Gamma Technologies fishing products manager Tom Ference doesn't have to go far when he wants to field-test his company's new fishing line.

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With the Allegheny River at the doorstep of Gamma's Washington's Landing headquarters, Ference has a ready-made place to show off the High Performance co-polymer monofilament and Edge fluorocarbon that he says are creating a buzz among professional bass anglers. The FLW's Dave LeFebre and Bassmaster veteran Ron Shuffield, who competed in the Bassmaster Classic here this summer, have joined Gamma's pro staff.

Fishing line is a profitable but competitive industry, according to Arsalan Azara, who directs fishing line product innovation for Pure Fishing, the world's largest producer of fishing line.

Pure Fishing, based in Spirit Lake, Iowa, owns Berkley, Stren and Spider Wire, and claims it makes enough line to circle the globe five times. Still, new line keeps coming into the market from as far away as India, China, Eastern Europe, South America and Japan. The demand for fishing tackle remains strong, even in a sluggish economy, said Azara, because fishing can provide low-cost entertainment.

According to Rick Ice of the American Sports Fishing Association, fishing line in the United States doesn't have to be certified for pound test strength or quality, though some lines earn International Game Fish Association ratings. He advises anglers to get guidance about the line selection from a good tackle shop.

"Find out what's right for you, and then judge for yourself," he said. "If you're not going to charge your line often, you're better off buying something a little better in a brand you feel comfortable with."

Gamma began producing fly fishing line four years ago when it introduced Frog Hair products. It officially debuted its Edge and High Performance lines this year. All are made using the patented irradiation process company founder Harry Ferrari developed 30 years ago for tennis racquet string.

While fishing line typically is made by first melting copolymer and then drawing it like taffy until the desired pound test weight and diameter are achieved, Gamma molecularly alters the copolymer using an energy more powerful than that used in microwave ovens, said Ference.

"The process breaks down long chain molecules to create interconnected or honeycombed short chain molecules, which makes for a stronger yet suppler product," he said.

It also makes for a pricier product.

Gamma eight pound test Edge fluorocarbon is $22.95 for a 120-yard spool. Sunline is about $18 for a 110-yard spool and Vanish is about $9 for 200 yards. "The price point on Gamma monofilament is similar to the high end of the more common brands, and about 60 percent more expensive than run of the mill stuff," said Ference. "A typical spool is $8.95 for 330 yards of mono."

Gamma copolymer is extruded in Japan, and then shipped to the U.S. for manufacturing. It is packaged and marketed on Washington's Landing, a community of upscale houses, offices and the Three Rivers Rowing Club, a community rowing facility.

"I've walked out to the river many times to cast for distance and to see how the line performs in really cold weather," said Ference, who travels the country demonstrating his product at outdoors shows and top-level tournaments. He said he convinced Shuffield to switch from another manufacturer at the recent Cabela Top Gun tournament in Texas.

He sold LeFebre on Gamma by fishing with him on Lake Erie.

"It took him one day to drop his existing sponsor and represent us," Ference said. "He and I fished Erie so he could sample it, and he was convinced it was better than what he was using. He referred me to some of his buddies like Alvin Shaw and they made the switch too."

Ference has gotten the line onto the shelves of local tackle shops, such as Lee Murray's Lock Three Bait and Tackle in Cheswick, on the Allegheny River and Nemacolin Woodlands' World on the Youghiogheny, and into big box stores such as Cabelas, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain.

"It's awesome," Lock Three's Tom Green said about Gamma line. "It's got good knot strength, casts well, has low memory, a smooth finish. Everyone I've turned on to it, once they try it, they come back again and again."

Green said he sells more monofilament than fluorocarbon, mostly because of the price difference.

Ference said anglers find Gamma at least twice as strong as other brands, and its fluorocarbon suppler than other invisible line, which means far fewer break-offs with a hard hook set.

"I fish fluorocarbon 99 percent of the time," LeFebre said. "Gamma is more forgiving, more supple, not brittle like the old line I was using, where, even if you go to set the hook fast on a two pound bass under the boat, you're going to break off."

Gamma comes in 4- to 40-pound test and in 250-pound leader for saltwater angling. Test weights indicate the pound weight at which line with no knots is likely to break under direct pull machine testing at the factory. There are no certification requirements within the industry to ensure uniformity of test weights among line manufacturers. Line diameter is also critical but often gets less attention than pound test weight. Ference invites anglers to conduct their own pull tests comparing Gamma with other line.

"Every company will tell you that their line is stronger, but we really are those things," Ference said. "We have the least memory of all the lines. Fishermen tell us they have to respool four times less often."

Sales figures are proprietary, said Ference, because the company is family owned. Pure Fishing also is a privately owned company, although Azara estimates sales for all of its tackle at more than $300 million a year.