WHAT'S YOUR
LURE-FISHING LINE ?
Critical factors to consider
by Ralph Walker © 2004 / Edited by Nick Caine

Ralph "The Rod" Walker takes a close-look at some of the lines that are available and finds that it's not that easy to separate fads and fiction from the real facts, and so he turned to Nick's firm's professional Tackle Test Laboratory for some additional help. Thanks too for some valuable input from "Combat"

BLOWING AWAY THE BLUFF
To my mind there's no doubting the value of some pukka scientific lab tests to complement on-the-bank testing of lines, mainly because line manufacturers' claims on their spools and boxes of line should be based on proper tests and these cannot be done arbitrarily on the bank or in a boat.

So as well as my practical fishing tests of lines, I like to have proper lab test data to blow away the bluff of any marketing claims that are not backed-up by any data.

CHOICES
Whatever your preferred type or types of line, nylon, copolymer or fluorocarbon monofilaments, fusion lines, gel-spun polyethylene (GSPE) Spectra or Dyneema braids, the choices very wide and the claims can be very confusing: it seems to me that it's easier than ever these days to make a mistake as I've discovered to my cost.

These days with all the hype and claims about stretch, abrasion resistance, invisibility and so on, choosing a line isn't as easy as it used to be: it can be fraught with problems! It's not just a matter of reading reviews and stuff written by sponsored anglers or reading literature and labels and talking to your mates; there's so much hick amateur testing and junk science around these days, isn't there? Just how do you separate fads and fiction from the facts? It's very difficult!

83% of 58 UK monos failed EFTTA's BS tests !
For one thing, as I've also learnt to my cost and most likely you have too, with fishing line sales blurb, and BS claims etc., you can't always believe what's on the label? Have you read the summary of EFTTA's latest series of BS tests on 58 monos sold in the UK?

48 of the lines i.e. 83 % !, had all 10 samples tested, falling below their claimed breaking strength !

How do they get away with this with Wts & Measures, Trade Descriptions Acts, Sale of Goods and Advertising Standards legislation? Don't ask me!

MAIN POINTS
Anyway, I thought that I would go-over some of the main points you need to consider when choosing a line for your fishing, be it for general, specimen or lure-fishing and naturally I needed a bit of professional help from Nick's firm's friendly Tackle Testing Laboratory Team.

At the outset I should mention that in addition to the ones I have tried and recommended, there are many other perfectly good lines available: it's just that it's only right and proper that I should restrict my comments to those lines which I have used and for which I have some proper data from Nick's firm's laboratories.

BREAKING STRESS AND WET-KNOT STRENGTH
Firstly there's BS, Breaking Strain, or Breaking STRESS or STRENGTH as I'm told it should really be called. But what do fishing tackle companies actually mean by their "BS" figures? Is it dry, un-knotted BS, which is only a guide? Who fishes with dry line and no knots? Or is their claimed BS an actual and much more useful and practical "Wet Knot BS"? But just how exactly was the claimed BS measured, which knot should you use and just what is its wet knot strength?

KNOTS
Knots are very critical as far as modern monos, fusion lines and braids are concerned; if the manufacturer doesn't recommend a specific knot or knots for their line, go for the strong & easy-to-tie Grinner or Palomar knots, maybe even finished-off with a drop of high-viscosity water-proof SuperGlue.

Personally I use the knot shown here on the right, not because it's particularly easy to tie, but because, having tested its wet-knot BS on the machine in the laboratory, I am convinced that it's as good as any other knot if not better than most of them.

DIAMETER AND TENSILE STRENGTH
It seems to me that anglers are split roughly into two groups as far as choosing their lines is concerned. Some make their choice purely in the accepted traditional way, by a line's BS, while others seem to judge and select a line more by its diameter.

Diameter is usually easy to measure except as far as some fusion and soft, flat braids are concerned. A line with a small diameter and a high wet knot strength has a high tensile strength. Tensile strength is the BS divided by the cross-sectional area of the line and is measured in pounds per square inch, p.s.i. This is a fair method of comparing lines if strength and diameter are all you're interested in.

