FISHING LINE
Fishing line is fishing line, right? Wrong, I’m afraid. There are mainlines and hooklengths, including floating lines, sinking lines, braided lines and prestretched, hi-tech lines... Each of them has a specific use and it is important to have a basic understanding of each type, as selecting the wrong line can spell disaster.
Monofilament Lines
Ordinary monofilament lines are the first choice of most coarse anglers, and they come in many variations and boast various qualities. The vast majority of what anglers call ‘mono’ sold in the UK is made in Germany and Japan. Bayer Perlon, which floats, is a particularly popular choice for float fishing and Maxima, which sinks, is the top choice for legering. Ordinary mono line stretches, is quite robust, and is the right choice for main line to put on the reel. There are many different colours from which to choose; from green to grey, brown to clear or even yellow. For most float-fishing requirements 2-31b (0.9-1.36kg) breaking strain would be a good choice, with 3-41b (1.36-1.8kg) line a better strength for legering.Big carp and pike anglers should be using mainlines not lighter than 10lb (4.54kg). Always use a hooklength, which must be less than the strength of the mainline, so that if you snag up you will only lose the hooklength. As a general rule, the hooklength should have a breaking strain in the region of 10-20 per cent less than that of the mainline. Pre-stretched Lines
Some lines are pre-sttetched in order to reduce their diameter and so appear less obvious to the fish. They have a high breaking strain for their diameter compared with mono mainlines, but because they have had the stretch taken out of them during the manufacturing process, they are quite brittle and not suitable for use as mainlines. They should be used only for hooklengths and for the mainline on pole rigs, where the pole’s ‘elastic’ (a short length of elastic line) provides a cushion. Pro-Micron line is particularly popular, but because of the extra work that goes into making pre-stretched line, a spool is usually twice the price of ordinary mono. Often you will read angling articles which refer to the diameter of the line in millimetres (e.g. 0.12mm), rather than to its strength. These are invariably pre-stretched lines, and although different makes have different breaking strains, a general guide to breaking strains is shown below. | Braided Mainline
Braid is a weave of materials, rather like an ultra thin rope, and it can be used for either mainline or hooklengths. it is quite easy to tell which is which as mainline braids tend to be supplied in spools of at least l00m (330ft), whereas hooklength braids are usually in 10-20m (33-66ft) spools. There has been quite a trend in favour of using braid as mainline in the last few years. The key feature of braid is that it has no stretch. This has proved a real boon for lure anglers, who say they can feel takes from pike, zander and perch that they would never have felt with mono on account of the latter’s stretch. Lure anglers need a sinking braid, such as Berkley Fireine or Gorilla Braid, although there are other brands which float and these are used by pike anglers who like to drift baits downwind using drifter floats. A sinking mainline would be a disaster with this technique. Some carp and tench specialists also use the ‘no stretch’ factor to draw up a mental picture of what a venue is like underwater. They cast out a lead and bounce it along the bottom to ‘feel’ for gravel bars, which are a great fish holding feature. It is amazing how you can feel every stone you bounce a lead over, even at l00m (330ft) when using braid. Most rods are designed for use with monofilament lines, so it is essential to use a ‘leader’ of 8lb (3.6kg) mono for the last 25 feet (7.5m) or so of your rig. Braided Hooklengths
Braided hooklengths are softer and more supple than braid used for mainline and they have a very small diameter for their strength compared to mono. It is this combination of softness and fineness, together with a high degree of resistance to abrasion compared to mono lines, that appeals to the specialists, who are often fishing for wary specimens in snaggy swims. Big-fish anglers tend to use braided hooklengths of between six and 15 inches (15-38cm); many of the most popular brands are made by Kryston and Drennan. A final word of warning though; braided hooklengths are much more expensive than their monofilament counterparts.
|