i always thaught the float rope was there just in case of big swells , if the main float goes under the other one will be on top still in most cases. i could be wrong

 I'm not sure of the question exactly.... I think you are asking do you need a seperate piece of rope with floats on it tied onto the pot rope??

In another way of saying it are you asking if you have a 50mtr length of rope can you tie floats to it or.....

Should you cut 2 metres off  and tie your floats to it and then re-tie it to the original 48 metres of rope?

I think i must be missing something....

 I'm not sure of the question exactly.... I think you are asking do you need a seperate piece of rope with floats on it tied onto the pot rope??

In another way of saying it are you asking if you have a 50mtr length of rope can you tie floats to it or.....

Should you cut 2 metres off  and tie your floats to it and then re-tie it to the original 48 metres of rope?

I think i must be missing something....

 Correct timboon, I don't quite get it either but there's a yellow tag from fisheries attached to one of my pots pretty much telling me me to either remove a float or use a float line

The diagram on the guide has a tail of rope going off the page after the second float... 

 Just 2 floats + a very small one near the bridle to stop the pot snagging. I'll take a pick when i pick it up monday and then go and ask fisheries

 The regs say you must have no more than two surface floats , so you would think the small anti snag floats that a lot have fitted this year  including me would be OK , except further down in page it says no more than two floats attached to pot line at one time.

the small 8-10cm small floats we have had fitted to my main pot line about 3-4 metres up from the bridle have been one of our main anti snag tricks for over 30 years now ………. but it does seem with this new law re the whale entanglements and only 2 floats per pot line that they are enforcing it be removed

makes no sense to me and iv actively advocated people us the small anti snag set up , as it changes the pivot point on your main line to about 3-4 metrs above the pot , and it does reduce the amount of times your pot rope will get dragged and snagged up a lot when setting in heavier ground ,

the whole 20 metres , 2 floats rule is based on very little justification imo , and really needs to be reviewed asap given that out of the 30 to 40 thousand whales moving along our coast are dying more of natural causes than rec pot deaths

just a feel good law that has no basis in fact or science imo

I have always had a small float right at the bridal to keep it up of the bottom and reduce the risk of it becoming caught on the reef.

 Alot of yellow stickers, lots of pots out there with noodles clorine containers  etc.