A popular decorative object today, glass fishing floats once had a practical use out at sea. Largo fishermen were among those who at one time made use of floats made of glass. Although cork and canvas floats were also commonly used in the days before the widespread use of plastic, glass orbs in a protective net offered an alternative option. Known to have been used from 1840s in Norway, glass fishing floats are believed to have come into use in the UK much later (certainly by circa 1910).
Now highly collectable, experts in glass floats are trying to learn more about the floats used around Scotland. In Largo stories abound of old glass floats being found in lofts or in basements. Do you have some or a photo of an authentic fishing float used locally? If you have seen one, do you recall what colour and shape these were and what size? Do you know anything about how they were used (what type(s) of fishing) and what period of time they were in use? Where might locally used glass floats have been manufactured? Do you know anything about the process of covering the float with rope? Was this a skill that an ancestor of yours had?
Any snippet of information, no matter how small, would be welcome in the quest to understand more about these interesting objects. Please leave a comment or get in touch using the 'Contact' option if you can help.