The Evolution of Terminal Tackle

Fishing tackle is constantly evolving as technologies and manufacturing capabilities improve and new materials come on the scene. Sometimes new gear requires manufacturing techniques to catch up to new materials. Such is the case with AFW’s impressive titanium leader wire products.

Titanium is certainly nothing new. You can find it on the Periodic Chart as Ti, with an atomic number of 22, which is the number of protons in its single atom form. That’s probably more information than you need, but now you know in case you’re on a game show and the question comes up. Titanium is also considered a rare earth element as compared with other metals like iron and copper, and until recent the military took a big interest in it the stuff was not really available for civilian purposes. It is extremely light and strong and can be finished to a very shiny, slippery finish and is extremely resistant to chemical and environmental corrosives. It is nearly impervious to saltwater. It is used in high-tech military aircraft and spacecraft, but as it became more readily available it started finding its way into less exotic applications.

Several years ago AFW introduced Titanium Tooth Proof wire leader material, which is a titanium alloy suitable for fishing purposes. It is a single strand wire that has very interesting properties. It is stronger than stainless steel so the leader material is thinner. It is unaffected by saltwater so it will not corrode in the water, your tackle box or when left on board a boat for long periods between fishing trips. It can be crimped or tied using a clinch knot, which will be more loosely cinched than one tied in monofilament line, but just as strong. It also has a degree of stretch to it, which means it can absorb a bone jarring strike and then snap back to its original length, but probably the most revolutionary improvement over stainless steel is it’s resistance to kinking! Stainless wire and cable will kink when bit, which means one or two fish and the leader is shot. Not titanium. The elasticity factor negates the tendency to kink like steel, so the added expense is offset by its life expectancy.

As alloy science and manufacturing techniques evolved so did the way titanium can be extruded and woven providing the ability for AFW to introduce the next generation of leader material, AFW Titanium Surfstrand, another advancement in the use of this amazing metal. Formed from seven hair-like strands of titanium woven into a single, super light micro-cable, Titanium Surfstrand is stronger than the sum of its strands providing a thin protective leader to guard against toothy critters like kingfish, barracuda, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and their ilk when fishing with light to medium tackle. It has excellent elastic properties for absorbing the shock of a strike when trolling or fast jigging and it is even more resistant to kinking than single strand titanium leader. It is available in 30, 50. 75 pound test and can be knotted like Titanium Tooth Proof, but also works extremely well using AFW Leader Sleeves and crimping tools.

Bite proof leaders are not the only thing evolving in terminal tackle. Next time we’ll take a look at the amazing shrinking swivel. Until then, fish hard, you can always rest tomorrow.  

Caputi’s Blog Tip: When crimping Titanium Surfstrand using AFW Leader Sleeves it is important to use a 3-time thru process because of the elasticity of the cable. Then follow the simple instructions below for a fool proof connection.