Avon / Bolo Float
A bodied, buoyant river float that carries more shot and rides pushier, deeper water than a stick - for trotting big rivers and holding a bait in real pace.
When a river is too deep, too fast or too far for a stick float, the Avon (and its long-range Italian cousin the bolo) takes over. A fatter buoyant body sits high enough to ride turbulent water, carries the extra shot needed to get a bait down in pace, and stays visible at distance - so barbel, chub and big roach can be trotted through water a stick float would drown in.
What it is
A bodied river float with a buoyant shoulder and a visible tip, carrying more shot than a stick to fish deeper, faster or more distant swims.
When to use it
Trotting bigger, pushier rivers for barbel, chub and roach; deeper swims and windier days where a stick loses control; longer trots where visibility and shot capacity matter.
How to set it up
Attach top-and-bottom (Avon) or slide it on (bolo, for distance); bulk the shot to get down fast in pace, with a dropper or two near the hook. Hold back to keep the bait tripping bottom.
Reading the bite
A confident bury or a sudden check against the trot signals the take; in pushy water bites are often bold - lift into them.
Sizing & shotting
Rated by shot; bulk-shot for depth and pace, more buoyant bodies for rougher water. Bolos scale up for long-range continental-style trotting.
What costs you bites
Under-shotting so the bait never reaches the fish in pace, over-holding so it planes up, and reaching for it in gentle swims where a stick presents better.
Float-fishing kit
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