GB2305098A - Fishing float - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing float 1 is disclosed having an elongate cylindrical body portion 2 comprising an open ended casing 3 filled with buoyant material 4. An attachment element 5 is partially inserted into the open end of the casing 3 and comprises a first member 6 and an end element 9 pivotally mounted to the first member 6 and having an aperture therethrough for receiving a fishing line 12.

Description

FISHING FLOAT The present invention relates to a fishing float for use by anglers.

Fishing floats are known which comprise an elongate buoyant body having a hole at one end for threading of a fishing line therethrough and a brightly coloured other end to increase visibility. In use, the float is threaded onto a fishing line and the weighted hook of the line and the float are cast so that the float lies generally vertically in the water with its brightly coloured end uppermost and at the surface of the water. When a fish bites on the hook, the angler can observe movement of the float and thus knows to reel in the line.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved fishing float over the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a fishing float comprising an elongate buoyant body member, and an attachment member arranged at one end of the body member and comprising an attachment portion having an aperture therethrough for receiving a fishing line to which the float is attached in use, wherein the attachment portion is displaceable relative to the body member to enable adjustment of the orientation of the aperture relative to the body member.

The provision of the facility to adjust the orientation of the aperture relative to the body member of the float has the advantage that the orientation of the body portion of the float relative to the line can be adjusted, which means that the resistance of the float to movement along the fishing line can in turn be adjusted. This adds versatility to the use of fishing tackle equipped with the float.

Preferably, the attachment portion is pivotable relative to the body member. Alternatively, the aperture may be connected to the body portion by means of a flexible material which retains the shape into which it is formed.

The attachment member may comprise a first member rigidly attached to the body member and an elongate end member pivotally attached to the first member and including the attachment portion.

This provides the advantage by relatively simple means of enabling the frictional force between a fishing line and the sides and / or ends of the aperture in the attachment member to be adjusted, which in turn enables adjustment of the resistance of the float to movement along the fishing line in use.

The end member preferably has a pointed tip extending from the aperture.

The provision of a pointed tip assists in enabling adjustment of the frictional force between the float and the fishing line.

In a preferred embodiment, the end member is mounted to the attachment part via a hinge.

The hinge advantageously comprises a pair of spaced apart walls of the first member for receiving a co-operating part of the end member therebetween.

The said co-operating part of the end member may have recessed walls such that .the first member is substantially flush with the adjacent portion of the end member.

Preferably, the end member is selectively engageable in at least three pivot positions relative to the first member.

The end member may be engageable in said positions by means of resilient detent means provided on the end member and the first member.

The body member may be substantially cylindrical.

The body member may have a brightly coloured portion adjacent an end thereof remote from the attachment portion.

This has the advantage of improving visibility of the float.

The first member is preferably adapted to be received in an open end of the body member.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a fishing float embodying the present invention; Figure 2a is a detailed view of one end of the fishing float of Figure 1 when in the "normal fishing" position; Figure 2b is a detailed view of one end of the fishing float of Figure 1 when in the "depth finding" position; and Figures 2c and 2d are detailed views of one end of the fishing float of Figure 1 when in the "easy fishing" position.

Referring in detail to Figure 1, a fishing float 1 has an elongate cylindrical body portion 2 constructed from an open ended casing 3 of a suitable water resistant, durable material which is filled with a suitable buoyant material 4, as will be well-known to persons skilled in the art. The casing has a brightly coloured portion (not shown) at its closed end to increase visibility of the float 1.

An attachment element 5 is partially inserted into the open end of the casing 3 and is secured thereto by any suitable means, such as a water resistant adhesive. The attachment element 5 comprises a generally cylindrical first member 6 having rounded end walls 7 at the end thereof not received in the open end of the casing 3, and a hinge 8 concentric with the end walls 7. The end walls 7 are spaced apart and have spacing which decreases in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and towards the casing 3.

An end element 9 is pivotally mounted to the first member 6 via hinge 8, and has a recessed portion (not shown) wherein the recesses have a curvature corresponding to that of the rounded end walls 7. The end element 9 fits between the rounded end walls 7 of the first member 6 and is mounted to hinge 8.

The end element 9 constitutes an attachment portion for attaching the float to a fishing line 12 (see Figure 2a to 2d) and has a pointed tip 10 having an elongate, generally parallel-walled aperture 11 therethrough for receiving the fishing line 12. Suitable dimensions of the aperture 11 will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the pointed tip 10 has an apex defining a smaller angle than that between the walls of the remaining part of the end element 9.

As shown in greater detail in Figures 2a to 2d, end element 9 is provided with a projection 15 on at least one side thereof for selective resilient engagement with one of three notches 16 on the adjacent end wall 7.

The operation of the fishing float 1 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 2a to 2d.

