What makes a floating mono float?.........

[tigger]

It seems floating lines are always coming up in conversations, so what exactly is a floating line?
Would it be a line that floats like a piece of polysterene,
Or would it be a line that simply doesn't break the waters surface so easyily and therefore floats on the surface?
I don't really get what difference it makes so long as the line is on the surface and isn't easily sunk in use.
I wonder how they make a genuine floating line, I mean does it have a hollow section going through it, so it holds air trapped inside, sort of like a super long bubble float? If it has a hollow section then surely this will not only make it have a thicker diameter but it could possibly weaken it and make it stiffer?
I really have no idea, has anyone else got a clue as to what makes a genuine floating line float?

 

[sam vimes]

Anything that genuinely floats is less dense than the liquid it's in. The problem with lines that aren't genuine floaters, is that should they break through the surface tension, they become more difficult to lift and strikes aren't as clean. The more factory fresh a mono is, the greater the chance of it failing to break through any surface tension. That still doesn't necessarily make it a genuine floating line.

There's only one line I know of that had a hollow core. That was Ultima Flo-Cast. Most braids genuinely float, getting a braid to sink, without the aid of dirty great leger weights, is usually a problem. Monos tend to vary from genuine sinkers through neutrally bouyant to floating. However, as I understand it, most monos tend to hover around neutral so need to be (factory) dressed, or treated by the user, to truly sink or float. Many monos can also take on water in use which slowly makes them sink. Adding extras to otherwise standard nylon monofilaments is an alternative way of altering characteristics. There are a few fluorocarbon coated monos on the market.

Testing the property of a line is not indicated by simply dropping a piece of line onto the surface of water. To get a genuine result, the surface tension needs to be broken. If the line then rises in the water column, it's a genuine floater (very few will). If it sinks, it's a genuine sinker. A neutrally bouyant line will just sit wherever it was placed in the water column.

 

[Keith M]

I used to have Ultima Flo-cast on my spare spool (for my sheffield CP) before they stopped making the line, and it had shallow lengthwise grooves along the outside plus a hollow centre.

The grooves along its length made it flow through the rod rings with a lot less friction and improved its casting abilities and also helped to make it a bit more supple; and because of its hollow centre it would float in any conditions.

It’s main disadvantage was that if there was a gusty wind or a downstream wind it was possible for it to lift up off of the surface and It’s other disadvantage was that in really freezing temperatures it could very occasionally start to split along one or two of its grooves, but it would still retain its strength;
and because of this I didn’t use it in the depths of winter just incase.

It wasn’t only good for trotting, and I also used to use it with floating baits for Carp and Chub and its footprint on the surface was a bit less than a lot of other lines that I’ve used; plus it’s very faint and light pinkish hue made it harder to see from below when viewed against the sky.

Its a pity that it wasn’t continued as it did have some fairly good properties.

I still have a spool of 5lb Flo-cast somewhere in my shed.

Keith

 

[tigger]

One thing worth thinking about regarding these lines that are bouyant is that if they do go below the surface film they might not sink, but they are u likely to break back through the surface film until the angler lifts it out or winds back in.
I'm quite happy with my lines that float on the surface tension to be honest, since it works so well for pond skaters then my line sliding about on the surface film will do for me .

If the mono does break the surface and sink it doesn't sink like a stone anyhow, and due to the mending of the line we do it's just gonn'a get lifted back onto the surface anyhow.

 

[sam vimes]

One thing worth thinking about regarding these lines that are bouyant is that if they do go below the surface film they might not sink, but they are u likely to break back through the surface film until the angler lifts it out or winds back in.

If a line is genuinely buoyant, a true floater, it will rise back to the surface. That's pretty much what defines whether something genuinely floats or not. It's not the case with a neutrally bouyant or genuinely sinking line.

 

[tigger]

If a line is genuinely buoyant, a true floater, it will rise back to the surface. [Quote/]

Yeah, I get that but even air bubbles stay trapped under the surface for periods of time before the film breaks and the bubble bursts.
So if a floating line does go under the film it could easily get stuck below the film on the surface and the only way it would get back on the surface is by memding your line or winding back and starting a new trott through.

Anyhow, what makes a mono float if it isn't resting on the film, I mean is the mono fiĺed with air or something? As I said in the opening post if it has a hollow down it's middle then it must have a larger diameter to b/s than other monos. Also, does this make the line weaker or more prone to brakage ?

 

[sam vimes]

Yeah, I get that but even air bubbles stay trapped under the surface for periods of time before the film breaks and the bubble bursts.
So if a floating line does go under the film it could easily get stuck below the film on the surface and the only way it would get back on the surface is by

memding your line or winding back and starting a new trott through.

Provided a line isn't sitting properly below the surface tension of the water, as a genuine sinking line will tend to sooner or later, I seriously doubt that the angler is going to feel any difference between a line sitting just above or just below the surface film, even over fairly long distances.

Anyhow, what makes a mono float if it isn't resting on the film, I mean is the mono fiĺed with air or something? As I said in the opening post if it has a hollow down it's middle then it must have a larger diameter to b/s

than

othermonos. Also, does this make the line weaker or more prone to brakage ?

As said earlier, it's either because of the construction of the line (Ultima Flo-Cast,bydefinitionnot a true mono), or the material that it's made from being less dense than water (braid for sure), or it having been treated in some way (either in the manufacturing process or by the user, to float.

I can't say that I ever measured Flo-Cast's diameter, but it probably was of marginally greaterdiameterthananequivalent rated mono. However, not all similarly rated monos are the same diameter anyway, so it was never something I worried about. Besides, the business end always concluded in a hooklink of more standard mono or fluoro.
My last spool of Ultima Flo-Cast is 6lb BS. It states that it's 0.22mm. A spool of 6lb BS DH Pro Float is stated as being 0.20mm. I won't lose sleep over 0.02mm, (or even 0.06mm if one is understated and the other under) at least in a mainline.

 

[Keith M]

My last spool of Ultima Flo-Cast is 6lb BS. It states that it's 0.22mm. A spool of 6lb BS DH Pro Float is stated as being 0.20mm. I won't lose sleep over 0.2mm,

Sam I think you meant 0.02mm not 0.2mm.

And I agree 0.02mm is fairly negligible either way.

Keith

 

[sam vimes]

Well spotted, and not worth worrying about.

PS, lord knows what's going on with the forum. A simple edit has added random splits in quotes that can't be edited out.

 

[108831]

Not spitting hairs here,but why is this thread on general/coarse lakes heading???

 

[kenpm]

Flo cast was never manufactured by Ultima but bought in from other sources like Bayer was.
The firm that manufactured the hollow line is Gruppo in Italy which is distributed by ASSO in the Uk but they tend to promote mostly sea fishing product as they are stronger in that area.
Asso will order odments like the floating line on request from a tackle dealer, they also manufactured the old Pro-Micron originally sold by Fox and more recently by Frenzee and several other lines re packaged for Uk firms.