How to make a firefly for night fishing with your own hands? Do-it-yourself glowing float for night fishing. What are fishing fireflies made of?

The ice will melt soon, and in some cities the rivers have already melted. And this means only one thing, the water will warm up and the fishing season will begin. Fishing at night is in great demand; at this time of day, roach and bream are excellent, and predatory fish do not mind having a snack at night. But what to do if you can’t see anything at night, why not constantly shine a flashlight on the float? There is a conclusion from this situation, you can do it yourself. The author found an interesting solution on how this can be done the easiest way.

In this instruction we will look at how to make the float not just glow, but blink. And it will blink only when the fish are biting! This is good because you will always see a bite, you can sit in absolute darkness and watch the float blink, and then you need to hook! This mode saves battery power, however, you will not be able to accurately determine the moment when exactly you need to hook.

The float in question can be used as an indicator when bottom fishing; it will cope with this task perfectly. But this particular design is not very suitable as a float, since the homemade product turns out to be quite cumbersome. So, let's look in more detail at how to make such a signaling device.

Materials and tools used

List of materials:
- “flashing light” (from or another toy);
- a small bottle or container with a lid;
- polystyrene foam, sponge, or other similar material;
- a piece of rubber from a bicycle inner tube;
- two plastic ties;
- glue;
- fum tape;
- tube.

List of tools:
- scissors;
- stationery knife.

The manufacturing process of an indicator float:

Step one. Insulate the lid
As a body we will need a bottle that can be hermetically sealed. The author decided to make an additional rubber gasket, which further seals the bottle. It can be cut from a bicycle inner tube.

Step two. Seals for signaling devices
For an alarm that emits light, you will need an electronic part from or a similar toy. The idea is that the LEDs will start blinking when you shake the device. The part must be placed in the housing so that it does not dangle. To seal, you can use a dishwashing sponge, just take a bottle and use it to cut out the required round timber, then adjust the length using a utility knife.

Step three. Installing the fastening element
So that the float can be attached to a fishing rod or fishing line, we need a piece of tube. We glue it to the body using epoxy or other similar glue. To strengthen the connection, we additionally secure the tube with two plastic clamps.
The final step is to insulate the threads, for this you will need fum tape. Make a few turns and tighten the lid thoroughly.

Step four. Let's test!
We install the float on the fishing line and send it into the water! With the slightest shaking, the float should begin to flash. That's all, you can go fishing!

If you decide to install an indicator on a fishing rod for bottom fishing, then you won’t need to seal it much. That's all, good luck and inspiration in making your own projects. Don't forget to share your experiences with us!

When night falls, some species of fish go to rest, but life in the reservoir does not stop. It is at night that the activity of especially large individuals increases, hunting for resting small creatures. Night fishing has its own characteristics. In some ways it is easier than daytime, in particular, small fish will not interfere with the fisherman with false bites, but in some ways it is much more difficult. First of all, the difficulties of night fishing are associated with deteriorating visibility conditions, against which other factors, such as lower temperatures, requiring the use of warmer clothing, fade into the background. After all, if a fisherman does not see the behavior of the bite alarm, then it does not matter at all whether he is dressed warmly or not. Therefore, when fishing at night, it is necessary to use various means that make the bite visible (in extreme cases, audible). Such devices are special means of illumination, or fireflies.

General information

A firefly for night fishing is a light bite signaling device that can be installed on various parts of the equipment. Most often they are located on the tops of floats or on the tips of fishing rods.

As the name implies, this device is capable of emitting light, which makes the behavior of a float or any other bite alarm clearly visible. There are mainly two types of such products: those that use either a chemical reaction or electrical energy to produce light.

Chemical

Fireflies based on “chemistry” have one important advantage: they are light in weight and dimensions, that is, they practically do not affect the sensitivity of the gear. However, they are disposable and require replacement after working for several hours. In addition, their brightness cannot be adjusted.

Disposable fireflies for fishing with fastenings.

This device is a flexible capsule, slightly larger than a match. Inside the flexible capsule is another capsule, smaller and more rigid. To activate the firefly, bend the structure so that the capsule inside breaks.

After this, the liquid inside the hard capsule will mix with the one located outside and a chemical reaction will begin, accompanied by a glow.

A firefly that is broken in several places shines more brightly and evenly.

This type of firefly is very cheap. On Aliexpress you can buy a batch of 50 pieces of similar products at a price of 160 to 190 rubles, i.e. approximately 3.5 rub. per piece.

Electrical

Electric fireflies are more flexible in configuration and more durable - with the correct selection of parameters, they allow you to avoid changing the batteries of power sources much more longer time. They glow brighter and have the ability to regulate the intensity of the glow.

They use miniature batteries or batteries as power sources.

An electric firefly mounted on the tip of a quivertype.

The price of such products is slightly higher than chemical ones, but it will not hurt the pocket of any fisherman. For example, you can buy an electronic firefly from the Italian company Lineaeffe in Moscow (Big Game store) for 26 rubles. per piece.

Mounting fireflies

There are many ways to attach fireflies to different types of gear. They even sell entire sets of fastenings that allow you to attach fireflies to floats, fishing rods, nods, quivertips, etc. There are even mounts for securing fireflies to fishing lines. Let's look at these structures in more detail.