In the "normal fishing" position shown in Figure 2a, the pointed tip 10 of the attachment element 5 extends generally axially of the body portion 2. The end element 9 is maintained in this orientation by engagement of projection 15 in the middle notch of notches 16. In this position, the fishing line 12 to which the float 1 is attached has split weights 17 arranged on both sides of the float 1 so that the float lies generally vertically in the water with the brightly coloured end thereof uppermost and at the surface of the water.

The fishing line 12 thus extends generally vertically upwards from a weighted hook (not shown), horizontally through aperture 11, and to a fishing rod (not shown) at an obtuse angle to the generally horizontal portion of the line 12 and in frictional engagement with an end wall 13 of aperture 11. In this orientation, the resistance of the float 1 to movement along the fishing line 12 is relatively slight, and it can be seen that the float acts as a conventional float.

Referring now to Figure 2b, in the "depth finding" position, the end element 9 is pivoted upwards about hinge 8 relative to the body portion 2. The end element 9 is maintained in this orientation by resilient engagement of projection 15 in the upper notch of notches 16 in Figure 2b.

In this orientation, if the hook (not shown) on the fishing line 12 is replaced by a weight (not shown) and the weight and the float are cast with the fishing line 12 relatively slack, the float 1 lies generally horizontally on the surface of the water and the weight pulls the fishing line 12 through aperture 11 until the weight reaches the bottom of the water because no split weights 17 are present to prevent movement of the line 12 through the float 1. When the fishing line 12 is then tensioned, the line 12 extends upwards from the weight (not shown) through aperture 11, around tip 10 towards the fishing rod (not shown).

As can be seen from Figure 2b, because of the very acute angle formed at end wall 14 of the aperture 11 between the aperture 11 and the adjacent part of tip 10, there is a greater change of orientation of the portion of the line 12 passing through aperture 11 than is the case in Figure 2a. As a result, a high coefficient of friction exists between line 12 and the end walls 14 of the aperture 11. The line 12 also frictionally engages the end wall of aperture 11 remote from end walls 13, 14, as well as the underside of end element 9.

As a result, when the taut line 12 is drawn towards the fishing rod, the resistance of the float 1 to passage of the line 12 therethrough is increased, so that the float 1 retains its position on the line 11. The user of the rod can consequently readily determine the depth of the water into which the weight has been cast.

When the user of the rod has determined the depth of the water into which the weight has been cast, the weight can be replaced with a hook and split weights 17 can be added to the line 12 at each side of the float 1 so that the float 1 can be moved to a mid position between the split weights 17 to enable the hook to be located at any desired depth in the water.

In the "easy fishing" position shown in Figure 2c, the tip 10 is pivoted about hinge 8 relative to the body portion 2 to an extremity corresponding to that shown in Figure 2b but in the opposite sense thereto. The end element 9 maintains this orientation by engagement of projection 15 with the lower notch of notches 16. In this orientation, the body of the float lies vertically in the water and the fishing line 12 extends generally vertically upwards from hook (not shown) through aperture 11 between split weights 17, and towards the rod. In this orientation, when the user of the rod detects a bite at the hook by observing movement of the float 1 and the line 12 is drawn in towards the rod, the movement of the line 12 towards the rod causes the body portion 2 of the float 1 to lie generally parallel to the direction in which the line 12 is drawn from the float 1 towards the rod as shown in Figure 2d.

As a result, the resistance of the float 1 to movement in the water is reduced to ease drawing in of a fish on the line 12.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS:

1. A fishing float comprising an elongate buoyant body member1 and an attachment member arranged at one end of the body member and comprising an attachment portion having an aperture therethrough for receiving a fishing line to which the float is attached in use, wherein the attachment portion is displaceable relative to the body member to enable adjustment of the orientation of the aperture relative to the body member.

2. A fishing float according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is pivotable relative to the body member.

3. A fishing float according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is connected to the body portion by means of a flexible material which retains the shape into which it is formed.

4. A fishing float according to claim 2, wherein the attachment member comprises a first member rigidly attached to the body member and an elongate end member pivotally attached to the first member and including the attachment portion.

5. A fishing float according to claim 4, wherein the end member has a pointed tip extending from the aperture.

6. A fishing float according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the end member is mounted to the first member via a hinge.

7. A fishing float according to claim 6, wherein the hinge comprises a pair of spaced apart walls of the first member for receiving a co-operating part of the end member therebetween.

8. A fishing float according to claim 7, wherein the co-operating part of the end member has recessed walls such that the first member is substantially flush with the adjacent portion of the end member.

9. A fishing float according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the end member is selectively engageable in at least three pivot positions relative to the first member.

1C. A fishing float according to claim 9, wherein the end member is engage able in said positions by means of resilient detent means provided on the end member and the first member.

11. A fishing float according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body member is substantially cylindrical.

12. A fishing float according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body member has a brightly coloured portion adjacent an end thereof remote from the attachment portion.

13. A fishing float according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein the first member is adapted to be received in an open end of the body member.

14. A fishing float substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.