Some typical tensile strength figures are:-

GSPE = Gel-Spun Polyethylene, usually sold under the Trademarks Spectra™ or Dyneema™ It's also known as HPPE, High Performance/Pressure PolyEthylene.

ISO 2062
Some people say that the rate of application of the force when testing the BS of lines with tensile tensiometers, is too fast but of course this is easily adjusted. Personally I think we do need a standard test method and ISO 2062 fits the bill pretty well. Of course, those manufacturers of lines whose lines fail their BS claims when tested by ISO 2062, will always complain.

Diameter or Breaking Strength ?
I've read that some lure-anglers merely take advantage of the high tenacity of super-braids by choosing those of the same or similar diameter as their normal former nylon or copolymer monos, thus giving themselves a line of 2 or 3 times greater breaking strength (for the same diameter).

Surely this is fuzzy logic because the breaking strength of your line has to be the first major factor in lure-fishing, not for landing big pike of course because you need skill and the right tackle and not high BS lines to do this, but maybe for fishing with big lures such as jerk-baits, and more importantly in my view, for getting your everyday lures back safely from snags.

So, for me, I choose my line, usually super-braid, first by the BS that I want e.g. 20 or 30 lb wet-knot strength, and not by the diameter, and take advantage of the much smaller diameter BS-for-BS that braids offer — this must surely make the line a tad less visible and spooking, while still maintaining the strength that I want and need.

Super-braid for ultra-light lures
And what's more, with the right, strong and light rod & reel set-up, you can easily fish tiny ultra-light lures with 20 lb BS ultra-low diameter super-braid, without having to use what I consider to be silly, low BS monos and weak, wispy tackle.

If you can't easily cast ultra-light lures weighing a lot less than 5gm (1/6th oz or less) with a super-braid of 20 lb BS and a diameter of say 0.20mm, then you're obviously fishing with the wrong rod — period!

I actually read (and laughed a lot) when someone said that they were having trouble casting light lures and someone-else suggested that they added split-shot to the trace-end of the tackle — talk about tackling a problem back-to-front !

DYNAMIC SHOCK LOAD IMPACT STRENGTH
One method of measuring the strength of a line involves fairly slow application of an increasing breaking force: this is all very well but it doesn't give you much idea about the Dynamic Shock Load Impact strength of the line which is what we also need to know. It's a very important factor because very high transient shock loads are sometimes transmitted to your tackle for example when you suddenly hit a snag with your lure - then your line's elongation, stretch-under-load, can be a major factor.

I've watched some of Nick's firm's demonstrations of shock load tests with rods, reels (with their drags locked solid) and lines attached to very accurate load-cells linked to computers. I was shocked by the results. You'd think that a 10 lb BS would break before it could transmit any force much above 10 lbs, wouldn't you? Well I would. Anyway, in these tests shock loads of up to 100 lbs were transmitted to the rod by 10 lb lines albeit only for a millisecond, before the line broke, but by then the damage had been done, and a high-modulus rod lay shattered in three pieces! Wow! it makes you think doesn't it?

ELONGATION: LINE STRETCH UNDER LOAD
Once again, a lot of rubbish is talked and written about stretch or 'Elongation under Stress' as it is called, technically speaking, or so I'm told! The word 'Stress' means 'applied force' and this is quite important actually, because under normal fishing conditions, the stress load on your line is tiny: even monos don't stretch a lot in spite of what you may have read! There's no way most monos stretch 20% under normal lure-fishing conditions, retrieving your lures: if you're pulling to break or giving it shock-loads, maybe, or fishing giant jerkbaits, but not otherwise.

I've seen Elongation Test Measurement data on quite a few monos and I can tell you that without applying so much force that you stretch it past its Elastic Limit, the actual normal percentage stretch figures for several high-tech monos were from about 7 to about 11% max. When you are applying a force to test-stretch a line, the Elastic Limit is as far as you can go without over-stretching it; when the force is removed, the line will or should return to its original length, just like a piece of elastic does. But if you go past its Elastic Limit, your line will stay permanently stretched. Some lines are sold already pre-stretched to reduce elasticity and improve sensitivity.

