What does the future hold for the fishing line market?

WFT founder: ‘Growing popularity of angling in challenging locations means needs of fishermen have changed.’

Christian Dibisch knows a thing or two about fishing lines. The Managing Director of German company World Fishing Tackle (WFT) has been involved in the science and production of lines for more than 30 years.

He knows what sells and what stays on the shelf and says that sales of braids and monos have been his biggest revenue earner for the past five years and are continuing to rise.

Talking to Angling International, Dibisch took a look into the future to tell us about the changing trends and where he believes the line market is going.

The growing popularity of certain styles of fishing, such as light rock fishing, kayak fishing and fishing in challenging places means that the needs of anglers have changed, says Dibisch. “That will continue to happen as the sport evolves and fishing tackle generally becomes more sophisticated.

“The biggest change is that more and more anglers are discovering the advantages of braided lines that are supple and round. Manufacturers who cannot supply those products are going to find it increasingly difficult to compete. It has become much harder to find a market for the old-style flat braids.”

WFT has responded to market demands by combining the latest German machinery and Japanese fibre technology.

“The factories in Japan are the best in the world at producing the extremely thin fibres that line brands are looking for. And the consistent quality of their fibres is crucial when it comes to surface coatings, which are a must in today’s market.”

Looking ahead, Dibisch sees more of the same. “Since improvements in breaking strength to diameter will only increase marginally year-by-year, manufacturers will put most emphasis on producing lines which have the surface appearance of a mono but with the strength and low elongation of a braid.

“It may sound easy, but it is very, very difficult to do. It is the companies with that capability that will do well in the future.”

Dibisch and his team have put their experience and knowledge to good use. KG Strong, WFT’s flagship line and a product that is hugely popular all over the world is testimony to the company’s expertise and foresight.

Aware of the need for a line that would withstand the rugged shorelines and rock-strewn seabeds of the Baltic coastline, the company developed and introduced a coated braid that now has customers in more than 100 countries.

“It is our biggest selling line by far and has been for years,” says Dibisch. “It drives our export business.”

Fibres are made by Toiobo Japan. KG Strong has a special coating that protects the fibres of the braid, a key factor for fishing in rugged environments. And the fact that it is available in a wide range of strengths up to 250kg is another reason for its popularity. The smaller diameters, starting at 10kg, achieve the biggest sales in Europe.

KG Strong’s ‘unbreakable’ reputation has made it the go-to line when fishing rocky environments for powerful fish like yellowfin tuna, tarpon, shark and giant trevally. It is also a favourite with catfish anglers.

Big fish specialist and social media personality Dennis Verreet (pictured above) is a strong advocate of KG Strong. He used it to catch his land-based world record tuna.

Professional guide Captain Marc van Roie, and Rainer Korn, arguably the best-known sea angler in Germany, are other devotees. Van Roi used KG Strong to catch his 39kg European record cod.

KG Strong is available in lengths of 150m up to 39kg, 300m for all diameters, 600m for all diameters, 1000m from 15kg to 67kg and 2000m from 10kg to 67kg. It is produced in four colours – green, chartreuse, white and multi-coloured.

T: +49 2841 650206
info@world-fishing-tackle.de
www.world-fishing-tackle.de