Fleurocarbon as a mainline ?

[shane99]

Anyone using Fleurocarbon as a mainline. Looking at this from a live bait paternoster rig for perch angle. Just want to go stealthy as poss on the line leading down to the 'paternoster' set up so it has to be the mainline rather than another knot in the set up which I want to avoid if poss.

I know this thread should be in the predator forum but the Fleurocarbon is more the subject. Use it all the time for hooklinks but anyone else use it as a mainline ?

 

[Philip]

I dont use it as a mainline but I have used it for the paternoster link to the lead. Not so much for any anti-visibility reasons but more because it tends to be stiffer and so helps avoid tangles.

As an aside I do think the antivisibility aspect is over stated.

 

[nottskev]

I don't know much about them. I tried a line called Xline, in 12lb, as a mainline for barbel a few years back. It claimed to be the bee's knees, but seemed to degrade quite quickly and I soon binned it. More recently, I've used a line called Krystonite, in 12lb and 15lb for barbel, and it has been very good- reliable and hardwearing.

But on the visibility issue, I read some stuff that not only questioned this, but suggested it could be counterproductive. Bob Roberts, I think it was, said that his underwater footage showed that barbel spooked more from flourocarbon lines than from more visible lines. His rational was that they avoid the lines they can see without spooking, but bolt if they touch a line they hadn't noticed. It makes you wonder if "invisible" lines are a good or bad thing....

 

[103841]

Interesting you should say that Kev. Last week whilst fishing on the estate a carp cruised into my line (3lb pro gold), I don’t think I’ve seen a fish move so fast, it was over the other side of the lake in a couple of seconds.

The few specimen perch I’ve caught have all been on regular mono, now that my interests are focussing on catching Bass I’m of the opinion that when these predators are on a feeding frenzy it doesn’t really matter what you use.

 

[john step]

I feel that for hooklinks camouflage is often the better option. Round here the soil is sandy and often so is the lakebed. I definitely get more takes when the water is clear by using sandy colour braid.
Similarly when there is a bit of weed about I swear by a green soft braid by Kryston called Merlin.

At one time you could buy hooklink material that mimicked fronds of weed. Kryston Merlin does it just as well.

 

[Philip]

But on the visibility issue, I read some stuff that not only questioned this, but suggested it could be counterproductive. Bob Roberts, I think it was, said that his underwater footage showed that barbel spooked more from flourocarbon lines than from more visible lines. His rational was that they avoid the lines they can see without spooking, but bolt if they touch a line they hadn't noticed. It makes you wonder if "invisible" lines are a good or bad thing....

Rod Hutchinson wrote similar many years ago reasoning that a fish seeing a line will swim round it but if it hits it by accident will spook.

I think that the angling pressure on the fish will play a part here. Pressured fish are more likly to "know" what line is and either spook or swim round it while unpressured fish may not even know what it is.

On a whole I would much rather I kept my line out of both sight and feel of a fish. I have seen too many spook off both the touch and the sight of it to ignore this.

Its worth noting in the case of Barbel speficially I would have doubts about their ability to see a line in anything but very clear conditions at close range due to their relativly bad eyesight

 

[The occasional angler]

Sunline fc shooter , it’s expencive but nice for lure fishing

 

[Andy M]

As a matter of interest what is the evidence that barbel have poorer eyesight than other non-predatory fish as suggested in Philips post?
?

 

[barbelboi]

My experience with barbel is that they are not line shy (lets face it they spend all their time rubbing up against streamers, branches, whatever). They are, however, spooked by line they cannot see and also the taut line from the lead to the rod. This was one of the main reasons I restricted the use of incognito years ago in preference of sink braid with a long link between the hook and the lead. This gives the fish the opportunity to approach the hook bait from any direction without spooking at the possible contact of the taut mainline.

 

[shane99]

My experience with barbel is that they are not line shy (lets face it they spend all their time rubbing up against streamers, branches, whatever). They are, however, spooked by line they cannot see and also the taut line from the lead to the rod. This was one of the main reasons I restricted the use of incognito years ago in preference of sink braid with a long link between the hook and the lead. This gives the fish the opportunity to approach the hook bait from any direction without spooking at the possible contact of the taut mainline.

'They' do recommend a hooklink between 18" & 24" ledgering for Perch. Now that seems long, mybe Im paranoid about deep hooking after seeing many a decent Perch dead in the margins or on the bank. Note to newbies pls dont dig around in a Perch to get your hook out pls

 

[Philip]

As a matter of interest what is the evidence that barbel have poorer eyesight than other non-predatory fish as suggested in Philips post?
?

Andy, in terms of objective evidence I cant guarantee it but I do have a recollection of reading something way back that was a study done on various fishes eyesight and the Barbel came out pretty poorly (as an aside I also seem to recall Dace was brilliant) but its vague.

So at least for my part the evidence is based on my own experience ;

1. From what i see with my own eyes and how Barbel react. For example I can generally get up closer to Barbel before they notice me than Chub for example
2. The Babel is primarily designed to feed rooting on the bottom with an underslung mouth and Barbels so is more geared up to location by smell and feel than sight.
3. Take a look at a Barbels eye, its smaller and lower set & (very unscientific I grant you)it also just looks less developed than the eye of say a Roach, Dace or Chub for example.

I accept all the above are not objective evidence but I am pretty confident based on my own experience that a Barbels eyesight is not great. Its a good question and I would also be interested if anyone has some more information about it.