On the float

Perhaps this fishing device is used most often. Typically, silicone tubes are used to attach the firefly to the float. Often they even come complete with fireflies.

Attaching the firefly to the antenna.

If you use a regular float when fishing, then the firefly is attached to its antenna. In the case of a narrow antenna, either fastening with a clamp is used, or the antenna itself is thickened with the help of several nipple rubber bands placed on top of each other.

When using large floats, for example, when catching predators, the capsule can generally be inserted inside the float. The firefly is closed with a cap on top. The cap can be permanently attached to the float or come complete with a firefly.

Floats with capsules and caps for placing fireflies.

Quivertip mount

Firefly is often used for feeder fishing. To attach them to quivertypes, two silicone rubber bands are most often used. Usually, first the firefly is broken, and then it is attached to the 1st or 2nd segment of the quivertype.

Fastening the firefly using two silicone rubber bands.

Attention! To avoid the fishing line getting caught on the body of the firefly, a slightly unaesthetic, but very practical method of fastening is used - the firefly is completely wrapped with tape.

Attaching the firefly with tape.

Mounting electric fireflies is completely similar to mounting chemical fireflies. In this case, stationary or makeshift fastenings can also be used.

Attaching an electric firefly to a quivertip.

DIY making

IN self-production There are no problems with fireflies for fishing. The current selection of elements for creating various homemade devices is very extensive and includes a wide variety of components.

There are several ways to make a backlight for a fishing rod, float or quivertip with your own hands. They can be based on a variety of principles of operation of the light source, i.e. firefly can be:

• chemical;
• glowing;
• reflective;
• electronic.

Let's look at each method in more detail.

Making such a device yourself is relatively easy. You just need to first prepare several small containers for the fireflies, a container in which the luminous composition will be mixed and some kind of device for pouring the luminous liquid onto the bodies of the fireflies.

As a firefly body, you can use any sealed container of small volume (2-5 ml) with an elongated shape. Mixing the components can be done in a glass container, and the resulting glowing composition can be poured over the fireflies, for example, using a 10 ml medical syringe.

Ampoules with lids are one of the firefly body options.

Almost all luminous liquids have approximately the same composition: it contains luminol and something that creates an acidic environment. There are many such mixtures. Let's consider making one of the simplest luminous compositions; For this you will need the following components:

• luminol – 0.2 g;
• dry potassium hydroxide powder – 30 g;
• dimexide – 40 ml;
• any fluorescent dye of the desired shade – 5 mg.

The components are stored in separate containers and mixed immediately before use.

Attention! Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is an extremely active substance. Its other name is potassium alkali. You need to work with it carefully, avoiding contact with the skin of your hands.

The mixture is prepared as follows:

1. Dimexide is poured into a glass container and dye is added. Mix well.
2. Potassium hydroxide is added to the resulting mixture and mixed well again.
3. Close the container with a lid. As a rule, the solution is already glowing.
4. After 2-3 minutes, open the lid and use a syringe to pour the luminous composition over the fireflies.
5. The firefly containers are securely sealed and attached to the gear.

Fireflies made in this way retain the ability to glow for more than 1 hour. Next, you need to make the luminous composition again.

The only advantage of fireflies of this type is their low cost. But they have a lot of disadvantages: a relatively short glow time, the need to work with several (including dangerous) chemicals, the difficulty of sealing luminous containers.

Therefore, such devices for independent implementation are justified only if there is one at hand large number raw materials and nowhere to put it. If the described materials are not at hand, then it is better to use another method of making a firefly.

Using a luminous coating

This is perhaps the easiest way to make fishing fireflies. To do this, you just need to paint those parts of the gear that should glow. The advantages of this solution are its simplicity and one-time use: once you apply the paint, you don’t need to do anything else.

The disadvantage is that this kind of light sources need regular replenishment of their “luminous resource”. Simply put, once every 20-30 minutes they should be illuminated with a bright enough light so that they can luminesce again.

There is a huge variety of colorful coatings with the addition of phosphor that can glow in the dark quite for a long time. Moreover, the variety of choices does not depend only on color - light-accumulating paints can also have a different base - be oil, enamel, acrylic, etc.

Luminescent paints in the form of a spray are the most popular solution today.

For coloring fishing gear(floats, nods, fishing rod tips, etc.) it is recommended to use acrylic paints. They are chemically neutral and do not dissolve the material from which, for example, floats or tails can be made. Gear can be painted in any convenient way and in any number of layers.

Models with reflective coating

As in the previous case, those parts of the tackle that should be visible are painted. However, this method works differently: in this case, there must be a light source on the shore that will constantly highlight the colored areas. The advantages of this method include the higher brightness that reflective paints provide compared to light-accumulating paints.

Such a source usually emits light that is not visible to the human eye (ultraviolet or infrared). When this light hits an area painted with fluorescent paint, it causes the paint to glow in the visible range. Naturally, objects on which paint is not applied will not be visible in the dark.

Portable currency detector - optimal illumination for fluorescent fireflies.

Any ultraviolet radiation device can be used as such a source. For example, a UV lamp or UV LED of a portable currency detector. It is simply placed on the shore, turned on and directed with the emitting part in the direction where the fireflies are located.

