Fishing Owl

21/07/14 9:11 PM

The French Revolution in steel trace is about

to reach South Africa
Supple Knotable Wire For Predator Traces
A year ago I sat in tackle importer Tatlow & Pledgers offices and listened to
Frenchman Luc Bertrand describe how multiple strands of fine steel wire
created what appeared to be a cloud of mist in the air as they flowed from a
unique machine, before coming together to form a 49-strand steel trace so
soft that it had the suppleness of nylon.
Though the image of this "steel mist" stayed in my mind, it seemed a little
far fetched. But today I dipped my hand into a tangle of 130 and 275 lb
steel trace, and felt it slither through my fingers as though I was trying to
pick up quicksilver. I knew then that the use of steel trace in South Africa
was about to undergo a revolution. Be scared, toothy critters out there, be
very scared ...
Cannelle is the name of this French product that Luc Bertrand was then
introducing to the South African market, and it comes in such a variety of
forms including pre-made traces that the intelligent angler will do a little
homework to learn about the stuff and which type is best suited for his
particular application.
For myself, steel trace had always been a pretty simple subject --you didnt
use it at all if you could avoid it, but if you had to use it then it was a
question of stiff mono wire or somewhat more supple seven-strand wire,
plain or nylon coated. Those were the choices.
Cannelle, however, is rather more sophisticated than that. For a start the
user needs to know the difference between braids, strands and
microcables. So, in this brief introduction to the world of Cannelle, that
seems a pretty good place to begin.
Braid, as the name suggests, consists of crossing fibres amongst
themselves to create a smooth and supple trace that will not unravel. It also
allows the use of several materials that would be incompatible if actually
bonded together in other words, the various fibres that go into a braid are
not all the same, some being composed of materials designed for
suppleness, others for strength, others for resistance to sharp teeth;
braided together, they form an ultra fine, supple trace that resists the
toothiest fresh and salt water predators.
Supratress, Powerflex and Fibraflex are the names to look for in Cannelle
braided steel trace.
Strand is a cable composed of many metallic wires of varying diameters
twisted together. Cannelles seven-strand Multiflex and Nylflex are
not much different to whats been available in South Africa until now, but
the 19-strand Megaflex is in a different league entirely and can be
considered midway between strand and Microcable, a much more complex
product that consists of seven strands combined to create a 49 wire cable
of extreme fineness, suppleness and strength. Supraflex is Cannelles top
microcable.
Tying steel trace has always been a problem, but with the higher quality
Cannelle traces that problem no longer exists. If you can tie a knot in nylon,
you can tie it in a Cannelle braid or microcable. And Cannelle traces are
available from the 49 strand, 200 kg Seafighter Microcable range right
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down to the whisper-thin 3,5 kg Megaflex fly tippet, composed of 19 strands

and designed with fly anglers in mind.
In all, importers Tatlow & Pledger are bringing in 31 different Cannelle
traces These include the 49-strand Seafighter range, from 23 to 185 kg; the
49-strand Supraflex, in 6, 9 and 12 kg; Megaflex fly tippets from 3,5 to 11
kg; the Supratress Steel Braid from 5 kg to 55 kg; the 19-strand Megaflex in
3,5 kg to 14,5 kg; and the 19-strand Megamarine in 30 kg to 185 kg.

MYSTERY
It was, above all, the fineness of these traces that first impressed me. As I
read the literature, I found myself wondering how anybody could combine
so many wires and yet still finish with a product that is far thinner than nylon
of a comparable strength. The answer remains a mystery to me and to
Cannelles opposition but Lucs description of a cloud of mist coalescing
into a single line began to make more sense.
And then there are Cannelles "Stewart System" pre-made Megaflex 19strand traces, looped at one end to maintain 100 % strength and featuring
a second, sliding hook mounted above the fitted hook. This sliding hook is
held in position by a narrow silicone sleeve and can be moved up or down
the trace by the angler, but doesnt slide easily enough to be moved by
currents or casting.
On a recent trip to the Zambezi, Gauteng angler Grant Webster became
the first South African to test this new trace against one of the toothiest
creatures that swims in our part of the world, freshwater or salt. The result,
fishing a drifted fillet on a light bass rod, was a lovely 6 kg tigerfish. The
deceptively thin Megaflex trace withstood the tigers attack remarkably well,
even though those razor teeth did manage to sever two of the 19 strands.

INVISIBLE
Cannelle importer Mark Pledger was so impressed with Cannelles
strength-to-thickness ratio that he tried the somewhat radical experiment of
using a short trace of Megaflex when fishing plastic baits for bass on a
Carolina rig. His reasoning was that the Carolina rig is fished right on the
bottom, which means that the steel trace would be virtually invisible from
above. The result, he says, has been a marked improvement in his strike
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ratio.
The idea that bass will strike at a steel trace more readily than a nylon one
is pretty amazing, and raises interesting possibilities for marine fishing.
Yellowfin tuna anglers, for example, have long known that tuna are wireshy and will strike more readily on bare nylon than on steel trace.
The problem, of course, is that tuna have teeth, and although theyre not
line-cutting teeth, they will wear through even fairly heavy nylon during a
lengthy struggle. Even so, most Cape anglers choose to fish nylon leaders
and take their chances. But up in warm Natal waters, where the strike is as
likely to be a razor-toothed king mackerel, wahoo or barracuda, fishing
without trace is risky even when you know there are plenty of yellowfin
around.
So its a fair bet that tuna anglers will soon be experimenting with Cannelle.
And then the whole rock-and-surf department, where the potential for
Cannelles many trace materials is enormous. The brand is too new in
South Africa to have been tested in salt water at the time of going to press,
but make a note of the name chances are, Cannelle is going to play a
part in many future "big-fish-that-didnt-get-away" stories.

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