Which wire?
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tortoise100
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I have tried 5 so far and afw or American fishing wire seems very good.
drennon severn strand is c**p yet has a strange cult following that said it is ok in the heavy strains i have been using 20lb and it is almost a single use per trace kinks ,so bad you don't dare use it.
drennon severn strand is c**p yet has a strange cult following that said it is ok in the heavy strains i have been using 20lb and it is almost a single use per trace kinks ,so bad you don't dare use it.
graham472
Active member
Afw 7 strand in 40lb.Reliable and not expensive.
Its a strange thing with wire, some of the most popular ones like Drennan 7 strand are prone to kinking after one use, yet are praised by many? I like Fox Carboflex, very good wire IMO, but then some may think otherwise?
best thing to do is try different types of breaking strains and strands/uncoated/coated and find which suits you
best thing to do is try different types of breaking strains and strands/uncoated/coated and find which suits you
Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}
Well-known member
For an inexpensive, reliable and durable wire I'd recommend Mason's. Usually easily sourced on the net and pretty much bomb-proof.
Having said that I'll use anything I come across. I like the Carboflex for uptraces as it is thicker than most other wires but any of the Drennan wires are fine by me. I don't expect to use a trace for more than one or two fish anyway. Wire is cheap enough, traces take minutes to make and you can salvage the components to keep down costs.
Good advice to any pike angler is to discard any trace if you have the slightest doubt about it. There just isn't any excuse for a trace snapping, and standard pike set-ups -I.e two treble hooks in tandem- have a far greater potential to damage than normal hook-links if left in a fish.
If I were fishing seriously for pike nowadays I'd go down the Ti route (I use it for all of my lure traces.) as a Ti trace will pretty much last until you lose it and probably pays for itself several times over in the long run.
Having said that I'll use anything I come across. I like the Carboflex for uptraces as it is thicker than most other wires but any of the Drennan wires are fine by me. I don't expect to use a trace for more than one or two fish anyway. Wire is cheap enough, traces take minutes to make and you can salvage the components to keep down costs.
Good advice to any pike angler is to discard any trace if you have the slightest doubt about it. There just isn't any excuse for a trace snapping, and standard pike set-ups -I.e two treble hooks in tandem- have a far greater potential to damage than normal hook-links if left in a fish.
If I were fishing seriously for pike nowadays I'd go down the Ti route (I use it for all of my lure traces.) as a Ti trace will pretty much last until you lose it and probably pays for itself several times over in the long run.
expensive i agree but, it last so much longer than normal wire that in the end it is usually cheaperOK if you have Simon Cowels bank balance
terry m
Well-known member
Again a very personal thing, usually based on your own experience.
I have tried the titanium and 7 strand stuff, I hated it and I had the titanium unexpectedly snap at a crimp (I know how to crimp), thankfully it was when the fish was in the net and not during the fight.
The 49 strand stuff is OK for deadbaiting, but if you livebait be warned it is almost too supple and has a propensity to tangle.
I always end up back with Fox Carboflex in 30lb, for me nothing else is trustworthy.
I have tried the titanium and 7 strand stuff, I hated it and I had the titanium unexpectedly snap at a crimp (I know how to crimp), thankfully it was when the fish was in the net and not during the fight.
The 49 strand stuff is OK for deadbaiting, but if you livebait be warned it is almost too supple and has a propensity to tangle.
I always end up back with Fox Carboflex in 30lb, for me nothing else is trustworthy.
Brian Hazard
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I use titanium now, but after about fifty years of 'twisting the traces', I found it strange to resort to crimping; however, after a conversation with a rep from Leslies of Luton who recommended the ET crimps with a slightly larger bore than my usual Drennan crimps , and turning the wire back into the crimp to have three lengths inside, I now have more confidence in crimps (but I use two crimps at each end).
I am old enough to remember the single strand ready-made traces of about 12" which were the only ones available to us in Northern Ireland; and then they appeared with a plastic coating - which was more than useless. However, as a teenager, I was shown two types of stranded wire which were in my local 'tackle shop' - it was a hardware shop! One was a three strand wire, which was supple, but in very short supply. The other was the good old picture framing wire, thick and not supple, but once twisted would not slip. It would kink relatively easy, though, but never frayed.
I could never get on with the 49 strand wire, but I did find that the Fox Carboflex wire was excellent when used as an uptrace, where its lack of suppleness was an advantage.
I am old enough to remember the single strand ready-made traces of about 12" which were the only ones available to us in Northern Ireland; and then they appeared with a plastic coating - which was more than useless. However, as a teenager, I was shown two types of stranded wire which were in my local 'tackle shop' - it was a hardware shop! One was a three strand wire, which was supple, but in very short supply. The other was the good old picture framing wire, thick and not supple, but once twisted would not slip. It would kink relatively easy, though, but never frayed.