Attention! Even low levels of ultraviolet radiation are harmful to the eyes. It is advisable to reduce the angle of the UV lamp using any (at least cardboard) shielding so that it does not shine into the fishermen’s eyes. Reflected light no longer poses any danger.

Electric lighting

This method is the most optimal in terms of cost and efficiency. In addition, it is the safest for humans, since it does not require the use of chemically active substances or various sources of harmful radiation.

In addition, using an electronic method, you can quickly change the brightness of the glow of objects, the methods of their location, the direction of the glow and other parameters.

Miniature power sources for electric fireflies.

The easiest way to create homemade fireflies is to directly connect the emitter to an energy source in the form of a battery or accumulator. In this case, sources of small dimensions and weight are used. For example, models of the CR, LIR and other series with a diameter from 5 to 24 mm, having a voltage from 1.5 to 3 V.

The simplest firefly consists of an LED and a battery.

It is best to use LEDs as an emitter, since they have the longest glow time due to their low current consumption. In addition, their weight and size indicators are the smallest among electric light sources.

A more reliable design - the LED is attached to the battery using electrical tape or adhesive tape.

This design has a number of disadvantages. In particular, the LED will shine very brightly and for a short time. Moreover, if a battery with a voltage of more than 1.1 V is used, the LED may even burn out after a few minutes of operation.

Therefore, it is recommended to limit the current consumption of the LED by adding a resistor with a value of 10 to 100 ohms to the circuit. It should be soldered to one of the LED electrodes. The higher the resistance, the less brightly but longer the LED will shine.

LED with resistor to ensure long glow time.

To ensure tightness, the resulting structures can be filled with silicone using a glue gun. An alternative is to place the entire structure in some kind of airtight container that has an elongated shape.

As such a container, you can use a transparent cap for a pen, the previously mentioned ampoules with caps, or the body of a 2-5 ml syringe. In this case, you need to use batteries of small diameter, for example, types LD or LR60/LR63.

Firefly made from an LED and three LD-type elements with the outer shell removed.

The container can be sealed using the same silicone and a glue gun. Next, the resulting structure is installed on the tackle using any convenient fastening method.

Using fireflies when fishing at night helps the angler see bites in low light conditions. Currently used fireflies based on chemical or electrical principles generation of light. You can purchase fireflies or make them yourself without any problems.

Many fisherman and practice night timefloat fishing. In such conditions, a problem naturally arises with monitoring the movements of the float, which everyone solves in their own way. Some fishermen paint their floats with luminescent paints, others use reflective film, and still others even use special LEDs. Read on to learn about different options for “night” floats.

If you fish with a float in the current, we recommend reading an informative article about . In the article you will learn about the shapes, sizes and structure of floats.

The simplest option to ensure good visibility of the float in the dark is to cover its body with luminescent paint, which has the property of emitting previously accumulated light over a certain period of time.

For example, a camera flash can provide “glow” to such a float for 10-15 minutes, then the procedure must be repeated. Not very convenient, but quite simple and economical way.

Floats with reflective film

The second option is to use a piece of reflective film, which needs to be wrapped around the float antenna protruding from the water. For night fishing using such a modified float, it will be enough to have a flashlight.

Even a weak light beam from a flashlight is enough for the film to reflect it and thereby make the float clearly visible. In this case, it is not at all necessary to constantly hold a flashlight in your hand: set the direction of the beam, secure the flashlight on the shore and calmly fish.

Of course, we cannot fail to mention modern luminous floats using LED technology. Currently, they are becoming more and more popular and their variety is growing.

The design of such a luminous float involves the presence of a transparent body into which an LED is placed. It runs on small batteries, which can be easily replaced with new ones if necessary. The LED can be turned off if the backlight is not required. Such floats are clearly visible even at a fairly large distance from the fisherman. The only negative is that LED floats are very rough due to their design.

This fairly common way to make a float clearly visible in the dark involves the use of a special chemical stick, large versions of which you may have repeatedly seen in adventure films.

Inside the transparent shell there is a liquid and another shell with another chemical component. When the wand is bent, the capsule inside breaks and two chemicals combine, causing the wand to glow. The chemical reaction can last about 13-15 hours, which is quite enough for one night fishing at any time of the year.

Such a firefly stick is attached to the float antenna using a small tube, a pair of rubber bands or cambrics. Fireflies are easily visible in the dark and are inexpensive.

Just don’t overdo it with bending the stick, otherwise the outer capsule will break, oxygen will get inside and the chemical reaction will not occur.

Excellent glowing floats are made by the Japanese company Fuji-Toki. Each model meets high quality standards and is made using modern technologies. Thus, the design of luminous floats from Fuji-Toki involves the use of high-power LEDs that can glow continuously for 24 hours.

The most practical and therefore popular category of floats from Fuji-Toki. These models are characterized by their small size and variety of shapes, but they have one thing in common - the location of the glow point in the upper part of the antenna. The antenna itself is cone-shaped, narrower at the end. The floats of this series are suitable for fishing not only at night, but also on a clear day.

