Racine Tortue - Blast from the past

[brookesey]

Racine Tortue! I had a spool of 12oz for hooklengths as a teenage canal novice in 1974. I thought it was the height of sophistication, and great line. I used every inch on the spool. Another long-lost line from a bit later - Sundridge Green Force in 1.5 lbs. Great for light stick float and hooklengths. I wish you could still get both.

Still have spools of 1 and 1.5 lb Force in my box for canal use. It's 20+ years old (that's how long I stopped fishing for) and is still as good as it was back then.

 

[markcw]

I found a spool of Ray Mumford 6oz or 8oz ( the label is a little faded) hook length line
in a drawer in my shed last year along with a fold out tubertini card hookength holder, I never used the ine,it was like trying to tie a cobweb to the hook,

 

[trotter2]

I think providing you keep it out of direct sunlight is does stay strong. I have some Bayer about the same age and it's still perfect.
I would always test it mind as some brands do deterate over time.

 

[bracket]

RT? I have tied a few thousand spade ends on that in the past. It was a particularly favourite of Jan's I recall. Pete

 

[laguna]

I think providing you keep it out of direct sunlight is does stay strong. I have some Bayer about the same age and it's still perfect.
I would always test it mind as some brands do deterate over time.

Ive still got some spools of bayer from the 70's as well. Never seen the light of day, most of it is rated at around 1lb or so. Also some bloodworm hooks size 27 mg:

 

[abuman]

hello all has anyone got any of this line for sale please thanks john

 

[Philip]

This thread stirred some memories so I had a rummage aorund and as it happens I have some but not the diameters you want :

I never actually knew whether "Racing Tortoise" was an intentionally jokey English name for this line!? It actually translates as something like "Radical Turtle"...

It actually translates to “root turtle”.

Out of interest the “root” part of the name actually dates back to the days lines were made from silk. The best silk lines were the ones that were both long and consistent in diameter and were said to resemble a Chinese root.

Turtle (Tortue) nylon line decided to acknowledge these origins and so stuck root ("Racine") in the name.

So there you go…I think I can safely say not allot of people know that

 

[mikench]

And I thought it was a long lost work by Jean Racine!

 

[abuman]

thanks for looking lads

 

[Tommy Ruffe]

Me and me dad used Racing Tortoise back in the 50s. It became more difficult to get hold of so, when I returned to fishing in the late 70s, I switched to Bayer lines. Back in those good old days Bayer Perlon was a floating line and was ideal for stick float fishing on the Trent. Bayer Superlon was a sinking line and was perfect for waggler and feeder fishing. I see now that only 'Perlon' is manufactured and production has switched to Japan. These days I use Maxima Ultragreen for fly-fishing leaders. Nothing ever stays the same.