braided reel lines

alan whittington · Mar 23, 2009

may i ask the sporting nature of using 25lb braid for barbel 7-13lb and why anglers should use this,because i was led to believe that mono is far more abrasion resistant.I was brought up in the dark ages when most barbel were caught on 6-8lb bs and unless snag or rockfishing heavier than 12lb was for carp and piking,could you please enlighten ta

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Mar 23, 2009

Are you talking about hook lengths or main line Alan?

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Mar 23, 2009

Take a look at this Kryston Articleby Dave Chilton

alan whittington · Mar 23, 2009

Mainlines matt,forgive my ignorance but it just seems depressingly UNSPORTING to me,but fishing changes and technology marches on.

I fish mainly on the thames at the moment and generally fish between 8-10 lb but read about well known anglers using 12lb monoand more on the same stretches and i know they are hoping for bigger fish,but is it the trophy hunter coming out or am i missing something,i mean 25lb........

johnnyfby · Mar 31, 2009

I use 20lb braid as a mainline when fishing the trent, with up to 10oz feeders, some anglers use even heavier feeders. I only use 20lb to give me a better chance if the braid comes into contact with rocks or any snags i may encounter and for the long chuck with the heavy feeders on the trent. i use 8 - 12lb hooklengths too, depending of course on conditions or if in a snag pit. I think the hooklengths i use gives the fish a sporting chance. That my reasons for using 20lb braid and to me they are good reasons.

Regards

Johnny

Chris Fox · Mar 31, 2009

I use 30lb Powerpro when rolling meat as you get much better indications with it and it breaks much lighter than that - about 12-15lb I think.

I appreciate the accusation that it is unsporting, but I would hate to leave any tackle stuck to a fish. I would never use anything under 10lb line when Barbelling for either hooklength or mainline.

alan whittington · Mar 31, 2009

Many thanks,first to johnny,your answer is understandable as the trent is or can be a beast of a river,thanks for taking the time.

Chris,there is definately more sensitivity with braid,as to whether you need be sensitive for barbel on the roll is your choice.You have enlightened me as to the actual b.s. of your braid.There are two things that i am not so sure of however,you say you would hate to leave any tackle in a fish,but yourline strength is a double edged sword as if if you bounce the bait into a snag and areforced to pull for a break if a barbel takes the bait(assuming it is possible for it to do so),it will almost certainly be tethered on strong line,which is potentially fatal,whereas if you hooked the same fish on say 6lb even if you broke on the fish it is unlikely to die and if tethered could probably break this line.As for not using under 10lb b.s. ,that is your choice,i dont know what make of monoline that you use Chris butif you use a line like maxima your 10lb will probably be upwards of 12lb.When fishing upwards of 8lb line for barbel i believe most fish are lost due to snags(known or unknown)or the dreaded human error(the cause of my one lost barbel this season).

I must reitterate however that im not sure that it is possible to enjoy a fish of maybe 7lbs or so on 25-30b.s.(or even 15lb)given that it has virtually no chance of escape,but there you go i thank you both for your answers,tight lines to you both,Alan

Laurie Harper · Apr 2, 2009

I have to question the claims that fishing with light lines gives a fish a "sporting chance". Am I missing something? What's so "sporting" about fishing fine, getting broken up and leaving a fish with a hook in it's mouth and trailing line? Once you've put a hook in a fish, you have a responsibility to get it ion the bank as swiftly as possible (not playing it out on stupidly fine line), remove the hook, take it's picture/give it a kiss/weigh it, etc and <u>return it</u>. Fishing fine and risking a break offmay be "sporting" for the angler, but if I was a fish, I know what I'd prefer.

Paul H · Apr 2, 2009

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Chris Fox wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

I use 30lb Powerpro when rolling meat as you get much better indications with it and it breaks much lighter than that - about 12-15lb I think. </blockquote>

No it doesn't.

That's an ESP 50lb test swivel which was attached to a 20lb test pike trace.

The reason people use higher breaking strain braid than mono is because the diameter is so much thinner so to give better abrasion resistance you have to use a higher breaking strain.

I use braid for rolling meat too but only that and predator fishing. It is a tool suited to situations where the lack of stretch and therefore bite indication is preferable over the abrasion resistance of mono.

Phillips Jerry · Apr 2, 2009

Lost some good fish last year whilst fishing braid ,since Iv'e gone back to mono no more fish losses. There is no place in my tackle box for braid either as mainline or hooklenth,plus it breaks at far higher than claimed.

Bob Roberts · Apr 2, 2009

When we filmed on the Kennet with Steve Pope during the making of Volume Two he used braid as a reel line. The reason for this is that it makes the hook itself the weakest part of his rig. In the event of a snag-up he could pull till the hook opened out and not leave any discarded tackle on the riverbed.

That's a pretty sensible practise if you ask me.

With regard to line strengths and playing fish you have to consider the rod being used. Although you could thread 100lb braid through the rings of a light bomb rod, could you land a shark on it?

If barbel anglers are so keen on going down the route of fish care, no keepnets, etc, then theconcept of losing a single fish due to a line breakage goes against all moral codes. After all, it is surely better to let a barbel rest in a staked out keepnet for half an hour that to leave a hook in it and any trailing tackle appendages.

We should really fish with the strongest tackle we can get away with when fishing for barbel, surely, and we should also land those fish as quickly as possible.

