A first question on my return...

Having recently come back to fishing, I was wondering just how big a fish could be landed on a 5lb breaking strain main line with a 3lb breaking strain hook length. I realise this might be down to the skill of the individual angler, but what might be a fairly rough idea of just what might be possible with such tackle?

Depends on the type of fish, if its still water or river, snags or no snags, what type of rod is being used, lots of things to take into consideration, sorry to sound negative but there is no definitive answer.

Blankers right if your fishing somewhere snag free there's no size limit on what you can catch on the breaking strain you described.

Quite alot of anglers fish for Barbel on even lighter gear and its amazing how much leverage you can have if everything is balanced.

You will never break a line of 3lb BS line with a normal float rod.
Infact you may not even be able to break 1lb BS line with a float rod!
So, irrespective of the weight of the fish on the hook, if it stays attached you cannot break the line by pulling on it, because the rod will bend and break first.

The problem starts with the knots we use, most being somewhere between 50-60% of the BS of the line.

Factor in nylon mono being 5-12% air and the effects of it being soaked in water for a few hours and we are using a unmeasurable product.
(Please note that the IGFA soak mono before carrying put their line class record claims).

Then you can add nicks and scrapes sustained during a days fishing, the effects of exposure to sunlight and you can see why we use 3lb mono to catch a 6oz fish..

Margins of safety is a better way to describe it.

Much also depends on the action of the rod that you are using as well.

I have landed near double figure Carp on 4lb main line with a 2½lb hook length on a Diawa Connoisseur Tommy Pickering rod. The same set up on a stiffer rod would have been a disaster waiting to happen.

Be careful tying your knots, set your drag according to the rod your using( not too heavy I hope) and enjoy the scrap. Many fish will pull hard and/or run when bullied. Often a big fish can be lead along and coaxed toward you if you are smooth with the pressure.

Depends on how jammy you are... last cast saloon reeling in a near drown and shivering single white maggot on a size 18's using 3lb straight through on the Leeds/Liverpool in 1982 and low and behold?

= 18:0lb fully scaled beauty!


They all count I suppose...







PS. I have also lost numerous smaller fish using thicker lines and they most certainly don't count! mg:

As mentioned it depends on so many things but when I started fishing I asked the same question to a dealer and he said he would hope to be able to land a 6lb fish on a 3lb line in open water i have found that a good guide