I could never get on with the 49 strand wire, but I did find that the Fox Carboflex wire was excellent when used as an uptrace, where its lack of suppleness was an advantage.
terry m
Well-known member
It is just a personal opinion, but in my view the crimp creates the weak point - where it squashes the wire - so by using two crimps at each end you are actually increasing the risk of a break at that weakened point rather than decreasing it.
sumtime
Well-known member
in fairness mate the crimp must have weened the wire, wire is wire and unless it was damaged then it is very hard to see how it could break. maybe a dodgy crimp cut into the wire?
I've used almost everything since I began pike fishing in the 50s.
Gimp, who remembers that? (still got some somewhere)
Alasticum, the ideal for FJTs sprat fishing method.
7strand in all its guises (most of the stuff sold here is just respooled US made trolling wire anyway)
49strand Aircraft Cables for the really big stuff (had a shark bite thro 600lb oncemg
Single strand carbon and stainless.
Never tried Ti but I will this winter.
For spinning the only two worth a mention are;
Prindle-Fabbri Corp Stainless Steel Wire Cable-Monel in 13.2kg (29lb) or
Sevenstrand Magnum single strand stainless wire in 45lb
To get the best out of single strand you must master the Haywire Twist, the only way to go and completely time proven. its not rocket science and once learnt is never forgotten.
Stranded wire can be knotted or twisted to form a secure joint.
For knotting refer to Lefty's book or any US fishing site.
For a secure twist twenty wraps at a fast spin and your done (it is essential to get the molecules in the wire moving and to do this you need to form the twist quickly, hence the fast spin).
If you worried a small dab of Araldite over the twist seals everything neatly.
Any of you crimping should refer to the US sites for the correct techniques, but the basic rules are;
For angling the crimp must be softer than the material being crimped, aluminium for fluorocarbon and nylon, copper for wire.
The crimping tool must be the all-round type (pressure exerted evenly all around the crimp as it is formed) not the anvil type where a pointed tooth is forced into the centre of the crimp.
If in any doubt its very easy and not expensive to make your own crimper to suit your chosen wire.
I'm willing to post instructions if asked.
I've crimped everything up to 600lb in mono, fluorocarbon and wire,.......professionally.
Gimp, who remembers that? (still got some somewhere)
Alasticum, the ideal for FJTs sprat fishing method.
7strand in all its guises (most of the stuff sold here is just respooled US made trolling wire anyway)
49strand Aircraft Cables for the really big stuff (had a shark bite thro 600lb once
mgSingle strand carbon and stainless.
Never tried Ti but I will this winter.
For spinning the only two worth a mention are;
Prindle-Fabbri Corp Stainless Steel Wire Cable-Monel in 13.2kg (29lb) or
Sevenstrand Magnum single strand stainless wire in 45lb
To get the best out of single strand you must master the Haywire Twist, the only way to go and completely time proven. its not rocket science and once learnt is never forgotten.
Stranded wire can be knotted or twisted to form a secure joint.
For knotting refer to Lefty's book or any US fishing site.
For a secure twist twenty wraps at a fast spin and your done (it is essential to get the molecules in the wire moving and to do this you need to form the twist quickly, hence the fast spin).
If you worried a small dab of Araldite over the twist seals everything neatly.
Any of you crimping should refer to the US sites for the correct techniques, but the basic rules are;
For angling the crimp must be softer than the material being crimped, aluminium for fluorocarbon and nylon, copper for wire.
The crimping tool must be the all-round type (pressure exerted evenly all around the crimp as it is formed) not the anvil type where a pointed tooth is forced into the centre of the crimp.
If in any doubt its very easy and not expensive to make your own crimper to suit your chosen wire.
I'm willing to post instructions if asked.
I've crimped everything up to 600lb in mono, fluorocarbon and wire,.......professionally.
Last edited:
terry m
Well-known member
Hi Yogi, the point is that wire is not wire - if you get what I mean.
The titanium stuff is much more brittle than common or garden wire, and, as you pointed out the crimp almost certainly damaged the titanium.
My point was that titanium is IMO more susceptible to this than normal soft wire.
yeh, fair point mate
philblakey
Well-known member
If you don't mind solid leaders; i use 0.8mm solid stainless steel welding wire 316L grade. Very cheap to buy, i use a double loop at the top to tie the braid to, the bigger diameter gives greater knot strength. Single loop at the bottom and a snap. Joints are twisted and covered with clear shrink tube.
I don't use swivels, just my preference.
I've used Ti leaders that were crimped, a mate sent me a couple made of AFW, they had a swivel which i didn't like, didn't like the crimps either if i'm honest. But the leaders lasted and i had no problem with them. He sent them to me after a discussion on another forum where there had been a few reports of Ti leaders breaking for no apparent reason.
Phil.
I don't use swivels, just my preference.
I've used Ti leaders that were crimped, a mate sent me a couple made of AFW, they had a swivel which i didn't like, didn't like the crimps either if i'm honest. But the leaders lasted and i had no problem with them. He sent them to me after a discussion on another forum where there had been a few reports of Ti leaders breaking for no apparent reason.
Phil.
philblakey
Well-known member
I've seen it used for a braid to flouroCarbon knot, helps stop weed getting stuck on the knot.
Phil.