stick and Waggler lines

[Keith M]

I have Drennan Float fish line on my float reels which floats well, and when using a waggler can be sunk either with a few quick turns of the reel handle or by striking; with the rod tip beneath the surface with both methods.
When made to sink it doesn’t sink too far either, like lines like Maxima sometimes do.

I also keep a small plastic squirty bottle of dilute washing up liquid in my tacklebox which I can squirt onto my reel line if necessary or use with a small piece of foam fixed to my front rodrest; so that whenever I need to make my line sink a little easier I can wind in while my rod is still in the front rod rest.

But I only use washing up liquid as a last resort as I’m paranoid that it might taint my hands and get on my bait.

Keith

 

[Mark Wintle]

I have Drennan Float fish line on my float reels which floats well, and when using a waggler can be sunk either with a few quick turns of the reel handle or by striking; with the rod tip beneath the surface.
When made to sink it doesn’t sink too far either, like lines like Maxima sometimes do.

I also keep a small plastic squirty bottle of dilute washing up liquid in my tacklebox which I can squirt onto my reel line if necessary or use with a small piece of foam fixed to my front rodrest; so that whenever I need to make my line sink a little easier I can wind in while my rod is still in the front rod rest.

But I only use washing up liquid as a last resort as I’m paranoid that it might taint my hands and get on my bait.

Keith

Get a glass of tapwater and go and cut a short length (2") of untreated Drennan Floatfish and put it in the glass of water. Once you've got the bit of line under the surface it will sink and keep on sinking at the same rate as a similar piece of Maxima; exactly the same density - greater than that of water. I've just tried this with the lines I use plus bayer and they ALL SINK!

 

[Richox12]

Get a glass of tapwater and go and cut a short length (2") of untreated Drennan Floatfish and put it in the glass of water. Once you've got the bit of line under the surface it will sink and keep on sinking at the same rate as a similar piece of Maxima; exactly the same density - greater than that of water. I've just tried this with the lines I use plus bayer and they ALL SINK!

Correct.

If lines are made of solid monofilament (so not braided) nylon then nylon is heavier than water and once through surface tension they sink (remember a s/s needle can be made to 'float'). Matt finish lines cut through the surface tension easier than gloss finish which tend to 'grip' more readily. Clean any std nylon mono (essentially removing the silicone treatment applied in manufacture) and they sink more readily.

 

[tigger]

If a line only floats on the surface tension of the water it isn't a floating line?...imo it is. The heavier the line rating the thicker it is and the easier it will break the waters surface film and sink so lighter lines will float better than heavier ones.
As Mark has just said all mono sinks anyhow if pushed under the surface film. Same goes for a lot of things....the titanic for example .
Even bouyant timber will float once it takes on enough water.
You have to find a line that works well for you and use it, for me sensor floats well, along with bayer perlon and silstar matchman but I usually use matchman for hooklengths because of it's low diameter.
If I want a line that sinks, I just sink it after i've cast out, simples in'it.

 

[rob48]

Just had a week on the Avon and found Browning Cenex "Sinking Match Line" to be ideal for waggler fishing. I don't know how much it actually sinks but it picks up easily on the strike directly to the float, even when having to fish a large bow due to a downstreamer. Other lines, especially Maxima, feel like they've doubled their mass due to water absorption and are lying on the bottom in such a situation.