below is an illustration of the Boly River Float set up with a chubber-style shotting arrangement — ideal for presenting bait naturally and holding the line steady in heavy flow.
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