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	Which coil to choose for a feeder - overview of characteristics

A fishing float is a small part on which the efficiency of the fishing process depends. This is a kind of indicator that makes it possible to see the bite in time and hook the fish. The requirements for choosing this device for a fishing rod are simple: the float must be stable, not fall on the water under the influence of wind and waves, be clearly visible on the water and be strong.

From simple to complex

The first floats were created from scrap materials - foam plastic, feathers, and today you can even buy an electronic fishing float. By the way, these varieties are created specifically for night fishing, when the float is not visible on the water. At the same time, there is no universal float: each type of fishing has its own characteristics, and the equipment of the rod must be selected accordingly. The sensitivity of the floats depends on how many places it is fixed on the fishing line. There are several types of floats, which we will now consider.

Glowing float

Luminous float for night fishing – perfect solution for those who prefer active recreation even at night. The most popular brand offering floats of this type is the Japanese company Fuji-Toki. All models are equipped with Japanese LEDs, which are characterized by high power and burning time, averaging 15-24 hours. All Fuji-Toki floats can be divided into several series:

1. FF-1, FF-2, FF-3, FF-4, FF-5. These are small floats different shapes, the glow point at which is located in the antenna. It is cone-shaped, so even the most careful bite can be easily tracked. This float for night fishing can be used during the day.
2. FF-11 and FF-12. These are unusual needle-shaped floats that are distinguished by high sensitivity. The well-thought-out shape ensures a quick response, as drag is minimal. The LED has high power, so it illuminates a large area of ​​the reservoir.
3. FF-B3, FF-B4, FF-B6, FF-B8. These floats have a sensitive antenna and a spherical body shape, showing maximum resistance to the influence of external factors.
4. FF-C10, FF-C15, FF-C20, FF-C30. These models are equipped with a high power LED, so they illuminate large surface water. The float has an elongated shape with a conical antenna, which ensures the least resistance.
5. FF-E03, FF-E05, FF-E10, FF-E15. These floats have a long keel, which improves resistance to external factors.

To make a luminous float for night fishing, you can cover it with a layer of luminescent paint, which will give off some of the light in the dark. All modern floats are equipped with reliable batteries that will last all night. After changing the batteries, you can go fishing again.

Float or nod?

All floats that are suitable for fishing in the summer are designed for several operating features:

• for catching small fish;
• for fishing in calm water or current;
• for long casting;
• for fishing with live bait.

Before describing the features of a particular type, you need to consider the design features of the floats:

1. The antenna is the signal part of the float, which is visible to the fisherman while fishing.
2. The load of the tackle is balanced by the floating part of the body, which is often complemented by a ring through which the fishing line is passed.
3. The keel of the float guarantees stability on the water.

Many fishermen use a nod float for summer fishing, believing that greater catchability depends on it.

Hunting for small fish

The smallest float is designed for catching fish such as bleak, roach, perch at shallow depths, near the shore. Such products are often called live bait, since only they can be used to catch live bait. Light tackle can be used when fishing from a boat. The design will be light, since such a float for summer fishing is very small, and the hook and sinker gently falls to the bottom. If the load is normal, then only the antenna will remain above the water. The fishing rod for such a float should be no more than 4 m in length.

For calm water

Still water floats are useful if you are fishing in a pond or lake. You can also use them at shallow depths - up to one and a half meters. A float for fishing in calm water should only resist the wind and the ripples it raises, so when choosing equipment you need to take into account the minimum windage of the float and the minimum resistance to fish biting. The ideal shape of a float is considered to be long with a maximum load of 3 g. With the help of such equipment you can catch roach, perch, bream, and crucian carp. The float moves easily through the water and just as easily pulls out if there is a bite. Most often, fishing in calm water is carried out using bleak, which is why the gear is brought to perfection.

On the current

A float for fishing in a strong current will constantly experience the influence of water and whirlpools, and this will also occur under water. In order for the float to withstand such a load and maintain its function as a bite alarm, it needs to be barrel-shaped, which will firmly float on the water, despite the wind and current. The larger the diameter, the calmer the float will be on the water, and it does not matter what the thickness of the antenna is, and the keel should be long. This will make the float more stable and controllable.

The range of carrying capacity of floats in strong currents is wide - up to 30 g. As for the equipment, it can be either solid or running: the first is more convenient for the fisherman, who can hook the fish in a timely manner. The float is secured in two places for reliability: first, the fishing line is passed through the ring at the bottom of the float, then clamped with a rubber ring below the antenna. Such a float is clearly visible on the water and is easy to control, but for fishing it is better to take a rod with a reel.

For long casting

If you plan to fish in deep waters where you need to cast your tackle far, you will need a special fishing float. They are heavy, so you can deliver the bait to a distance of more than 20 m from the shore, that is, where the fish are supposed to nest. Most often, such floats are sliding, they are fixed on the fishing line with a special locking unit, and weighting is done with a thickened metal keel. The carrying capacity of such floats is sufficient, and it is better to equip the fishing rod with a spinning reel. Various types fishing floats have their own characteristics. Live baits are popular among fishermen, as they are clearly visible on and under water. The float is attached to the fishing line using rubber rings or locking units.

