Current thoughts on best reel line

broomy · Jul 2, 2012

I have used Diawa sensor for years but currently my present spool loads seem to be causing me no end of rod top tangles.
Current situation is I reel in drop rod get hold of feeder load up and rebait , go to cast and the lines wraped its self around the top of the rod.
The spool,s were loaded as normal the wife holding the spool on a spindle and I load up tensioning the line.
I fish the river Tees which has very dark coloured water, hence the dark sensor is ideal, its also cheap.
Trying Ultima Fluro coated Power Carp in 10lb and it seems ok, certainly strong enough and knots without kinking, which my current Sensor has started doing.
But not exactly happy with the suposed clear colour, although I have caught but the water was carrying flood colour. Think it will stand out if the rivers ever drop back to a normal summer level
So whats currently favourite without costing an arm and leg for a bulk spool.

Graham Elliott 1 · Jul 2, 2012

Gardener GT80 Dark Green. Bulk spools of ebay. 1000+ yards 10 or 12lb about £15.00

Tough and great for fast or rocky rivers.

Graham

barbelboi · Jul 2, 2012

You could probably ask half a dozen anglers this question and get a different answer from each. Pro-Gold for me, about £18 for 1000 meters - very supple with low memory,precise diameters, great knot strength and fantastic abrasion resistance qualities
Jerry
PS Green in colour

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jul 2, 2012

I've been impressed with Preston line both the reel.line and hook length types

dezza · Jul 2, 2012

barbelboi said:
You could probably ask half a dozen anglers this question and get a different answer from each. Pro-Gold for me, about £18 for 1000 meters - very supple with low memory,precise diameters, great knot strength and fantastic abrasion resistance qualities
Jerry

Same for me too.

Pro-Gold is arguably the finest nylon mono of the lot.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jul 2, 2012

I can't find pro_ gold in my local tackle shops

chub_on_the_block · Jul 2, 2012

Im gradually making the conversion from Maxima to Pro Gold as I replace my lines. So far only used the 6.5Ib (5.4Ib knot strength) version, but much better diameter for the rating than Maxima. Otherwise both have great qualities as others have said.

barbelboi · Jul 2, 2012

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
I can't find pro_ gold in my local tackle shops

Unfortunately quite a few tackle shops don't stock it Paul, especially at below 8lb.
Jerry

cg74 · Jul 2, 2012

Ultima Power Steel or Ultima Power Plus.

Morespiders · Jul 3, 2012

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
I can't find pro_ gold in my local tackle shops

Gold label tackle
0121-373-4523 Mr Eustace is away in Thialand fishing, back next week
great line,

steph mckenzie · Jul 3, 2012

If you are on a Budget then Maxima or Daiwa Sensor, both are very good reliable lines that have been around a long time, they also give a very good choice of Low to High breaking Strains.

Perhaps the Spools have just a little to much line on them or you have gotten some line twist in the line.

Sean Meeghan · Jul 3, 2012

Before you change your line Broomy I'd check a couple of things.

Next time you go fishing put the reel on the rod, thread the line, open the bail arm, hold the end of the line and walk up the bank for just a bit further than your normal fishing distance. Wind the line back on to the reel under light tension. If this improves matters then you've either twisted the line when loading it or something you're doing is causing line twist.

Are you pulling line off the reel on the bait runner when setting up? For some reason this seems to contribute to line twist.

Look up the threads on loading line on these forums. The way you're loading it isn't the best and will cause twisting. The best way is to place the line spool flat on the floor and wind a few yards of line on to the reel. Let the line go slack and if you see some twists develop, turn the spool over. If not continue to load the line. Some people recommend putting the spool in a bucket of water, but I haven't found it makes a lot of difference with the lines I use and the distances I normally fish at.

I'm currently using ESP Synchro XT which is performing well.

agamemnon · Jul 3, 2012

ive used gardner before and 2 weeks later took all the line of the spool and threw it away as i kept getting silly birds nests all the time.
i like diawa sensor for a cheap budget line and have never had problems with this.
on gravel pits and stoney rivers i think you need to go a long way to beat GR60

dezza · Jul 3, 2012

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
I can't find pro_ gold in my local tackle shops

Tell the dealer then.

