My grandad who makes walking sticks and poles as hobby is think of making a really nice for a his friends birthday but we can't decide if the staff should float, he thinks he can some wood that sshould sort of float. Or should be heavy and sink.
The other suggestion, mine was to make the body of it out something that is neutral and weight the bottom of it.

Whats yours thoughts.
Sorry the posts so confusing my french essay has messed with my head.

I would think it would be handy if could float , if you dropped it it would float to the top of the water and could be recovered .... just an idea

your staff should be heavy enough to get it onto the bottom without having to fight the current to force it down , why would you need it to float ????, they are usually tethered to the angler by a twisted rope dog lead or something similar so they dont get washed away !!!!!!!!!!!

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

I have a couple of wading staffs. The one I am happiest with has about 12 oz of lead about 9inch up the shaft. An unweighted one is a pain...

So its basically a light but strong with a bit weight at the bottom end that seems the best.

What sort of length would be good. I've never been fishing in a river or waded even I have a good pair of chest waders in the garage.

Right well im away to finish my english essay for school tomorrow, on word 50 of 300.

Thanks
AL

Only 300 words in an essay? These youngsters today... don't know they're born!

Just measured my new staff. Yet to have an outing. It's 4.5 feet long.

My favorite is a fold up with a tether. It should be a bit taller than the owner's elbow. Heavy enough to stand up and not fight with as stated above. But I would hate to drag a beautiful hand made gift through a river...

English homework? Proof reading and F7 help every time.

I definitely wouldn't do folding (can come apart when the tensioner fails or if they get wedged and you need to pull on them with a current acting on them.), floating (tend to bob up and miss their plaacement) or any other potentially dangerous formulation.

I keep it simple and short, though some people like to hang off the top of a longer staff they don't use it to go deeper. If you're worried about dropping it while it's not attacherd to you, then attach a bit of foam to the far end of the lanyard, this will bob-up without affecting the workings of the stick.

Mine's a single-piece carbon walking pole with a 10cm section of split lead pipe folded around the base & wrapped in heat-shrink.
Sinks like a stone but easy to place in any current I'm likely to attempt to wade.

I have a three piece screw together with a great lump of stainless on the end. Coasty is right, unweighted is just a battle with the current. I tether mine to my wader strap with a loop of bungee. Out of the way whilst fishing but extendable if necessary...................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

Select one hazel stick remove from hedgerow.About 4ft long or to suit user leave tro dry in garage wrap 12oz of lead around bottom of shaft about 8 inches from end pin or araldite or both , Cover said lead with heat shrink tube make handle by whipping string to short legth of stick at handle height anbout 6 inches of whipping is enough catch in wire loop under whipping to attach lanyard...
If you want to be flash varnish string ( several coats) finish of bottom of shaft with walking stick rubber, Personally I hate staffs that have a metal point on the end far to noisy for my liking....It will last for years... I know mine has