Electronic float

Another type of float is electronic. Fishermen note that despite all the thoughtfulness of the design, they have certain drawbacks. The first and most important thing is that the float signals a bite under any external influence - ripples, immersion of the float at least 5 mm under water. That is, it turns out that the float, instead of showing the fisherman a bite, will confuse him. When operating such a float, little current is consumed; if it is dry, then no energy will be consumed. The batteries in this advanced and modern device last for 30 hours of constant LED illumination.

With your own hands

It is very easy to make a fishing float with your own hands, and for this you do not need any special tools - most often everything is at hand. The most popular materials for creating a float are:

• feathers (goose, pigeon);
• a plastic tube, for example from a balloon;
• tree;
• foam;
• cork.

To catch small fish, rudd or crucian carp, make floats from feathers or tubes, but for a more serious catch, you need serious floats, made of cork or foam. They will be less sensitive to external influences and will withstand even sharp bites from a predator.

From the pen

Fishermen believe that the easiest way to make a float is to make it from a feather. It will be sensitive, so it is suitable for catching small fish. The shape of the float will be keel-shaped, so even a light touch of the fish will be noticeable. The pen shaft is cleaned carefully so that its integrity is not compromised. Fastening to the fishing line is done with tape or a piece of nipple. To make the feather visible on the water, it needs to be painted in a bright color. The most popular combination is black, red and orange.

From the tube

A float made of such material has a proportional and even shape, and its aesthetics are higher compared to a goose feather. This float is durable and sensitive, and there will be no problems with its creation. To do this, you need to take a plastic tube and measure the required length on it. The edges of the tube are sealed to protect it from water getting inside: to do this, the tube is heated, as soon as a bubble forms on the surface, it needs to be twisted. Now all you have to do is wait until the edges dry. A hole is made in the part that will be attached to the fishing line: to do this, the tube needs to be heated again. A fishing line is inserted into the resulting hole, and the excess plastic tube is cut off.

From foam plastic

If you are going fishing for a large and serious catch, and you need a homemade float, make it from cork or polystyrene foam. The creation process is simple. Despite the fact that the sensitivity of these floats is somewhat lower, only with them you can catch large fish, since they have a large carrying capacity. To make a product, you need to take foam plastic and cut out a base from it. Defined Shape attached by a sharpening machine, grinder or a drill. You need to push a rod through the workpiece - you can use a lollipop stick, a pen rod, or metal wire for this purpose. The rod will be held on the fishing line, and the float will be held securely on the surface.

How to make an electronic float?

You can also make an electronic fishing float with your own hands if you don’t want to spend money on buying a ready-made model. The easiest way to do it is with a glow stick that is attached to the antenna. An even simpler method is to coat the float with a special luminescent compound that can be used for a long time. True, such a float will not glow all the time, and if there is no backlight, it will even begin to dim. Another way to improve the visibility of your float at night is to cover it with reflective film or paint: it will glow under the light of, for example, a flashlight.

Thus, fishermen always have the opportunity to choose a float that will meet their requirements. As for color, experts advise choosing bright colors that will be noticeable on the water. Consider the features of the reservoir - the speed of the current, the presence and absence of algae, reeds and much more. This will make your catch bigger.

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Floats for night fishing

At night float rod can be much more effective than any bottom gear. In the dark, the fish is less timid and is not afraid to look for food near the shore. And there is really a lot of food in the coastal zone. Sometimes so much so that there is no need to use bait. Just have time to cast and hook on time.

The only problem with night fishing with float tackle is poor visibility of the bite alarm. Previously, fishermen solved it with the only in an accessible way- glued a luminous film torn from the float onto the float road sign. But today everything has changed. Now you don't need to do handicrafts.

Manufacturers of fishing products took into account the wishes of fishing enthusiasts in the dark and began to produce professional luminous floats for night fishing.

Among today's variety, the most popular are LED floats, so-called fireflies, filled with luminous liquid, and floats with a special coating (luminescent or fluorescent). Each type has its own advantages, but there are also some disadvantages.

Floats with LED

From the moment of its appearance to this day, this product has been the subject of heated discussion in the fishing community.

Some are satisfied with the performance of the LED float, while others did not immediately like it due to its heavy weight and bulkiness. This does not allow it to be combined with thin, delicate equipment. I wasn't pleased with the price either. For this money you can buy several quality daytime floats.

Pros: the battery charge lasts for 20-25 hours (about 3 fishing trips), you can turn off the power if the LED fishing float is not used. You can also make floats with LEDs yourself from improvised materials or convert the float into a firefly and a flashlight from a lighter.

Firefly floats

Firefly floats have a transparent tube in their design into which the luminous element itself is inserted, which is a thin transparent capsule filled with two liquid reagents.

When the liquids react, the firefly begins to emit a soft light. It is attached to the antenna of a regular float and glows for at least 10 hours, after which it begins to lose this property.

It is believed to be a disposable accessory, although some fishermen claim that it can be reused if frozen in the refrigerator. Fireflies do not work well at low temperatures, so it is not advisable to use them in the off-season.

Floats with luminous coating

Luminescent products, which must be illuminated with a camera or smartphone flash before fishing, are already outdated. Their effectiveness can hardly be called high, because after illumination the float is visible on the water for no more than an hour. It is not surprising that fluorescent signaling devices have replaced fluorescent signaling devices.

