hi all,

drogue comp fishing question, what is the situation with attaching a float the drogue to hold it up in the water to help it unfold quicker? Since one can argue no extra weight to make it sink is being added?

I have seen some drogues with a kind of bubble float to help hold the edge of the drogue up? and open quicker.

http://www.ceff.org.uk/ceffrules.html

"Drogues

A single un-weighted drogue is permitted, of no more than 60 x 60 inches or 25 square feet. It may be fitted with functional metal fittings such as small link rings and swivels. The only control device allowed is a 'G' clamp. The drogue may be fixed on either side of the boat such that the drift is square to the wind. The drogue must trail no more than 15 feet behind the boat."

IMHO a float attached to the drogue is a control device that would and should not be permitted.

The Pirate.

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Got to agree with the Pirate here Mate, as the float in your own words ("attaching a float the drogue to hold it up in the water to help it unfold quicker?") would be controlling how the drogue unfolds.

If you smear it with pilchard oil it sits up in the water and an added bonus is a lovely slick to cast into.

Works for me!

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tx for the replies and yes i reccon it would be a control device.

however...........as you say the sheet or size of the drogue would be 25 sq ft (tx pirate)
if you sewed a foam pipe kinda thing into it along an edge? hence the droque itself floats or at least half of it floats.

Would that be in within the rules? I am refering of course to a homemade drogue measureing within the rules size wise.

There is nothing in the rules stating what kinda of materials should actually make up the size? ie steel woven mesh verses nylon you could make it out of anything?

Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel John? A para drogue does the job more than adequately without any other customisation than fitting new ropes and links.

In all honesty, fitting some foam along the top edge isn't gonna make a blind bit of difference anyway, the weight of the water inside the drogue will still drag it down.

For an object to float, it must displace more water than it weighs itself and your idea won't am afraid, sorry.

Incidentally, its 60" x 60", or 25 sq ft, not 25 x 25.

The Pirate.

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Hi pirate,

tx for the reply. Actually I was looking for a way to speed up the drogue opening. And i used your advice in another post to add some legal weight to the drogue with fuctional snap fittings from home base. The heavy metal links separate quicky to aid the drogue opening ( in my experiance that is).

In competition fishing the sooner the drogue digs in the longer time your nymphs have to hang. 10 drifts later do the math if your drogue opens up 20 sec a head of the other guys you have more fishing time.

Now you might say 3-4 minute extra whats that all about. but if the fishing are holding tight to the bank and and short drifts are whats all about then you should have the edge, or small advantage whatever you want to call it.

if a guy selects an 8 weight rod for casting blobs a long way since fish seem to take better with a long cast by following 3 sec before taking , verses a guy who casts shorter distance with the 7 wt. The difference is marginal but, the equipment used etc was some of the reason for the success.

HENCE if a foam edge helps spread the drogue out a bit more in the water and helps save that little bit time each time you start a drift at the end of the day you should have that over other compeditors. Granted the drogue with no foam side will sink faster than the foam part and the drogue will still overall sink but it will open in the water quicker and dig in. (its only an idea at this stage but the theory is good).

i actually own 3 drogues having found to my cost that they are all different and some are better than others,, without a doubt!!!

If you don't fish under the draconian International Rules then you do not have to worry about what you attach to your drogue.

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