Angling Times - Review
May 30, 2006
By Greg Whitehead
Front Page
A GROUNDBREAKING new additive that makes baits ‘glow’ underwater is being heralded as the greatest discovery of the modern angling era.
The incredible spray, known as Fool-a-Fish, was first developed in the US where it has been responsible for a host of amazing catches.
It works by making anglers’ baits reflect ultraviolet light – something independent scientists have already proved that fish find irresistible.
Feature Article
A REVOLUTIONARY new product that makes baits and lures literally ‘glow’ underwater is set to take the UK angling world by storm.
The product, called Fool-a-Fish, is not just a new flavour, but a spray which works by making angler’s baits reflect ultraviolet light and become far more visible to all species of fish.
Its launch comes hot on the heels of Angling Times’ revelation in February about what fish really see, with scientists suggesting that a variety of species use ultraviolet and infrared to search out food items.
The man behind Fool-a-Fish, Dr Milan Jeckle, firmly believes his product will prove an indispensable addition to UK anglers’ tackleboxes, having already transformed catches of the anglers who have used it in the US since it was launched 18 months ago. "Lures and baits covered with a thin layer of Fool-a-Fish reflect UV light in every direction, just like a spinning disco ball!” said Milan Jeckle.
The spray is an odourless, colourless liquid form of titanium oxide, which once applied to lures and baits, it makes them highly visible, especially in deep or coloured water where other parts of the light spectrum can’t penetrate.
Dr Jeckle said, “UV has a short wavelength that humans can't see - we just get sunburn from it. However, titanium dioxide reflects it. In simple terms, the wavelength of light humans can see is absorbed quickly by water - at 40 feet deep in a lake it's black as the inside of a cow, but UV light can travel up to half a mile through water.”
Both Dr Jeckle and his partner, Professor Cleary, tapped the 30 years of research into sunscreens to help them come up with the base ingredient of Fool-a-Fish, which comes as a white powder. Cleary developed a plastic carrier to make it stick to the bait, lure or fly.
The makers claim that Fool-a-Fish is equally as effective in salt or freshwater, and on just about every species they have tested it on, apart from catfish and sturgeon.
A number of US anglers have used the product to their advantage in competitions, including Brenda Marquez who won The 2005 Discovery Bay Iron Man Salmon Derby and Carl Gowin (2006 Oklahoma Bassmaster Tournament). Fool-a-fish was also used by Finnish anglers Pertti Nevalainen and Antti Viljnen to win the 2005 Finnish Salmon Championships by catching the largest Atlantic salmon of the year in 2005.
“There is no doubt that fish see the UV end of the spectrum much better and that’s why the new luminous baits work so well. I’ve caught quite a few fish using them,” said Paul Garner, fisheries biologist and Marketing Director of Leeda. “This new product sounds very interesting indeed and there’s no reason why the theory won’t work. I look forward to putting the spray through its paces once it hits the shelves.”
|
 Back to news articles. |
|
|
|