The paint for the floats is fluorescent and perfectly reflects light.

Due to their reasonable cost and wide variety, floats with reflective coating remain the most popular. It is enough to direct the sliding beam of a flashlight at such a float in order to clearly see its slightest movements.

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Firefly float - overview of options and use for night fishing

Night fishing, especially in the warm season, is no less popular than daytime fishing. This is due to the fact that in summer a nighttime drop in temperature can well activate the fish. On ponds, when night falls, you can count on catching large crucian carp or crucian carp, while on rivers there is a high probability of catching a good bream or even catfish.

With the onset of autumn, burbot may also appear in the catch on suitable rivers. In order not to miss a bite, a wide variety of float illumination is used - reflective materials, LEDs, firefly float and other methods.

Some designs are more convenient, while others often do not work as they should. Fireflies for fishing are most widespread, primarily due to the simplicity and reliability of the design.

Chemical option

The most common fireflies for night fishing are chemical ones. They look like a hermetically sealed plastic capsule, inside of which there is another container with a reagent that easily collapses when pressed. To start working, you need to put a little pressure on such a firefly, or bend it a little so that the inner capsule bursts, but the outer one remains intact. Mixed up, chemicals begin to glow, most often with a yellowish-green light, but other options are possible. Due to its simplicity and reliability, as well as low cost, this design is most popular among fishermen.

Photo 1. Chemical firefly in action.

The kit usually includes adapters for attaching the firefly to floats with different antenna diameters, as well as sometimes plastic fasteners for fixing the device to the feeder tip.

Photo 2. Can be inserted into a float instead of an antenna.

In addition to the color of the glow, such a firefly on a float may differ in the duration of operation, as well as the volume of substances that provide the glow. The most successful options are considered to be fireflies with a working duration of about 7 hours - they will be enough for almost any night. The luminous float must remain bright; if only a dim residual glow is visible, it is necessary to replace the capsule with a new one.

Photo 3. Use options.

When fishing with a feeder at night using a firefly, you need to be especially careful when casting. The fact is that the cord often gets caught behind the firefly, which threatens to break the top.

Photo 4. Attaching to the top with silicone rubber bands.

LED backlight

Glowing floats for night fishing can be found on the shelves of almost any fishing store. Most often they have the shape of an ordinary float, but inside this design there is an LED and several batteries hidden. This option has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of such a float for night fishing include the possibility of its repeated use (unless it is, of course, the cheapest Chinese product, which will most likely fail on the first fishing trip), as well as a brighter glow. The disadvantages include the low reliability of budget options, as well as heavy weight, and as a result, less sensitivity of the float (a heavy float can also scare away cautious and inactive fish at the moment of biting, since in order to sink such a structure, more effort is required).

You can also find removable designs with LEDs on sale. There are both options with fastenings for the feeder tip and for the float. At the same time, using cambrics of different diameters you can attach LED backlight for almost any antenna, except perhaps the thinnest options.

Homemade firefly options for night fishing

The simplest option is to cover the finished float with reflective tape. Although this method does not provide a luminous float, it allows you to maintain sensitivity when using delicate gear, in which case neither chemical fireflies nor LED ones can be used. For normal visibility with this design, you need to use a light source. When using high-quality LED strip Even a weak flashlight with diffused light is enough.

How to make a firefly with minimal time and materials? The easiest way is using heat shrink tubes. For this you will need:

• LED of the required power and glow color;
• heat shrink tube;
• coin cell battery;
• silicone for filling the tube;
• silicone tube, as well as a lighter or other source of fire.

The battery is placed in a heat shrink tube suitable size, so that approximately 1-1.5 centimeters of tube remain on both sides. After this, first on one side, then on the other, the silicone tubes are fixed inside the heat shrink by heating.

The diameter of the lower tube must be selected based on the size of the float with which the firefly will be used.

The next manufacturing stage will be filling the upper silicone tube with silicone, which, in addition to insulating the structure from water, will also fix the LED. This kind of firefly is easy to make with your own hands, and to turn it off when there is no longer a need for illumination, you just need to pull out the tube with the LED. The only drawback of this design is the impossibility of replacing the battery.

If, after inserting the LED, it does not light up, you should insert it the other way around - perhaps the contacts were connected incorrectly.

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How to make a firefly for night fishing with your own hands?

Experienced fishermen claim that fishing at night can be more effective than during the day. Especially if the target is large specimens. There are varieties of fish that can only be caught in the evening or at night. When planning such an outing on a pond, you need to carefully consider the set of gear.

A firefly for night fishing is a simple but necessary device. It can be purchased at any specialized store. But if you have the desire and enough free time, you can make this device yourself. To do this, you will need the most common tool, which is often in the arsenal of a home craftsman, as well as initial skills in working with it. By making your own gear, it’s not difficult to not only create a high-quality firefly, but also have an interesting time.

General characteristics

At dusk or night darkness, many fishing methods are only permissible when using backlighting. Some use special sound alarms. But these calls are not always effective, especially when the bite is cautious or the bait is thrown frequently. A firefly is considered a more acceptable option for night fishing. It does not weigh down the tackle. But without this element you won’t be able to fish in the dark.