A point of interest is that Steve uses a centrepin reel which requires a different skill factor and produces a whole different playing experience to that when using a fixed spool reel.

Rich Frampton · Apr 2, 2009

100% right Bob.

Using the right rod and center pin it doesn't really matter if you are using 20lb braid ,the playing experience cann't be beaten.

alan whittington · Apr 2, 2009

Laurie,do you think 8lb is light because if you do there is something sadly wrong(as i said earlier most 8lb monos break around 10lb),also if there is no possibility of you being beaten by the barbel you fish for what is the point,for it is not outsmarting the most clever of fishes is it,i mean to say why dont you use a boat rod and swing the poor bugger in.Using heavy line to fish in corresponding conditions is a must but are you saying Laurie that the braid will never break leaving heavy tackle in fish and if it does break i think the fishes life is less at risk on 8lb than 30lb line.

Bob,you are correct in saying that the playing experience is different on a centrepin to a fixed spool reel but surely you need to play a fish,i have many on both but with your background(barnsley blacks i believe)within the sport you surely must say that balanced tackle is a must,and a 1-5lb t.c. rod and 25lb line is not balanced and if you dont play the fish harder with this line what the bloody hell are you using it for.The so called moral codes you speak of didnt exist 25 years ago and look at all the fishmeal and halibuts that are used by the morally superior barbel angler of today(myself included),of which there is a high degree of doubt as to the health issues to cyprinids.

Im sorry to say but the carp angler jumps into barbel angling and the sheep follow,baa,baa/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Still thought the dvd was brilliant including the popes part,just find it hard see the excitement in landing fish on twice the strength required,you will have to ask Robson Green onto the next one/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Chris Fox · Apr 2, 2009

Paul, I've never tested my braid so couldn't give an accurate comment, and am happy to be proven wrong. It was speaking with Ray Walton who told me that this was the case, which is why he uses 30lb Spiderwire and not 10lb breaking strain.

Alan, I have never used a mono that has broken above its breaking strain. The best mono that I currently use is the Gamma line marketed by Teme Severn and Pallatrax. That seems to be stronger than other lines of similar breaking strain.

Great issue raised though mate... lots to think about.

Paul H · Apr 2, 2009

I wouldn't rate my 30lb Power Pro's chances against my 12lb Suffix mono rubbing against snags but it easily wins in a straight pulling contest.

When I took that photo I was beginning to wonder just how hard I was going to have pull for a break. I had to wind the line round a stick and pull that because the bail arm wouldn't have taken the strain.

It's brilliant for lure fishing though.

Morespiders · Apr 2, 2009

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Chris Fox wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

I use 30lb Powerpro when rolling meat as you get much better indications with it and it breaks much lighter than that - about 12-15lb I think. </blockquote>

Must get some Chris, sounds great stuff, or have i read your post wrong?./forum/smilies/nerd_smiley.gif

Nothing wrong with using heavier lines for fishing, the idea is to land the fish, not give it a sporting chance to break you.

Having said that, dont skulldrag the fish in, still play it knowing your line isnt going to part, using 4lb line and playing a large fish for a long time does the fish no good at all.

alan whittington · Apr 3, 2009

Not my insinuation to use 4lb Morespiders(too light),but 8lb plus is quite strong unless near snags,which is a different scenario,i mean to say that you dont have to play a barbel to exhaustion on 8lb do you.Can you explain what you have achieved by playing the afore said fish on tackle that he has no chance on,because like it or not that fish believes he is fighting for his survival.

May i say dont use 8lb line because i think the fish could break it like cotton,christ no,i use it if applicable(no use with 4ozs plusof lead in my view)as a strong line without danger to the fish in my applications.Everyone uses what they see asfitting the bill,just asking the question,for i have been taught a different way,but we all have the fishes health in mind,even on 6lb we only had to weather the early rush and then apply pressure(i cant remember many fish that didnt go back strongly after being rested),but that was then and tackle has changed dramatically since the 70s,the only thing that matters really is to use good angling practices within your fishing,cheers,Alan/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif.

Cakey · Apr 3, 2009

Alan your way of thinking seems to be that the battle starts when youve hooked a fish and can you land it on 8lb line

my opinion and maybe not the others on here is my battle starts with bait in the water trying to get the fish to take my bait once take battle over Ive won , next job is to get the fish out and unhooked and back safely ,not trailing hook lengths and leads etc

Phillips Jerry · Apr 3, 2009

There only so much pressure you can apply with a rod and reel I think it's about 2lb,if you don'tbelieve try it with a set of scales.Having the hook as the weakest link a find worrying ,a forged pice of metal as your weakest link ! 30lb braid is overkill in my books

Phillips Jerry · Apr 3, 2009

I forgot, what is happening to the fishes mouth as you pull to straigthtend the hook out , this dosen't sound fishfriendly to me .

braided reel lines

alan whittington

Guest

Senior Member

Senior Member

alan whittington

Guest

Well-known member

New member

alan whittington

Guest

Laurie Harper

Guest

Well-known member

Phillips Jerry

Guest

Well-known member

Well-known member

alan whittington

Guest

New member

Well-known member

Senior Member

alan whittington

Guest

Cakey

Guest

Phillips Jerry

Guest

Phillips Jerry

Guest