PB and the one that got away.....

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes indeed Roger.I only reccomended the two I did as Ive had countless years of experience with them.Im sure there are others out there that are just as good...just that Ive not used them and as such wouldnt reccomend.

 

Im sure there must be a lot of guys out there using really crap line,but as its been promoted as "good" they just assume that the problems they get with it are "normal".

 

Be really good to do something thats been in the back of my mind to put on for ages.Its basicly a "tackle week end" Not just me waffling on about different types of gear,how to make it,service/repair it but also a chance for loads of us to get together and show each other what we use and how we use it.A lot cheaper to have a go with a piece of tackle that belongs to someone else to find it doesnt suit you than to buy it! Also Im sure that a lot of guys only reccomend/ like something because that is all they know and would be very suprised to try different stuff! Also I bet there are loads of people dissmissing something as bad or not for them that just need showing how to use it properly.Maybe we should have a get together at a quieter time of year for such a week end?

 

Be just as interesting for old and new alike.And if youve got something that works for you and not for others then it doesnt matter what experience you have we would all be interested in seeing what you do have to say?

[Rich Habbershaw]

Ive never been a fan of Ultima line.In my opinion its cheap and nasty.Yes it is thin but this is due to it being somewhat pre stretched.

 

I once had some guys come to Spain with me who insisted on buying all their own tackle etc.No problem with the rods and reels they got but the reels were loaded up with some 25lb Ultima that a rep had given them to try!It had a very similar diameter to most 18lb monos and there lay the problem! It just couldnt hack the grief catting gives it.Several fish were lost before I insisted on them changing it.

 

Before you give up on mono or the grinner knot try one of these tried and tested lines either Maxima Chamelion or the cheaper Daiwa Sensor.See how you get on with grinner knots tied in these.

 

A lot of the modern monos aimed at carp anglers IMHO are very poor quality and sell purely because of the hype the carp rags give them.

 

The two I mention might not have dynamic names or camo spools! in fact they are both quite "unfashionable" these days....BUT they dont break! Forget about camoflage,invisibility,stiffness/softness,the colour,the smell,the thickness etc etc etc just a reliable line that knots well and doesnt break for no apparent reason is what you need.

 

Budgie

 

*Holds hands up* I have to admit that I read far too many of the carp rags, hence why I was swayed by the new lines. I'll give the current line until the end of the year & if I carry on with the same problems I'll make it the first thing I change.

 

Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated.

[Newt]

Rich - why not 'bench test' the line. Tie on a rig or hook as you usually would then attach to a scale and pull. See how the line performs when you continue to pull until something breaks.

 

I use an inexpensive turnbuckle attached to something solid so I can gradually increase tension on the line while watching the scale.

 

If your line generally does well (try 10-15 breaks) then you had an unfortunate accident. If you find frequent failures at the knot and you are tying a good knot then bin the line and replace with something more reliable.

[Dick Dastardly]

Newts spot on there mate saves you losing any more fish and will not take long.

[RobStubbs]

The vast majority of lines comes from the same manufacturer and are just dyed or simply repackaged. I have been using the same line for the last ten years (I do renew it on the reels though a bit more often). I use 15lb big game. It is one of the most reliable lines I've ever used. Sure it ain't thin, isn't the best casting line in the world, but you can almost use it to tow your car with it!

 

Find a line you like and stick with it. There's nothing to be gained by keep changing because at the end of the day it may well cost you fish, each time you find a crap one.

 

Rob.

Edited September 27, 2006 by RobStubbs

[borntofish]

Yes indeed Roger.I only reccomended the two I did as Ive had countless years of experience with them.Im sure there are others out there that are just as good...just that Ive not used them and as such wouldnt reccomend.

 

Im sure there must be a lot of guys out there using really crap line,but as its been promoted as "good" they just assume that the problems they get with it are "normal".

 

Be really good to do something thats been in the back of my mind to put on for ages.Its basicly a "tackle week end" Not just me waffling on about different types of gear,how to make it,service/repair it but also a chance for loads of us to get together and show each other what we use and how we use it.A lot cheaper to have a go with a piece of tackle that belongs to someone else to find it doesnt suit you than to buy it! Also Im sure that a lot of guys only reccomend/ like something because that is all they know and would be very suprised to try different stuff! Also I bet there are loads of people dissmissing something as bad or not for them that just need showing how to use it properly.Maybe we should have a get together at a quieter time of year for such a week end?

 

Be just as interesting for old and new alike.And if youve got something that works for you and not for others then it doesnt matter what experience you have we would all be interested in seeing what you do have to say?

Budgie,

It would be great, but for the fourteen hour flight (lol). I know what you mean actually we do over here i am going to one on the 4th of November, they sometimes get a guy from the uk to chat to us as well. As for the mags i will not even comment on that point, we have only two and one of them is not worth the paper it is written on. the other well it is getting there.

 

the reason I said big game is here we have strong sunlight it stands up to it, sometimes very poluted water it stands up it, so yes a very good line.

 

Roger

[RUDD]

I use a four turn grinner knot which I find very reliable.

BUT YOU MUST WET THE LINE ALOT alround the knot and line that the knot slides down before and during the tieing process.

 

Do you have any protection over your knot?

 

Your swivel may have pulled to far into the lead and the knot cut against the plastic tube inside the lead.

Or the knot may have rubbed against a foreighn agent.

 

I have started to use the tapered things by Fox that you put on your hooklength, tie on your swivel then slide the plastic/rubber thingy back over your swivel.

It protects your knot AND acts as a boom away from your lead to prevent tangles.

You could also try shring tube.

[Rich Habbershaw]

I use a four turn grinner knot which I find very reliable.

BUT YOU MUST WET THE LINE ALOT alround the knot and line that the knot slides down before and during the tieing process.

 

Do you have any protection over your knot?

 

Your swivel may have pulled to far into the lead and the knot cut against the plastic tube inside the lead.

Or the knot may have rubbed against a foreighn agent.

 

I have started to use the tapered things by Fox that you put on your hooklength, tie on your swivel then slide the plastic/rubber thingy back over your swivel.

It protects your knot AND acts as a boom away from your lead to prevent tangles.

You could also try shring tube.

 

If these are jelly-stops, then yes I do use them on some of my rigs. It just so happened the rig that broke off was one of my first attempts at rig tying! An earlier attempt saw one method feeder go sailing into the distance because the knot wasn't tied right & the whole kaboodle came off.

 

I'm going to test the line strength as suggested above, other than that I think I need to practice those knots.

[Dick Dastardly]

Rich,one of the reasons I always reccomend a Grinner knot is that it is so versatile.You can tie on anything with an eye eg hook,swivel,lead etc and also join two lengths of line with it.It can even be used to tie a stop knot.

 

Other reasons are that it is an easy knot to learn and easy to tie in the dark.Stick with it and dont worry about learning half a dozen different knots!

[Andy_1984]

you never get over it, i still think about the pike i hooked into (id guess a small double) while fishing for small roach which the pike tried to steal from me and hooked its self, bent my hook straight, i was inexperienced and had my drag set realy tight, i was fishing for little roach so it isnt somthing i think of very often is the drag.