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- Mustad is busy packing fishing tackle for the new Kon-tiki expedition
You will be gone for more than 100 days. You will spend the time drifting on a raft in the Pacific. You bring along a minimum of food. How on earth do you pack in order to meet the challenges?
Mustad's Dr. Hook knows how...
On 28 April 2006 a balsawood raft will quietly float out of Lima, Peru. 59 years after Thor Heyerdal's legendary voyage with Kon-Tiki, the magnificent achievement will be repeated under the name of Tangaroa. The crew of 7, including Heyerdahl's grandson Olav (and a parrot), will be battling the elements and the unpredictable Pacific Ocean for more than 100 days. Food stocks on board will be limited. The consequences of failing to catch fish would therefore be fatal. Mustad's Product Manager, Geir Sivertzen , also known as Dr. Hook, has assumed responsibility for the fishing equipment for the Tangaroa team.
 Specially designed hook
Dr. Hook has not taken the task lightly. The first thing that had to be in place was of course a hook especially designed and developed for the expedition. The hook has been aptly named 39948, Expedition Circle Hook. - "This is the ultimate hook for an expedition of this type," says a starry eyed Sivertzen. When fishing with circle hooks, such as the 39948, you are not supposed to make a strike when the fish bites: the hook and bait will slowly, but surely, work their way into the corner of the fish's mouth and it will hook itself. This is ideal on an expedition where the crew must "use every hour twice". The hook is also gentler with the fish, which is an excellent characteristic for catch & release if one lands inedible species.
Dangerous fishing line
Sivertzen and his team made an important discovery when choosing fishing line that otherwise may have had fatal consequences for the expedition. The original idea was to use the strongest line available, Mustad UltraBraid Multifilament. This is a woven line that is up to 4 times stronger than monofilament (gut) of comparative thickness. However, tests that were carried out showed that the extremely strong and thin super line could saw through a balsa log! In extreme circumstances a large fish could have cut the raft in two! The line chosen was therefore Mustad's strong and supple fish gut/monofilament, Mustad UltraLine.
Maintenance free rods and reels
The crew will not be able to use as much as a single drop of fresh water to maintain equipment. Robust, functional and maintenance free were the keywords when rods and reels were to be chosen from the top shelf. Mustad has developed extremely advanced rods, but has no reels that can match these. In order to offer the optimum combination, Dr. Hook's choice fell on high quality reels from Shimano together with Mustad's own rods.
Training
The selection and preparation of the equipment is only half the story. The crew of the Tangaroa does not have much experience in the use of this type of equipment and fishing. There's little future in reading a manual, casting a line and hoping that the fish will bite. Practical training is an absolute must. Some weeks before the raft is to be launched the whole expedition will go on a fishing trip off the coast of Chile with the expert guidance of Dr. Hook.
Expertise from around the world
From the head office at Gjøvik, Geir Sivertzen has drawn on the experience of Mustad's worldwide activities. The office in Auburn , New York , has contributed with the selection and testing of reels. The Miami department developed the rods. Factories in the Far East have contributed in the development of prototypes. Distributors in South America have provided recommendations for fishing based on the prevailing circumstances.
The greatest fishing trip
What Sivertzen calls the greatest fishing trip of the summer commences on 28 April and ends early in August. For as he says: "I would have given my left arm to go on that expedition, but then again I guess it would be difficult to hold the rod and reel at the same time."
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