What line do you use for stick float hooklengths

theartist · Oct 25, 2013

Since my stock of drennan double strength has run out and i have been told they no longer make it i have been struggling to find an alternative that i can trust, in the 2-3lb bracket.

I have tried both Reflo power match and Drennan suffix and found them to be good in open water but weak when it comes to abrasion from rushes etc and am getting fed up with losing chub i wouldn't have on the old double strength.

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Rob

cg74 · Oct 25, 2013

I would've suggested Preston Power Reflo but you never got on with it. Out of curiosity did you use Power Reflo similar diameters or similar breaking strains as your old Drennan DS?

Even if Drennan DS has been discontinued I'll bet there is loads still out there.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Oct 25, 2013

I use Preston power reflo for all my general fishing for hook lengths

sam vimes · Oct 25, 2013

drennan double strength | eBay

jack sprat · Oct 25, 2013

Shimano Silk Shock will do the trick, fine and tough yet supple.

steph mckenzie · Oct 25, 2013

Drennan Double Strength is still advertised on their website .....

Drennan International

I would have thought that they would have removed it.

Richox12 · Oct 25, 2013

theartist said:
Since my stock of drennan double strength has run out and i have been told they no longer make it i have been struggling to find an alternative that i can trust, in the 2-3lb bracket.

I have tried both Reflo power match and Drennan suffix and found them to be good in open water but weak when it comes to abrasion from rushes etc and am getting fed up with losing chub i wouldn't have on the old double strength.

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Rob

Drennan Double Strength discontinued ?? Get real. I think someone's telling you porky pies. Maybe someone doesn't have any in stock and just wants you to buy what they do have ?

jacksharp · Oct 25, 2013

What about Silstar Match Team? I used it for all my pole-rigs once upon a time. Now I use Preston Reflo Power, simply because my local tackle shop stocks it and not Match Team.

chefster · Oct 25, 2013

Another vote for Shimano silk shock,or in higher diameters Guru N-Gauge,Preston Reflo for method h/l only,Chef

Wilko · Oct 25, 2013

If you need abrasion resistance, look for something by diameter rather than breaking strain.
The reason why the Reflo is pinging on the reeds is because the reduced diameter has reduced it's abrasion resistance, this is the drawback of hi-tech hooklengths and braid.

Switch back to a standard mono, something like Maxima when your fishing near the reeds.

theartist · Oct 26, 2013

Thanks for the response guys,

If double strength is still availiable then i will endeavour to find it but ebay is not an option since the last lot i bought (from a major ebay powerseller) was cheap blue line spooled on a double strength spool!

I also dont want to go down the scaling up my gear route as i have always been lucky enough to get big fish in on light lines and balanced tackle but i get what the posts are saying regarding diameters and b/s. Last thing i want to end up with though is a b/s higher than my mainline. Just find it annoying that you get something that is tried, tested and trusted and it becomes hard to obtain. This is something which seems to happen more often with fishing gear lately.

It does appear to be on Drennans website so if anyone knows somewhere that they are actually selling it then that would be great.

jacksharp · Oct 26, 2013

I tried Double Strength years ago for fly leaders and didn't like it as I found it prone to snapping and very fussy about knots.

It achieves its diameter by being pre-stretched and therefore has hardly any "give". Preston Power Line and Silstar Match Team are low diameter tech lines which do stretch and therefore offer a bit more cushioning on even 4" hook lengths.

IMHO Double Strength is the only poor product that Drennan produce.

cg74 · Oct 26, 2013

jacksharp said:
IMHO Double Strength is the only poor product that Drennan produce.

I beg to differ, the twistlock mechanism used in Drennan's Super Specialist landing net handle is their poorest designed Drennan product ever, ever, EVER!!

mick b · Oct 26, 2013

Excuse the question but if its 3lb double strength surely that means its actual BS is 6lb ?

Regards pre-stretching, does this mean its been stretched in the factory an thus has very little or no stretch left in it?

Regards 'toughness' pre- stretching may squeeze the air pockets within the line structure maybe even eliminating a percentage and thereby making the line a little tougher simply because it has a higher density than un-stretched line.
If that is true you could easily make you own 'double strength' line with careful stretching before use?

If you really want a super tough hook-length fluorocarbon is the only way to go.
Once you have mastered the required knots you will find it 2-3 times tougher than any mono on the market.
Personally I use Rio Fly Leader, not expensive and because it doesn't suffer from nicks and scrapes anything like mono a single hook-length lasts so much longer, PLUS I don't find Im constantly retying.

.

---------- Post added at 02:56 ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 ----------

cg74 said:
I beg to differ, the twistlock mechanism used in Drennan's Super Specialist landing net handle is their poorest designed product ever, ever, EVER!!

cg74
I presume you own one.....and from your post don't want it.....therefore I offer pay you the postage from you to me?

.

Richox12 · Oct 26, 2013

jacksharp said:
I tried Double Strength years ago for fly leaders and didn't like it as I found it prone to snapping and very fussy about knots.

It achieves its diameter by being pre-stretched and therefore has hardly any "give". Preston Power Line and Silstar Match Team are low diameter tech lines which do stretch and therefore offer a bit more cushioning on even 4" hook lengths.

IMHO Double Strength is the only poor product that Drennan produce.

