Braid

[Dick Dastardly]

I think the secret of the Grinner is to tie it "big"! nice big loop lots of tag end.I have always used my mouth as a third set of hands as well! Can tie it in the pitch black as well.Some people just make a loop but if you are having difficulty try winding the line four or five turns back up the main line before making the loop,this keeps it open.Out of interest what knot do you Palomar guys use to join two lengths of line,a double blood knot?

[jeepster]

i have no idea what my line to line knot is called, but i know it works!

[darrell.cook]

Budgie, do you recommend the double blood knot ?

I've stopped using both the double blood knot and the tucked half blood knot in favour of the grinner.

I was put off blood knots following several breaks when using flurocarbon back in my fluff chucking days.

I find the grinner easy to tie and succesful with mono and braid.

[Guest 202]

All this talk about braid on this site and others has convinced me to try it on a couple of methods, but what make??? I have been told by a brother inlaw that a store local to him in the US is selling 150yd spiderline @ $7, & Berkley Fireline 125yds @ $15, anyone got good or bad comments about either? befor I ask him to bring some over

[jeepster]

got to be powerpro, most people on here would agree with me

 

[ 04. January 2005, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: jeepster ]

[argyll]

Of the brands available in the UK Power Pro is as good as it gets. Spiderline is also pretty good (the one in the red pack...theres so many variants) Fireline is also very reliable, a real work horse of a line but its heavier and usually breaks way above its stated bs. Go for the Power Pro. Stay away from Stealth or anything that has 'kevlar' in its name.

 

[ 04. January 2005, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[Uncle Fester]

I tried my braid again today, 8lb, cant remember what make, couldn't find a knot that didn't break easily, so reverted to mono. The braid is about 3 years old, does it age like mono? Or perhaps it's just lousy braid!

[argyll]

Braid is unaffected by all of those things that cause mono to deteriorate. Some of the braids that I'm still using are 4/5 years old. You might have had a lousy braid. Berkely Whiplash was lousy braid, as was Stren Kevlar. Both are now withdrawn by the manufacturers. Spiderwire Stealth is Berkely Whiplash with a teflon coating, but it doesnt seem to have done much for its popularity. You may have also been using the wrong knot. Low breaking strain braid is susceptible to failure at the knot if you use the wrong knot or make a hash of tying it.. see the posts above about knots. Dont give up on the stuff, try a fresh spool of 10lb PowerePro. I use it for ultralite lure fishing and its (so far) not let me down.

[Uncle Fester]

Thanks Argyll, I wanted to use braid today as the river wall pushing through and wanted to reduce the line drag. Couldn't find the fish anyway.

Tried a half blood, and one other that I remember using before, but both broke at the knot very easily. Perhaps I'll try one of the brands mentioned above, it would be nice to be able to make it work.

[Dick Dastardly]

Darral,I personally dont rate the blood knot or any of its variations.Only thing I ever use it for is making up droppered fly casts as they stick out at 90degrees to the main line.

 

202 I like Spiderwire.As said allready the origonal in the red box.Dont like fusion and not so sure about stealth! Nowt wrong with Power Pro as reccomended by others.

 

Whiplash is probabley the thinnest braid available,possibley the cause of all its problems!!!