Fishing lines

[s_mac]

I have pleasuerd for 30 years now, Go into tackle shop. i know what poundage line i want, so see a spool with 4lb line, and buy it.

 

But looking around at web sites and the likes, there seems to be so many different types of line around. but not the help to know what they are for, the benefits, what they do, and what would be best for a given type of fishing, coarse, specimen etc.

 

hope someone can give some good advice an point me in the right direction

 

regards

 

sean

[pikergonecarpin]

The big advantage of braid is the low diameter compared to mono, and of course the zero stretch. They also cast well. The disadvantages to me of of braid are that most of them float or have neutral buoyancy. Also some aren't perfectly round.

 

Mono lines are generally quite high diameter for their breaking strain, but have about 20% stretch (i think?, i'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong) Also most mono's sink well.

 

Fluorocarbon's big selling point is that it is virtually invisible in water, having a light refraction very close to that of water. They also tend to have good abrasion resistance and sink very well. On the dowside they tend to be high memory, and from what others have said seem to be very brittle.

 

I've probably forgotton a few details but that's the jist of it. Personally, i use good old mono for all of my fishing apart from my lure rod. I tried using braid for a season on my carp and pike gear, but hated it for carp, pike was good for the bite detection and striking aspects (due to the low stretch) but i just couldn't get used to the feel of it.

 

Paul.

Edited September 26, 2006 by pikergonecarpin

[Newt]

and what would be best for a given type of fishing, coarse, specimen etc.

Sean - I don't think there is any one material or any one brand of line that is best under all circumstances. There always seem to be trade-offs so that if you want abrasion resistance, you have to take a certain amount of stiffness along with it; if you want low diameter, supple, zero memory, high b/s you need braid so you also get floating and low abrasion resistance; if you want mono you also get short-life line that hates sunlight and loves to stretch.

 

Basically you need to consider the conditions you will be fishing and the sorts of rigs you want to use and then match your line to that. Gets expensive though to have a couple dozen reels spooled with different lines so you are ready for anything and most of us find the best compromise and settle for that.

 

Describe the types of water, style of reel and the fish you usually target and we can probably give good line recommendations. I have only braid (50 or 80 lb b/s) on my reels except for a couple that contain fluoro line in a 17lb b/s but those lines certainly will not suit a large number of situations. They do me fine using multipliers from a boat and fishing lures & bait on large waters containing snags & rocks & open water with me targeting mostly bass & catfish & carp.