Tenkara ESO Wax is changing the way we think about detecting bites in Tenkara
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Tenkara ESO Wax is changing the way we think about detecting bites in Tenkara
Fishing for grayling in the Welsh Dee in Llangollen and Carrog.
Tenkara fishing in two rivers on the Isle of Man the Sulby and the Druidale. Testing the new Strooan 2 rod.
Testing available powder fishing floatants and desiccants against industrial samples. Seeking the best of the best.
There was a revolution in the floatant market when "Frogs Fanny" hit the selves. Here was a magic powder that dried your drowned fly and gave it amazing floating abilities. The search was on to find out what this amazing stuff was. The little bottles didn't last long and there was a frugal section of the fishing world looking to buy in bulk to refill the bottles. Another section went looking for something better.
I fall into the "better" category. Did I find something that floated the flies better? Yes I did. It was called Aerogel, frozen smoke to some. This incredibly light weight translucent blue material is one of the most hydrophobic substances known and it is available in powder form.
So I got samples. They were not cheap. I put it on the fly and it was unbelievably good at what it did. A sunk fly would rocket back to the surface, pop through the surface tension and ride high again. "Bingo! This is the stuff!" or so I thought. Then I took it fishing.
It went on the fly, the fly sat up beautifully and it drifted a dream. Unfortunately it only did it three or four drifts and it sank again. If the water was smooth, the fly didn't sink and never got dragged below the surface, it bobbed about all day. The problem was the stuff washed out too quickly. That's a problem in the real world.
Fumed Silica
The secret was out. The magic powder was a fumed silica. Not a million miles from the aerogel I was testing. Which fumed silica was it? Fumed silica is produced as a hydrophilic powder. Hydrophilic means water loving. The stuff will dessicate a fly beautifully. Leave it seriously dry. Unfortunately it tends to leave a microscopic dusting behind.
You can't see it, so not a problem, right? Wrong. Some of these hydrophilic powders break the surface tension of the water and the fly falls though or they drag the water into the dressing, forcing out the trapped air, and down she goes. Not exactly what you want from a floatant.
Great! All the hydrophilic fumed silica can be discounted. Now what about the hydrophobic, water hating, fumed silica?
Hydrophobic Fumed Silica
This is the stuff you need. To get fumed silica to hate water it needs a surface treatment. There are a number of surface treatments applied to do the job. Some are more hydrophobic than others. That narrows the range of available grades to only the most hydrophobic. We want this powder to really float our boats!
From the 50+ grades of hydrophobic fumed silica available, and that's not counting the Chinese factories, the number of fumed silicas of interest could be halved.
Initial Testing
I got hold of 8 samples of promising fumed silica. Put them on flies, drowned them, fished with them, stuck them in tanks of water and messed with them until I came to a few conclusions.
Not all hydrophobic fumed silica is created equal.
There are three more factors involved that have a dramatic effect on the performance of the fumed silica as a floatant.
I thought I was going mad. The most hydrophobic surface treatment was under performing one of lower rank. A change to two of the above factors and it was out in front again.
Just from the initial testing I have three powders that rival the best powder floatants out there already. However, what I have learnt from the testing has identified two more powders that I have not tested yet. Their properties sit very close to the sweet spot for all the combined properties.
The samples are on the way.
In Depth Testing
Now that I have the field narrowed to only a few candidates I've built a testing rig. A wave and flow tank that will let me test the powders in very close to identical conditions.
The testing will will try to determine which is the best in terms of:
This will be done with three flies. A traditional hackled dry fly, a CDC "F" Fly and a marabou streamer.
Why the marabou? Simply because the stuff isn't renowned for it's floating ability. It may also act as a tie breaker if the powders work too well!
I have a collection of existing commercial powders which will also be tested for comparison. They will be identified as C1, C2, C3 etc. without naming the product. Sufficient to say Esoteric Tackle won't be selling an inferior product to what is already out there.
To Follow
There will be a follow up article when I get the new candidates. I'll show you the rig, testing and the results of the testing. The winners will go out on field trials before it is available to buy at Esoteric Tackle.
I've deliberately left out my conclusions on what works and what does not, because someone could short cut their research to find the "Holy Grail".
Unlike some companies that have found something "that works" I want to make sure it's the best I can get. I want you to be confident that due diligence has been followed in bringing you the final product.
With 3 candidates already in the frame we will bring something special to market.
It'll not just be good, but good enough.
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