When Atomic Tackle first started distributing the original JellyWire, it gained a cult following that anglers kept close to their chest. As Atomic Tackle are not one of the first names that the majority of anglers would think of for terminal tackle straight away, they tended to buy the brands that they knew already from the tackle shop shelves without giving the material the chance that it deserved.
When the original company that was producing the JellyWire decided to launch themselves into the UK marketplace, Simon Healy searched out a successor to the hooklink material, and when he came across the new Jel-E-Wyre, he knew he had discovered something that was an improvement on the original product.

Jel-E-Wyre is like the original a coated braid hooklink material. Where as the original JellyWire was a "soft" coated material, the new product is what I would class as "semi-stiff" rather than very stiff like Korda's Hybrid Stiff. With most of the "semi-stiff" materials, the coating tends to break at the knot when tied in a loop or to a swivel or are quite thick to cater for the slight brittleness of the coating, but by using a Fluron coating, Jel-E-Wyre is extremely resistant to outer coating breakages when knots are tightened as well as helping the hooklink to sink like a brick. With most of the stiffer materials, they require steaming to straighten the link out, but during testing with Jel-E-Wyre, we found that the hooklink material could be straightened easily by simply running between finger and thumb a couple of times.

The first thing that you notice when peeling a length off the spool is that the diameter of the material is super thin! I prefer a slightly thicker material as a hooklink purely out of personal preference, but I can only be honest and say that in clear water where the angler requires a hooklink constructed from this type of material, Jel-E-Wyre is perfect for the job. Stripping the Fluron coating off the braided inner is literally simplicity. I managed to get clean cuts using my teeth (which anybody that knows me are not the strongest!) as well as using a dedicated stripping tool from any of the manufacturers that make them. I haven't got finger nails so I could not try that, but I would say that it could be done easily by those that do.

On the bench, I ran the material over a slightly roughened workbench edge, and it took 27 strokes for the outer coating to be broken and 61 for the actual braided inner to part. This is very good abrasion resistance for a coated braid, especially of the thin diameter of the product.

Knot strength is also very good. The breaking strains stated on the spool are knot strengths, but I found that with a figure of 8 loop knot, the 15lb material broke at 17lb and with the "perfect loop" (which can be found in our Knots feature) it broke at over 21lb! Similar breaking strains to the figure of 8 knot were found with both Grinner and Half Blood knots, with the Palomar knot breaking at 19lb.

I was a massive fan of the original JellyWire and it still does have a part in my armoury, but after after using the Jel-E-Wyre, I can honestly say that I will be using this newer version over the older one in the majority of situations.

Jel-E-Wyre is available in 2 colours; green & brown, and in breaking strains of 15lb & 25lb on 20 metre spools.

Atomic Tackle Stiffun

To compliment the Jel-E-Wyre with a stiff coated braid, Atomic have worked hard to come up with a stiff coated braid that is easy to strip, easy to straighten and most important of all, that remains straight and stiff in use. UKMA have tried a lot (if not all) of the stiff coated braids on the market, and some of them do not meet all the manufacturers claims.

The first thing you notice when peeling a length of Stiffun off of the spool is that the outer coatng is almost transparent, with the inner braid constructed in a subtle camouflage weave. The hooklink material comes off the spool in loose loops which is due to the outer coating retaining the contours of the spool, but when the material is run through steam from a kettle, it goes extremely straight and when cooled remains very stiff. The hooklink can also be straightened by immersing in hot water and pulled straight when removed, and held for 30 seconds or so to cool down (or you could plunge the hooklink under tension into the margins to cool down faster).

Where Stiffun is different from other similar materials is that the outer coating can be stripped back easily using a thumbnail or teeth, leaving a clean cut rather than a ragged edge. You can use a dedicated stripping tool as well should you wish to do so (we test the coatings by using our teeth as it gives a good impression of how easy it is to strip). With being so easy to strip, we carried out one of our bench tests and ran the material under tension over the edge of a hardwood table numerous times. The coating started to go after 18 runs which is very good for a coating that is so easy to strip back. This means that during a fight with a fish, that the material will withstand against abrasion on weed or gravel without cutting off.

The outer coating has also been manufactured in a matt finish to lower the risk of light reflection in shallow, clear water.

As with other stiff hooklink materials, it is best to really lubricate the knots when the outer coating is still present. With Stiffun, UKMA found that if the knot to the swivel or loop, was tightened gently under lubrication, then fully tightened either over steam or immersed in hot water. This allows the outer coating to soften slightly and instead of breaking as the knot is pulled tight, allows the knot to bed down properly. This will give you the knot strength as stated on the label at the very least. We found that a 5 turn blood knot or Palomar knot was best to attach a swivel of other attachment to the coated material, and the "No Slip Loop Knot / Rapala knot" best for tying loops.

The inner braided core knots well with all the standard knots that the angler will use, and retains the stated breaking strains with all.

All in all, UKMA found that Stiffun is aongst the most angler friendly stiff coated braids that we have tried out, and is a serious consideration for all anglers that like to use coated braids over flat bottoms. Obviously due to the stiffness of the coating, we would not recommend that this material is used over silt or weed due to the way that stiff materials can sit up over obstructions. On gravel or clay bottoms (or those with wispy soft light coatings of hair like weed), Stiffun is well worth a try. UKMA can see Stiffun being a massive seller in the coming season, so keep your eyes open for it in your local Atomic Tackle stockist.

Stiffun is supplied in just the one 2 tone camo colour making it suitable for most bottoms, and in 18lb breaking strain on 15 metre spools.

For more information on these catapults or any other item in the Atomic Tackle range, please visit the Atomic Tackle website by clicking the image below.