Rubbish. Total myth. Double Strength DOES stretch - a lot. Place a few No 10 or No 8 shots on a length of line say 5mm apart and then pull it and you can see the gaps getting bigger and bigger. I've used it for more years than i can remember and it has NEVER let me down. ALL lines are stretched as part of normal manufacturing processes. It's what lines up their molecules and gives them their strength.

---------- Post added at 10:01 ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 ----------

cg74 said:
I beg to differ, the twistlock mechanism used in Drennan's Super Specialist landing net handle is their poorest designed Drennan product ever, ever, EVER!!

Again, I disagree. I have NEVER had any problem with one. But then, I do look after my kit and clean it to make sure it works properly. Rather than just leaving it covered in crud and letting the mechanism oxidise. That's just lazy and stupid if anyone does that. I have seen so many where another angler cannot get the handle to lock and it's purely because inside the small mechanism is coverd in dirt, grit etc and needs a 1 minute clean. After that they are always perfect again.

cg74 · Oct 26, 2013

mick b said:
Excuse the question but if its 3lb double strength surely that means its actual BS is 6lb ?

2, Regards pre-stretching, does this mean its been stretched in the factory an thus has very little or no stretch left in it?

3, Regards 'toughness' pre- stretching may squeeze the air pockets within the line structure maybe even eliminating a percentage and thereby making the line a little tougher simply because it has a higher density than un-stretched line.
If that is true you could easily make you own 'double strength' line with careful stretching before use?

4, If you really want a super tough hook-length fluorocarbon is the only way to go.
Once you have mastered the required knots you will find it 2-3 times tougher than any mono on the market.
Personally I use Rio Fly Leader, not expensive and because it doesn't suffer from nicks and scrapes anything like mono a single hook-length lasts so much longer, PLUS I don't find Im constantly retying.

.

---------- Post added at 02:56 ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 ----------

cg74
I presume you own one.....and from your post don't want it.....therefore I offer pay you the postage from you to me?

.

1, When DDS line was first placed on the market it was deemed that roughly the 6lb b/s line was similar in diameter to standard 3lb line.

2, Yes.

3, I don't know.

4, Yes pure fluoro line is tough and it can be made a lot thinner than a standard mono line of the same b/s but it's not supple, whereas pre-stretched lines are.

5, No chance, I've learnt how bodge it!

mick b · Oct 26, 2013

cg74 said:
1, When DDS line was first placed on the market it was deemed that roughly the 6lb b/s line was similar in diameter to standard 3lb line.

Ha ha brilliant marketing, I bet Pete made loads more £££s than he would have done if he'd called it pain old 6lb

......

5, No chance, I've learnt how bodge it!

Hell fire and damnation, missed out again

I know Scarper, the other partner in your business 'Bodge it and Scarper'

mg:

cg74 · Oct 26, 2013

Richox12 said:
Again, I disagree. I have NEVER had any problem with one. But then, I do look after my kit and clean it to make sure it works properly. Rather than just leaving it covered in crud and letting the mechanism oxidise. That's just lazy and stupid if anyone does that. I have seen so many where another angler cannot get the handle to lock and it's purely because inside the small mechanism is coverd in dirt, grit etc and needs a 1 minute clean. After that they are always perfect again.

Lucky you, mine has never worked correctly since day one. The first time I took it out, it locked half heartedly and no I never over tightened it.
So I got a new locking mechanism and yep, it was the same again!

Am I alone in finding this, errr, NO, not at all!

---------- Post added at 14:30 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

mick b said:
Ha ha brilliant marketing, I bet Pete made loads more £££s than he would have done if he'd called it pain old 6lb
......

5, No chance, I've learnt how bodge it!

Hell fire and damnation, missed out again

I know Scarper, the other partner in your business 'Bodge it and Scarper' mg:

25 years(ish) ago when DDS line first went on the market it was the case; now it's not quite the same. Take DDS 6lb it's stated diameter is 0.185mm which is about the same as many of todays mainlines, this why I asked the OP if he matched up breaking strains or diameters when comparing with other lines.
DDS 2lb 12oz dia 0.128mm
Reflo Power 4lb 12oz dia 0.13mm

Ah, me old mate Scarper, he's a lot more elusive than me....

jacksharp · Oct 26, 2013

Richox12 said:
Rubbish. Total myth. Double Strength DOES stretch - a lot. Place a few No 10 or No 8 shots on a length of line say 5mm apart and then pull it and you can see the gaps getting bigger and bigger. I've used it for more years than i can remember and it has NEVER let me down. ALL lines are stretched as part of normal manufacturing processes. It's what lines up their molecules and gives them their strength.

---------- Post added at 10:01 ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 ----------

Again, I disagree. I have NEVER had any problem with one. But then, I do look after my kit and clean it to make sure it works properly. Rather than just leaving it covered in crud and letting the mechanism oxidise. That's just lazy and stupid if anyone does that. I have seen so many where another angler cannot get the handle to lock and it's purely because inside the small mechanism is coverd in dirt, grit etc and needs a 1 minute clean. After that they are always perfect again.

You say tomato, I say bollox! Never liked it, won't use it again, far better products on the market.

chefster · Oct 26, 2013

jacksharp said:
You say tomato, I say bollox! Never liked it, won't use it again, far better products on the market.

Totally agree,rubbish line,as you say worst Drennan product ever,Chef

What line do you use for stick float hooklengths

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