Oh and by the way I am not in the pay of Terry Eustace Gold Label Tackle, although I can tell you that Terry gets his lines made to his specs by probably the world's leading monofilament extruders, who are based in Japan.

---------- Post added at 03:25 ---------- Previous post was at 03:20 ----------

chub_on_the_block said:
So far only used the 6.5Ib (5.4Ib kno

That's the line I have used for virtually all my tench and bream fishing this year, in conjunction with Kryston Incognito 5 lbs hook lengths.

A great combination!

---------- Post added at 03:34 ---------- Previous post was at 03:25 ----------

Sean Meeghan said:
Before you change your line Broomy I'd check a couple of things.

Next time you go fishing put the reel on the rod, thread the line, open the bail arm, hold the end of the line and walk up the bank for just a bit further than your normal fishing distance. Wind the line back on to the reel under light tension. If this improves matters then you've either twisted the line when loading it or something you're doing is causing line twist.

Are you pulling line off the reel on the bait runner when setting up? For some reason this seems to contribute to line twist.

Look up the threads on loading line on these forums. The way you're loading it isn't the best and will cause twisting. The best way is to place the line spool flat on the floor and wind a few yards of line on to the reel. Let the line go slack and if you see some twists develop, turn the spool over. If not continue to load the line. Some people recommend putting the spool in a bucket of water, but I haven't found it makes a lot of difference with the lines I use and the distances I normally fish at.

This is bang on top advice and something I have been doing since a certain person advised I do it ca 1963!

mark brailsford 2 · Jul 3, 2012

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
I can't find pro_ gold in my local tackle shops

Billy Clarkes mate...Buy it online from them if you can't make it to the shop.
They have it from 4.4lb on 1000 and 100 metre spools!

---------- Post added at 14:55 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------

Pro-gold is THE best line I have used, wonderfull stuff

Sean Meeghan · Jul 3, 2012

Ron The Hat Clay said:
This is bang on top advice and something I have been doing since a certain person advised I do it ca 1963!

And I was only 7 at the time

dezza · Jul 3, 2012

Sean Meeghan said:
And I was only 7 at the time

I was 21.

---------- Post added at 09:59 ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 ----------

By the way a lot of anglers do not seem to realise how important it is to have a roller that rolls in the pick-up of a fixed spool reel. Both Daiwa and Shimano incorporate rollers on ball bearings that really roll. The only maintenance required being a small amount of machine oil every few months or so.

In the old days, up until about 1996 or so, reels did not fit ball bearings on pick up rollers. This caused the roller to jam, thus causing friction between line and roller, resulting in heat which degrades the line. Add to that the fact that with each turn of retrieving line against load, the line will "scrunge" up in twists (Sean will know what I mean), causing all sorts of problems.

These are a few of the reasons why I simply cannot understand those of you who claim that old reels are superior.

Are they hell!

They are supremely inferior, to use an oxymoron!

S-Kippy · Jul 3, 2012

mark brailsford 2 said:
---------- Post added at 14:55 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------

Pro-gold is THE best line I have used, wonderfull stuff

Absolutely...and Pro Clear is pretty good too. I've played around with no end of lines but for 100% reliability it has to be PG.

alan whittington · Jul 3, 2012

Can i suggest Awa Shima reflector line,in 18.6lb(actually breaks at 12lb or a bit over)its diameter is excellent,0.25mm,lays brilliantly,is extremely good on abrasion resistance,with a colouring similar to maxima chameleon,look on ebay for it at around 12-13 quid including delivery for 600m.

broomy · Jul 4, 2012

Thanks for all the advice I knew I would get a lot of conflicting oppinions, think I will try the pro gold.
Just out of interest I loaded the Shimano 4000 baitrunner with 10lb Ultima flurocarbon coated using the bucket of water method as shown on the spool.
No line problems at all. last night and around 22:30 got a 11lb fish that after a couple of runs into the mid stream fast water snagged me in the sunken willow to my right.
I maintained a light tension on the spool and put the reel back into free spool mode.
When the fish moved I hauled as hard as I could and it came back out into play and into the net.
The line took a very hard pull against the rod with the line well into the sunken tree and although roughed up did not break.
But dont like the clear colour.
Will try spooling the sensor as Sean Megan indicated and have a look at my bail arm runner.
Thanks again

Current thoughts on best reel line

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