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An innovation from Germany promises to change float fishing forever thanks to its design that flies in the face of age-old buoyancy principles and which needs no lead to stay stable in the water.
The man behind Clever Float is a heating and energy engineer with no prior experience in fishing tackle development. Yet he believes his revolutionary float design could turn the market on its head thanks to its low bite resistance, its environmentally friendly construction and its universal appeal.
From his home town in Augsburg, Walter Zimmerly (main image) says he has his full ranges of Clever Floats ready and is poised to take calls from distributors across Europe who see the value in his ground-breaking product. Those distributors can also meet with Zimmerly and his team at EFTTEX in Brussels in September.
For thousands of years floats have worked according to the Archimedes principle of creating buoyancy through water displacement. They have been made to balance using lead. Zimmerly says his Clever Float design ‘trumps’ the Archimedes principle with his AirControl System which channels air and water to keep it upright in the water.
Zimmerly adds that the Clever Float design (below) also eradicates the unnatural buoyancy force of traditional floats that depend on the Archimedes principle, meaning fish are less likely to distrust the sensation of biting on the bait.
Here, in his first major interview with an international trade publication, Zimmerly lays bare the possibilities now open in the floats market and describes how he experienced his own ‘Eureka’ moment when devising the Clever Float.
Your background from outside angling gives you a unique perspective on float design. Can you explain how?
WZ: Yes. My professional and private interests have always centred on energy and environmental protection. I am a master craftsman in two trades: central heating & ventilation and gas & water installation. I am an energy consultant and have made multiple patent applications in energy technology. I am also a passionate model builder of remote-controlled aircrafts and boats. I fish too, and love to rebuild old reels and rods.
How did you make the leap to lead-free floats?
It was when I was out fishing. I asked my friend Karl if he could imagine a float that didn’t need lead. He was sure it wasn’t possible, but I didn’t want to accept it. I started testing with tubes inserted into each other according to the principle of the bottle siphon and I systematically investigated their buoyancy behaviour. The first operational prototypes consisted of 17 individual parts. Seventeen!
But you kept going. When did you realise you had something special on your hands?
It was back at the fishing venue. Two anglers hadn’t had any success all day. I briefly explained one of my prototypes to them and then let them fish with it. After just one hour they had caught two carp. When one of the two anglers went to his car and returned with 50 Euro for me, I knew that this float would not only work excellently but would also find buyers. However, the prototype still consisted of too many individual parts to be economically viable; it was down to seven at this point, but still too many. In addition, assembly was still very time-consuming because Clever Floats need to be fully airtight at crucial spots in order to function properly.
So, what changed to make Clever Floats viable?
The breakthrough only came with 3D printing and the fall in the price of 3D printers. The Clever Float now consists of the body made of environmentally friendly PLA material and a QuickSnap eyelet made of stainless steel. Two parts. Done.
Clever Floats look big. Is that a problem?
Only for those who haven’t fished with them. When you look at them it is hard to imagine how these ‘big’ floats have such a low bite resistance, but they do. Anglers who have fished with them are absolutely delighted. They understand the size gives them their unique functionality. They start clearing out their fishing bag. Lead, out. The old range of floats, out.
And now you are ready to go to market. What kind of commercial partners are you seeking?
The size of the company is not important, what matters is that it has a network of fishing shops or online shops that it supplies successfully and regularly. Companies that ‘hide’ Clever Float somewhere in their catalogue are of no interest. We need partners who want to promote Clever Float actively. Someone like that will then have the opportunity for exclusivity in their country. One company that is already on board is Timo Reuter and his company Q-TAC in Germany. For the foreseeable future, we will be switching off our own shop and leaving distribution to our partners.
And what are your key selling-points to distributors?
The short answer is, Clever Floats deliver super easy handling and extremely low bite resistance and all without lead. The longer answer is that these are floats that every angler should have in his bag. They replace all sizes and work for all types of fish, including extra sensitive ones. Beginners will catch fish quicker and professionals will enjoy exploring new possibilities. Partners also need to know that Clever Floats cast long distances and are more stable in running water. And don’t forget they are made from environmentally friendly PLA material. As of right now, we are looking for a distributor for every country where they see the potential of Clever Floats.
info@cleverfloat.de
cleverfloat.com
EFTTEX Booth No. C10