With Spectra and Dyneema braids, things are completely different: braids have hardly any stretch at all and the same goes for fusion lines. This is good news for sensitivity and hook-setting but bad news if you set your reel drag too tightly; lost tackle, lost fish or a broken rod could be the result - you have been warned!

WET CASTABILITY
But just how 'smooth' is the line which you are thinking of buying? Here we are talking technical: Surface Dynamic Friction! Does it cast well when it's dry or wet? I know this depends on a few other factors as well, such as your rod, rings and reel but it's still something extra worth considering because lines do vary in this respect. But you can always add a couple of drops of Relum's Rod Hutchinson "Slick Horizon" line lube to help it on its way!

MEMORY AND SUPPLENESS
If your line has 'memory', is stiff and forms open coils as it comes off your spool, it will give problems compared with line which is supple and limp. And what happens to it in very cold weather?! But how can you tell what line is like before you actually part with your hard-earned cash? Very difficult unless you can try some first, or have access to the sort of expensive tackle testing equipment that Nick's Labs have.

WET ABRASION RESISTANCE
Specimen fishing is very much in fashion these days and many venues have plenty of snags in and around the water, not to mention gravel and other nasty sharp and abrasive things. This is mainly why your line's abrasion resistance (AR) has become more and more important over the years. I'm not so sure though that abrasion is too much of a problem in most everyday lure-fishing situations.

It's almost impossible to sort out facts from fiction as far as abrasion resistance claims are concerned - I've all read lots of stuff about monos and braids, but what is true and what is not? Well, I reckon that despite all the hype and claims about these high tensile strength ultra-thin braids, as far as real honest-to-goodness high abrasion resistance is concerned, some modern high-tech monos are virtually unbeatable as Nick's Lab's guys & gals professional tests have shown: the fact is that, unfortunately, monos can't match braids for tensile strength.

Like for Like?
Comparing different lines for abrasion resistance isn't easy. If you compare monos, fusion lines and braids all of identical wet knot BS, their diameters will be vastly different and this will of course affect abrasion resistance comparisons, the smaller the diameter, the greater the line's susceptibility to nicks, cuts and abrasion.

On the other hand, if you compare monos, fusion lines and braids with identical diameters, their wet knot BS will be very different because, diameter for diameter, GSPE braids and fusion lines are much, much stronger than monos.

If you are determined to use a High Performance GSPE braid, the fact is that, if you want to stand a chance of having much AR at all, you'll have to use one with plenty of meat on it, and definitely not an ultra-thin type! But braids are "the Biz" if you want high tensile strength, thin diameter, limpness and low memory. Braids also give you great sensitivity because of their very low stretch under load.

SHELF-LIFE & USE-BY DATES
Before I go on to talk about cost, there are several other factors which I always consider when choosing a new line e.g. how long will it last? Lines are exposed to all sorts of attack from the elements. Ultra-violet light can weaken some lines within a very short time. Air, oxygen, water and its acidity may also have an 'ageing' effect especially if the line is very slightly water-absorbent as is the case with standard nylon monos.

So a line that has been sitting on the shelves of your tackle shop for a year or so (worse if they've been exposed to sunlight as well) may well have a much-reduced BS compared with its claimed original strength! Personally I'd very much like to see spools of line stamped with their date of manufacture and a "Use-by" date. Some manufacturers are well-ahead of others as far as overcoming or at the very least minimising this problem: take the now sadly defunct Ashima for example - their spools of line came in nitrogen-filled sealed pouches that were also UV light resistant.

And contrary to some beliefs, Spectra & Dyneema HPPE super-braids don't last forever! Depending on use and the conditions of storage etc., super-braids may last up to 4-times longer than bog-standard nylon monos, but that means that braids still need to be turned-around on your spools during the season, and to be replaced every couple of seasons or so, unless of course you have proper lab test data to prove otherwise!