There are chemical and electrical devices. It is almost impossible to create the first variety at home. All components of such capsules lose their properties in air or simply evaporate. Therefore, they are made exclusively by production method. But electrical types of equipment can be made independently.

Advantages of purchased models

When thinking about whether to make a firefly for night fishing with your own hands or buy it in a store, you weigh all the pros and cons. Purchased varieties are inexpensive. They are available for free sale everywhere. Such lamps are easy to transport to a pond. In operation, most often there are no problems with them. If you don’t really want to bother with creating electronic fireflies, it’s easier to go to the store and buy a few chemical capsules. This option is ideal for those fishermen who do not have enough free time or skills to work with the tool. But fishing fans know how much fun the process of creating homemade gear brings.

Disadvantages of purchased products

However, there are a number of disadvantages that chemical isotopes have. Fireflies for night fishing in capsules are used only once. Each role is designed for no more than 10 hours of glow. If the contents of the substance accidentally come into contact with the skin, some people experience an allergic reaction. It should also be noted that there are certain inconveniences when casting. The fishing line may cling to the ampoule. The brightness of the glow of chemical varieties cannot be adjusted. Therefore, in some devices it is very strong. If selected blue radiation, your eyes can get tired quickly. There are situations when the supply of capsules is simply exhausted, and it’s too late to go to the store. Making a firefly yourself is not difficult.

Features of electric fireflies

There are electric varieties of fireflies on sale, but in smaller quantities. More often they are made independently than purchased. Simplicity of design distinguishes such fireflies for night fishing. LED varieties are the most popular. They consume little electricity and their glow is soft. The main advantage of electric varieties is their reusable use. Therefore, among fishermen who prefer to make their own gear, this device is considered the most popular. It consists of 3 small round batteries and an LED. They are placed in a collapsible capsule. If necessary, the batteries can be easily replaced. The technology for creating such fireflies deserves detailed consideration.

DIY LED firefly

If you are planning to make an electronic firefly for night fishing with your own hands, you should purchase diodes of the required brightness. You can unscrew a light bulb from an ordinary Chinese lighter. To do this, unscrew the bolt on the body. Next, carefully remove the diode. It is adjacent to a capsule with 3 mini round batteries. The glow occurs after the iron plate touches the diode leg. The circuit is closed.

This ready-made system is installed on a fishing rod. You can create a diode circuit yourself, but this option is one of the simplest. It will require a minimum amount of effort, cost and time. If desired, you can use mini AA batteries. The operating time of the device will increase significantly. However, in the first version it will be a reusable firefly. Its properties are completely suitable for night fishing.

Features of the device

When creating battery-powered fireflies for night fishing, it will be interesting for the master to know in advance about its properties. The operation of the device was tested under night fishing conditions. At the same time, a number of positive characteristics were established. The diode system with batteries from a lighter worked for 2 full night fishing trips. At the same time, the entire structure did not overheat.

As for the weight of such a firefly, it turned out to be greater than that of a chemical capsule. However, even under feeder fishing conditions, it did not affect the sensitivity of the tips or casting distance. Also, the accuracy of the feeder's sending did not change. The advantage of the diode firefly was the beam directed upward. The eyes did not get tired during the night fishing. The light is clearly visible from different angles. The device is quite simple, but effective.

Scheme improvements

Some fishermen have improved the presented system. To do this, they make an adjustable firefly. Night fishing only benefits from this. If the craftsman has a soldering iron and some small cross-section wire in his arsenal, you can separate the diode with its power elements. This will lighten the load on the tip or float. Of course, there is no fundamental difference. But for greater signal accuracy this will be a good solution.

A wire is soldered to the diode. It will connect the light bulb to the batteries. The power supply is mounted on the handle or slightly higher. The wire is attached to the rod with tape. In this case, it will be easier to measure small round batteries for 2 AA batteries. This significantly increases the duration of the diode's glow. If for some reason the light bulb from the lighter does not fit, purchase it yourself. White LEDs LR41 are suitable for these purposes. It will be easy to select the brightness in the store. This will make the process of night fishing as comfortable as possible for the fisherman.

How to install firefly

Fastening fireflies is carried out depending on the type of gear. If the fishing rod has a float, the device is attached directly to it. The system is placed in a transparent tube. It is strung on the top of the float. Even for gear with thin antennas, such tubes and fireflies are used for night fishing. How to use such a device is of interest to beginners. Professionals know that you need to put 2 rubber bands on the float antenna. The tube is already attached to them.

If you plan to fish on a feeder, the firefly is installed on the top. To do this, 2 elastic bands are also put on it. The LED in the capsule is placed in the space between them. It is better to treat the firefly with tape. This will eliminate the possibility of fishing line snagging. Special plastic brackets are available for attaching fireflies. Using them will make it easy to install the device.

Beginning fishermen would do well to familiarize themselves with some recommendations on the use of fireflies. These are simple rules, following which you don’t have to worry about the durability of the device. Fireflies for fishing at night are important not only to mount correctly, but also to operate carefully. The system should be turned on immediately before the first cast. This way the batteries will last longer.

