Fishing Line - Basic Infomation.
A lot of anglers will simply pop into a tackle shop when purchasing line and simply say something like "a spool of 4lb line please", without giving much thought to what's involved.
For those interested I have listed some of the properties of fishing line below.
Monofilament and Braid.
The most common type of fishing line that nearly all coarse anglers use, is made from nylon and is a single strand. Because of this it is often referred to as "monofilament" and sometimes abbreviated to "mono". In other words it consists of one long single thread and isn't made of interwoven multi fibres like string, cotton or wool etc.
The opposite to this is braid, this is like string, cotton etc., made up of interwoven fibres. Carp anglers have been using it for some time now for hook lengths, as it is more supple and softer than monofilament lines. Some anglers are now also using it as a mainline. It is much stronger than mono for the same diameter and has virtually no stretch or elasticity. It is more expensive that standard "mono" fishing lines.
Monofilament Line Properties.
As most anglers use monofilament line, it makes since to look at it's properties in detail.
Breaking Strain / Diameter.
Fishing Line is available in different breaking strains. The breaking strain of a line is measured by how much force needs to be applied to a line, along it's length, until it breaks. Look at it this way, pull on a thin piece of cotton and it needs much less effort to snap than a thicker piece of string. In other words the cotton has a much less breaking strain than the string.
The diagram on the right shows a cross section of line. The bigger the breaking strain of the line, the thicker the line becomes.
For those who don't know what a cross section is, cut a piece of line and look at one of the pieces end on.
Most anglers when referring to line, think in terms of breaking strain. They will walk into a tackle shop and ask for a spool of 6lb line. Some anglers now refer to line thickness / diameter as well as it's breaking strain. Some anglers say that in future lines will be mainly referred to by their diameter. So anglers will be walking into tackle shops and asking for "some 0.18mm line please."
Thinner lines cast easier / further than thicker ones. Tie an half ounce lead onto a spool loaded with 2lb line and with the same amount of casting effort, it will go further than the same setup with 6lb line on.
The thinner the line the less visible it is to the fish. Thinner line is also more flexible and limp than thinner line, so it can give you better presentation of your bait. Imagine a hook and bait ties to very thin fishing line. A fish can move the bait around and because of the very thin line the baited hook moves in an almost natural manner. Now imagine the same bait and hook attached to very thick sea line. Because of the stiffness of the line if a fish tries moving it around it will not behave in a very natural manner at all.
This is why if bites are hard to come by, it often pays to scale down the line and/or hook length to increase bites. By reducing the line diameter and/or hook size, you can make the hook bait behave in a more natural manner and be less visible to the fish. It's always a balancing act trying to use the finest line you can get away with for good presentation and yet using strong enough end tackle to land the fish you are after.
Knot Strength.
As soon as you tie a knot in fishing line it weakens it, reducing the breaking strain. Always take great care when tying knots, a poor knot can weaken line by as much as 50%, that is to say 6lb line will break at 3lb.
Different knots have different effects, a well tied Palomar Knot for example will reduce a line breaking strain by about 85 to 90%. A Blood Knot used to tie two pieces of line together, can reduce the line strength by as much as 70%.
I cannot stress how important it is to tie knots very carefully. Wet the knot with a little spit, before pulling tight. It lubricates the line, helping the coils of line that makeup the knot, to slip over each other without damage during tightening of the knot.
Elasticity / Stretch.
If you don't know what elasticity means, think of a rubber band. Pull a rubber band, it stretches, let go and it returns to it's original size. Mono lines also have elasticity. Hold a two foot length of line between your two hands and pull the two ends apart. You will see there is some elasticity in the line as it stretches. Release the tension and it will contract to it's original length.
This stretch or elastic type behaviour of mono line is very handy when playing fish. The stretch acts as a shock absorber and will help absorb the sudden run of a big fish because of the give in the line. However this stretch should not be relied upon and the angler should take care to set the clutch of the reel correctly.
You will most probably notice line stretch the most when you get stuck in a snag when fishing with a rod and reel. The best way to try and free the rig is to point the rod directly at the snag and walk back. You will feel the line stretch before the rig comes out of the snag or the line breaks. Please note this is not the best method when a fish is hooked and takes you into a snag.
Bear in mind that with continued use and abuse the line will stretch very slightly and will loose it's elasticity. As this happens there will be a decrease in the line breaking strain, in other words in will weaken.
Colour / Visibility.
Monofilament line is available in different colours, from day glow fluorescent colours (often used in sea fishing) to almost clear. Some anglers use the colour of line to aid presentation, using lines that match the lake bed, or using a clear line when surface fishing.
Nylon is the most common material used in manufacture, but other substances are used like Polyvinylidene fluoride, which is sold as fluorocarbon are sometimes used. Some say that fluorocarbon lines have advantages over nylon lines, as they have the same refractive index as water. Sounds good, what it means is that it has almost the same way of bending light as water, so the theory is, it's not as easy to see in water as standard lines. This is why fly anglers use fluorocarbon lines for their leaders to attach their artificial flies to. Some say this is rubbish and fluorocarbon has the same visibility to fish as ordinary clear line.
Limpness / Flexibility.
Lines have different limpness / flexibility or if you like stiffness. Obviously as the diameter / breaking strain of a line increases, so the limpness or flexibility decrease. A simple test to compare the stiffness of different lines is to hold a few inches of two different lines between the finger and thumb. Hold the lines so that a few inches point upwards, the one that drops the most is more flexible, less stiff than the other. Try this simple test with two different makes of line, but with similar breaking strains.
Floaters and Sinkers.
Depending on the density of the line some float, some sink and some sink quicker than others. For example if your trotting down a river and don't want the line to sink, then a floating line is ideal. Maybe your float fishing on the drop and as soon as the bait hits the bottom, you wind in to recast. Again a floating line could be ideal so you can lift it quickly off the surface. Ledgering of float fishing on a still water and you want to get the line down, then a sinking line is your best bet.
Abrasion Resistance.
You will often see line manufacturers talking about the abrasion resistance of their line, It is defined as "The ability of a material to withstand mechanical action such as rubbing, scraping, or erosion." In other words some lines are better at withstanding snags than others.
Line Weakens with Use and Age.
There are a number of factors which gradually reduce the strength of mono fishing line.
- Light - Ultra Violate Light, given off by the sun, weakens line over time.
- Stretch / Elasticity - as a line is used it stretches over time, reducing breaking strain.
- Water - Nylon line absorbs water when submerged and dries out again when in the dry. This constant process, as the line is used, weakens it.
For this reason always check your line every so often for damage, weakness etc., Always store line in the dark if possible away from sunlight.