 Later books such as "the Art of Angling"by Gerald Eades Bentley in 1577 and the classic work "The Compleat Angler" first published in 1653, written by Isaak Walton gave greater detail on fishing and using floats.Prior to about 1800, anglers made their own floats, a practice that many still carry on today.As angling became more popular, companies started to make floats in different styles to supply the growing demand.