Think Outside the Trap: Tips for Marking & Identifying Fishing Lines & Gear With Cable Ties
Cable ties are not just for wiring anymore. For more than 34 years, Nelco Products has been a pioneer in supplying cable ties and related wire-management products all over the world for a variety of applications. As our technologies have advanced, people have discovered thousands of other uses for cable ties besides the wire management applications they were originally created for.
In recent years, the fishing and shellfish industries have come under more stringent regulations governing the marking and identification of lines and gear. Under stricter guidelines, commercial fishermen were left scrambling for more cost-efficient yet durable options. Surprisingly, cable ties, flag markers and heat shrink tubing offer a very affordable and simple solution for complying with the latest regulations.
Cable Ties
Cable ties are made from corrosion and weather-resistant materials and come in an assortment of different colors, sizes and tensile strengths. They aid in easy, fast and economical installation of gear, as well as color coding or to seal harvest bags. Certain specialized types of cable ties, such as polypropylene and stainless steel, are particularly ideal for marine applications:
- Polypropylene Cable Ties: Made from a thermoplastic polymer, they are used primarily when base, salt and hydrochloric acid resistance is necessary.
- Stainless Steel Cable Ties: Ideal for bundling and securing cables, wires and assemblies even amidst extreme temperatures and severe environmental conditions.
Our other varieties of cable ties are also excellent choices for applications that won’t be submerged in water, such as on-board nets and ropes. Don’t forget, custom hot-stamping is also available on cable ties, so you can add identification to your gear and keep better track of your lines and traps.
Flag ID Ties
Flag ID ties offer the binding benefits of cable ties, with the extra perk of a write-on flag. Flag ID tags provide additional identification properties to complement the color-coded system you might already have in place. Flag marker ties are available in 3” and 6” lengths and three different flag sizes, depending on the write-on area that is required.
Heat Shrink Tubing
Heat-shrink tubing is a multipurpose product available from Nelco, perfect for many marine applications. We first discovered we could help the fishing industry when the National Marine Fisheries Service announced the requirements for a color system for identifying buoy lines. With its ability to endure harsh environments such as salt water, fungus and extreme temperatures, as well as the availability of different colors, heat shrink tubing has become the ideal means for identifying and color-coding buoy lines. Heat shrink can also be custom printed by our in-house printing department, to better identify your lines in the water.
Located in Pembroke, Mass., Nelco is local to many shellfish aquaculture and fishing businesses, and takes pride in working to accommodate the needs of these industries. Many of our products are stocked in-house, and are available with same-day shipping. Contact us to learn more about cable ties and other marine solutions provided by Nelco.
