🪶 The French Pear Float
The French Pear is a specialised version of the drop pear float, first introduced to me while fishing on the River Seine in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. Originally developed by WaterQueen, this float has a shorter, squatter body shape, and is designed to be under-shotted — making it behave quite differently from a standard river pear.
🎯 How the Method Works
Unlike the classic overshotted river float, the French Pear is shotted very buoyant, leaving a large portion of the float showing.
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Shot the float with a bulk and a string of shots below.
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Sink the tip of the pole beneath the surface.
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Hold the float back gently against the flow.
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As the pressure builds, the pole tip pulls the float down to the cane tip section.
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The pace and control of the float are now entirely dictated by the angler.
The key advantage of this method is the clarity of the bite. Because the float is under-shotted, indications are positive and unmistakable — avoiding the false bites often seen with standard overshotted setups.
🏆 Proven on the International Stage
This method was used with devastating effect by Team France to win the 1990 World Championships on the River Drava in Yugoslavia, beating both England and Italy.
Although the float looks similar to a regular pear shape, its more compact design makes it far more responsive in deep, steady flowing water.
I’ve personally used this method to great success on venues such as:
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🏞️ Gloucester Canal
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🏞️ River Severn and Avon
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🏞️ Bristol Avon
It’s also well suited to deep European canals, Irish loughs, and big rivers where delicate but controlled presentation is key.
📏 Plumbing and Depth Control
Accurate plumbing is crucial with the French Pear method.
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The length of line lying on the bottom should be no more than a few centimetres.
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If too much line is left on the deck, the float will be dragged under.
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In fast, deep water, plumb with a heavy weight and check several points along the swim to build a mental map of the bottom.
Correct plumbing ensures the float runs smoothly and holds perfectly in the flow.
✅ In summary:
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Under-shotted drop pear design for precise control
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Ideal for deep, flowing venues
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Produces positive, clear bites
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Proven in World Championship competition
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Best for big rivers, canals, and European venues
Illustration from the book
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