There should be no gap between the LED capsule and the fishing rod. To do this, the firefly is taped to the base. When removing the feeder from the water, you need to keep an eye on the fishing line. It should be tight. With this method of fishing, the feeder is placed smoothly on the stand (so that the tip with the LED does not become loose). Before casting, the fishing line is checked for smooth gliding. Nothing should bother her. This prevents the tackle from getting tangled. The use of fireflies will be comfortable.

Firefly made of foil

In addition to the method discussed above, you can make a homemade firefly using other methods. A very popular approach among fishermen is using a foil reflector. To make such a firefly for night fishing, you will need a white or yellow variety. A sheet of foil is cut into strips 5 mm wide. The strips are attached to the float using waterproof glue.

To see the bite in the dark, you will need to turn on a flashlight. Its beam is directed at the foil. This is enough to distinguish a bite in the dark. If the weather is windy, the foil is rolled up in several layers to give it rigidity. The light source can even be an ordinary pocket flashlight. Its brightness will be quite enough to illuminate the reflector. The simplicity of this approach has proven to be to the liking of many fishermen.

Alternative fireflies

While improving the firefly for night fishing, which is made with their own hands, fishermen come up with various options systems The idea of ​​creating such gear from a jar has a right to exist ascorbic acid. A bright LED and batteries are installed in an empty vitamin container. A window is cut into the box (several holes can be made).

One more interesting solution When illuminating the gear, special paint is used. It is purchased in special stores. The paint can glow in the dark with a phosphorescent color. It is applied to the float or the top of the feeder. If for some reason the paint is incompatible with the base material, a plate is made from wood. It is shaped like a chemical firefly. It is painted and then attached to the gear in the standard way. Therefore, when going fishing, it is better to give preference to electric types of devices.

A night bite alarm is used when fishing at night:

• on a fishing rod
• to the feeder
• on a spinning donk
• when fishing with a bait donkey

Bottom fishing at night is quite effective, but reliable bite alarms are needed. Bite alarm for evening and night fishing - bells combined with a firefly (flashlight).

Night bite alarm.

firefly bell bite alarm

• The firefly (flashlight) shows us where our donka is standing.
• The bell gives a signal about a bite.
• By the vibration of the firefly, you can determine which bottom is biting, especially when a large fish has bitten, for example, bream or catfish, and in some cases, for example, with a one-time jerk of a white bream, the bottom on which it is biting will still need to be determined, for example, you can additionally use bells with different sounds.
• A rod with a firefly will be easier to grab when biting.
• The firefly will prevent the bell from getting lost at night.

We attach the bell with the firefly closer to the tip of the rod since the tip has a large amplitude of vibration and you can better see the bite signal.

Donkey fishing at night

Budget night bite alarm

Bottom fishing at night will be more successful if you use a reliable budget bite alarm. This bell can be used as a bite alarm not only for bottom fishing at night and during the day by removing the flashlight. Flashlights for the alarm are sold separately from the bells and cost the same as the bells. The signaling device is easy to assemble - there is a hole on the bell into which a flashlight can be inserted. The design of the flashlight is also simple: a collapsible body, an LED, two batteries. The flashlight is turned on by turning the batteries over.

Additionally, of course, there should be a flashlight at night... if the battery on the bite alarm runs out, or spare fireflies for the bite alarm.

On this alarm, the flashlight is constantly on, and the batteries run out accordingly. The batteries will last for one night and maybe for a second. But if you replace the LED with the LED from a lighter flashlight, the batteries will last 20 nights, for the entire season.

Watch the video - night bite alarm

There are various models night bite alarms for fishing at night. There are models where the flashlight is combined with a bell, and there are models without a bell; both of them can be either constantly glowing or light up during a bite.

Night bite alarm - a flashlight without a bell that glows only when there is a bite

This indicator is flashing until there is no bite green, during a bite, the indicator flashes intensely yellow-red. There are models in which the LED is constantly on before the bite and flashes during the bite. You should definitely check how the alarm works when purchasing. The signaling device is attached with clamps to the tip of the feeder. Plus there is no scary sound. Such a signaling device can be used during the day when silence is required while fishing.

It costs 10 times more than the budget one.
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Night bite alarm for fishing with a bell and a flashlight that is triggered when bitten

combined bell and flashlight in the signaling device

This type of fishing indicator flashes only when there is a bite. It also costs 10 times more than the budget one. More often, such devices are used as a night bite alarm for the feeder.

It should be noted that fishing alarms with built-in electronic circuit, which are triggered when bitten, are quite capricious, you may have to suffer to set them up, that is, if these Chinese inventions do not break at all while fishing. But when fishing bottom at night, it will be difficult to set up a capricious alarm. The budget one will be guaranteed to work, but until the battery dies.

But there is an option when fishing on the bottom at night, using two signaling flashlights of different types.

We are all sitting and waiting for a bite!

Luminescent varnish (luminous varnish) for night fishing instead of a night bite alarm

To prepare gear for night fishing, you can use luminous varnish as a signaling device for night fishing:

• so the varnish can be applied to the bells themselves and if the circuit malfunctions or if the batteries run out, the bell will glow
• varnish is also applied to the rods themselves, first of all you need to varnish the tip of the rod, and the rest of the rod can be covered with strokes, dots
• The varnish can also be used as a night bite alarm for the feeder.

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