what line to use and when

If your experienced at playing fish what mainline and hooklinks would you use in the following situations?

targetting large quantities of small still water roach on the float

Float fishing for grayling on a small shallow fast river with the odd deep pool

ledgering for chub between 2.5lb and 4lb on a small snaggy river

fishing part of a moat, shaped like a canal with thick weed along both margins, mixed bag to be expected with a few bream of about 3.5 to 4lb and a few hard fighting tench thrown in for good measue which head straight for the weeds

fishing into open water with a float about four or five foot deep for shoals of bream in the 1lb to 4lb bracket

This covers most of the fishing i did this year and i was forever contemplating what was the right line and hooklink to use without going so light that i risk loosing fish, any advice as to what you guys would use would be appreciated

also stillwater feeder fishing with a cage feeder for small to medium sized bream

1) Small still water roach on the float 1-2 LB mainline, 1LB hooklength (or a bit higher if the fish weren't too cautious!)

2)Float fishing for grayling on a small shallow fast river 3-4 LB floating mainline, 2-3LB hooklength.

3)Ledgering for chub between 2.5lb and 4lb on a small snaggy river 6LB mainline,straight through or sometimes with a 4-5LB hooklength.

4)Fishing part of a moat, shaped like a canal with thick weed along both margins I would use a pole and 4/5LB hi tec mainline and 2/3 LB hi tec hooklength.

5)Fishing into open water with a float about four or five foot deep for shoals of bream in the 1lb to 4lb bracket, see 1, but possibly step up a touch!

6) Also stillwater feeder fishing with a cage feeder for small to medium sized bream 2/3LB mainline 1-2LB hooklength.

thanks Eddie fellow everton supporter, I wasn't far off the setups you mentioned but struggled sometimes with fish on the first run due to cranky old reels not having a smooth drag but my missus bought me a new reel for christmas so hopefully things will be a bit easier now

[Beecy]

Nicholas, a big part of my fishing is still water breaming for fish up to say 4-5lb, and on this I'd differ slightly to Edddie and suggest 4lb mainline (I use maxima).

I absolutely swear by 4lb maxima, in 20 years I do not recall one single crack off on the cast, and it has good resistance to twist.

I will allways start with 1.7lb bayer hooklength but step up to 2 or even 3lb if they are coming thick and fast (a rare occurance for me!)

For the grayling I'd suggest using a pin with about 40 or 50 yds of 4lb Fireline ending with a 2lb hooklength. Make the hooklength about 12 inches. The reason being that often, when grayling fishing, you'll find yourself trotting for quite some distance. Ordinary mono will stretch at these distances and grayling are very fast biters. You need to be able to connect quicker than lightning and the none stretching braid will allow this and show the bites more positively.

[fred hall]

Eddie's advice seems sound to me.

thanks guys, beecy i'm already using the maxima line in brown, i have three different spools loaded with three different breaking strains seemed more supple than some of the other brands my tackle shop stocks so i have stuck with it this season and it's not to expensive