Nightmare
Of course, "USE BY" dates on spools of line would be a nightmare for tackle shops who like to keep a good stock level but who may also keep some spools of line on their shelves for sale for 5 years or more ... and of course it's not tested before it's sold or used.

.... and a line to avoid

COLOUR, DENSITY AND REFRACTIVE INDEX
A line's density will determine whether it floats or sinks: some anglers prefer one thing and others prefer another. Water has a density of 1.0, so lines with a density of 0.99 will float and others with a density of 1.01 or higher, will sink.

Colour and Refractive Index (RI) are another couple of factors. If a line is translucent or transparent and has the same or similar RI to that of water (1.33), it will be almost invisible: some of the fluorocarbon lines are like this. For example Sufix's fluorocarbon Invisiline has a density of 1.78 so it sinks very rapidly. Many braids float, although there are several sinking versions available now.

Some anglers like bright yellow, even fluorescent, lines so that they can see where everything is: others don't like lines which have a shiny surface, preferring a matt finish - each to their own!

FISH CARE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Fish care and the environment should always be top of our list and it's same when it comes to choosing main lines and hook-lengths. Ultra-thin, and I emphasise ULTRA-THIN, high tensile strength braids can be bad news when it comes to the mouths of specimen fish and for this reason many carp anglers prefer to stick with monos or to use speciality larger diameter, softer braided hook-lengths. Obviously, this isn't anyhting to worry about when you're lure-fishing because you're always using a trace.

Please be very thorough with your knot-tying because you don't want your line to break at the knot. Also please take any broken or snagged line home, whether its yours or someone else's because very few artificial fibres used, either in monofilament or braided fishing lines, are bio-degradable and so they tend to hang around for ages if they are left in the environment.

Wire trace, NOT braid !
By the way, despite some claims, braids are no substitute for wire traces as far as sharp-toothed pike are concerned. If you're a pike or toothy predator angler, there's no option but to use one of the many good quality coated or un-coated trace wires that are now available.

And comments like "Well, I've been using braid as a trace for years and have never had any problems" don't help, except for having a laugh.

COST per METRE or YARD
Well, I hope I've covered most everything that you should look for in a line, everything except of course the very important matter of cost per metre or per yard and that's down to your tackle dealer, and you with your calculator. Even so, having contrasted and compared all these factors, it's still not easy to make a choice. I don't have all the answers by a long way but I do have what I hope are a few helpful suggestions, so here goes:-

MAKING YOUR CHOICE
So the choice of line is between braids, monos and fusion lines. Looking at the PROs and CONs of the different types of line is vital in making the best choice for your own individual styles of fishing. Here, of course, I'm mainly talking about lure-fishing although a lot of what I've said and found-out applies equally to monos and braids for other species fishing, and some factors such as abrasion resistance, even more so.

Monos for truly Good Abrasion Resistance
When I'm not lure-fishing, as a specimen angler I have to say that I prefer to play safe and to use a truly high abrasion-resistance mono together with specially designed braided hook-lengths. And here I've also had some valuable input from "Combat" on this topic ! High abrasion resistance doesn't have to come at a high price — Fox Soft Steel is a perfectly adequate hi-AR mono at a sensible price.

Alternatively you can take your pick from the other front-runners in the high abrasion-resistance monofilament stakes such as Sufix Tritanium, those from Berkley, especially Big Game, Masterline's Blue, and Yellow monos (if you can find them), Drennan ESP, Shimano Catana or Technium, and Nash Bullet.

If you're a lure-angler and a big fan of braid but are at all worried about lack of stretch and abrasion resistance, especially when sea-fishing, you can always use a section of one of these monos as a abrasion-resistant leader.

but Low AR braids aren't really a problem, are they ... ?
That said, although low-diameter Spectra & Dyneema super-braids have comparatively poor AR, BS for BS, compared with nylon and hi-tech copolymer monos, this isn't really a problem when it comes to fresh-water lure-fishing where, if you're lucky, you won't come into contact with much else very often, other than some nice predators.

