Patience, knowledge, and quality tackle – these are the three most important ingredients for successful fishing. While most fishermen are well aware of the fact that they have to be prepared for long waiting sessions and know how to use their equipment, many of them tend to overlook the importance of one small piece of the fishing puzzle – the fishing line.
The fishing line is the connection between the angler and the fish. It transfers energies and rod-tip manipulations from the fisher’s hands to the hook. That’s precisely why this item of fishing gear shouldn’t be taken lightly.
In order to help those of you who aren’t experienced enough to pick the right fishing line for them, I did the necessary research and created a list of the most popular types of fishing line and their pros and cons.
Monofilament Line
When it comes to naming the most commonly used types of fishing line mono must be mentioned. Monofilament line is the type of fishing line most beginners use when learning how to fish. These nylon-based lines have been many fishermen’s first choice for more than 70 years now because they are generally soft and flexible.
Furthermore, mono stretches to absorb shocks (an advantage in many fishing situations), provides good abrasion resistance, and comes in a wide variety of strengths and colors (clear and blue are the most popular ones because they disappear underwater and can’t be easily spotted). Oh, you should also know that monofilament is relatively inexpensive.
Just like the other two types of fishing line mono isn’t perfect. Monofilament has “memory”, i.e. it tends to hold the shape it had on the reel. Moreover, mono isn’t as tough as braid and it breaks down over time.
Braid Fishing Line
This type of fishing line is very strong for a given diameter. The basic substance in modern braided fishing lines is polyethylene which is a synthetic thermoplastic. This raw material is processed into razor-thin fibers known as Dyneema or Spectra. They are made up of dozens of microfilaments and are woven together with other fibers to form a braid’s core.
Braid sinks faster and casts farther than mono. It also has no memory, doesn’t break down in sunlight, and doesn’t stretch at all. However, braid has disadvantages as well. It tends to be very slippery and hard to cut.
Fluorocarbon Fishing Line
Fluorocarbon and monofilament might seem similar to inexperienced fishers. However, these two types of fishing line are very different. Unlike mono, fluorocarbon doesn’t absorb water, repels chemicals and ultraviolet light, and doesn’t turn brittle in cold temperatures. This fishing line is ideal for saltwater and fly fishing because it’s nearly invisible underwater.
However, this type of fishing line isn’t perfect. Since it has low memory, it can cause problems on spinning reels. Moreover, fluorocarbon is stiffer than nylon, which is why it requires special attention.