Fluorocarbon fad ?
Fluorocarbon monos have become quite a fad these days, but the ones I have used haven't been that supple. Even though they have the advantage of being almost invisible in water and still have good abrasion resistance, I wouldn't recommend them for anything other than hook-lengths or fly-fishing leaders. They tend to have quite a lot of memory and are very difficult to knot, and they're expensive too, plus the fact that I've also heard the odd report or two about unexplained cracking-off with these fluorocarbon monos. Obviously knots are ultra-critical too. As far as lure-fishing goes, I can't see a lot of reasons to use a fluorocarbon mono ... but each to their own.

Braids can be the Biz
True GSPE braids have taken the market by storm with their ultra-low diameters. low elongation under load and ultra-high tensile strengths which make for vastly increased casting distances and much greater sensitivity without any loss in BS, ideal for most lure-fishing applications.

They're lightweight, supple and incredibly strong, but their smaller diameters compared with modern 4th and 5th generation monos of the same BS, do make braids far more susceptible to nicks, cuts and abrasion.

When they first came on to the market, these true ultra-high-tech braids were very expensive but now, if you shop around, you can get them for less than 10p per metre, although one of the original super-braids, Spiderwire Stealth still costs more than that!

Personally, for my everyday lure-fishing, I used to use mainly Sufix Herculine at around 7p per metre and it has certainly done the biz for me although these days because its a tad easier to obtain, I also use Berkley Whiplash Pro which I also rate very highly.

If you're into the macho end of lure-fishing i.e. with jerkbaits and the like, I'd recommend that you read Nick's separate review of Power Pro braid which he seems to think is the Biz for these big lures. I've used it in the past in the lower BSs and didn't rate it much — maybe it's improved since then.

but braids aren't forever ....
Virtually all lines degrade with age, especially when exposed to UV light, moisture and elevated temperatures; of course some are better than others, and although Spectra or Dyneema HPPE fibres are much more resistant than bog-standard nylon monos, these braids won't last forever, far from it. In fact, although they may last up to 4 times long than basic nylon mono lines, you should therefore still take into consideration the fact that even your super-braid will need replacing after a couple of seasons, and in the meantime, you should turn it round on your spools!

Fusion Lines
Fusion lines are sort of "in- between" monos and braids. They used to be cheaper than true braids but seem to have lost that advantage now. They have similar tensile strength and sensitivity to braids and a bit more abrasion resistance but not a lot, nothing like the claims which are made for it.

Fusion lines are made from un-braided strands of GSPE which are sheathed in a hard, thermo-plastic resin. As a result, fusion lines are not so limp as braids and although you might not get quite such good casting distance, you'll get fewer tangles! Some lure-anglers like them because they have many of the advantages of braids while behaving more like traditional monos.

Probably the most well-known of all fusion lines is Berkley's Fireline and there are loads of lure-anglers who absolutely swear by it. There's also Spiderwire Fusion and Sufix Herculine Hydro-Fine (formerly Herculine Micro).

As far as I'm concerned, in the lower BSs, pukka braids have the advantage over fusion lines like Fireline, both in terms of diameter, and suppleness. That said, Berkley Fireline still has a very big following, and is probably one of the most widely-used fusion lines in lure-fishing.

Fusion lines seem to generate the most extreme love-hate feelings with some anglers despising fusion lines, and others swearing by them. Personally, since they lost their price advantage over braids, I think they've had their day, but that's only my opinion of course.

And finally
I hope this over-view of some of the things to look-for in a line will help you make the best choice for your lure-fishing and if you want to read more detail about some of the lines I have mentioned, there are (or will soon be) separate reviews of most if not all of them, right here in Nick's Top Tackle Testing & Reviews Section.

Truly Tight Lines !
Ralph Walker

Editor's Notes: Phew ! Well, Ralph, what can I say? Your article has left me breathless! It has to be one of the most comprehensive ones that I've ever read; thanks very much for that, and to our Labs for the additional data and photos. And thanks too for some valuable input from "Combat"

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