Which is better: monofilament, braided line or fluorocarbon? How to choose and use fishing line correctly in different types of fishing? In this article, Alexey Shanin, a master of sports of international class, multiple winner and prize-winner of the most prestigious national and international competitions, will share his experience. At the end of the text you will find a video about the best fishing lines and cords and practical tips on how to extend the life of braid and use it correctly when fishing.
Main line and leader
The main line is usually braided cord.
Monofilament line in the background. The reason for this: the high elongation of monofilament nylon fishing line. To get a clear bite on the tip of the rod, you need a fishing line that is practically inextensible. Leaders are used from monofilament and fluorocarbon to reduce the visibility of the fishing line. But there is also a type of leash that can withstand high loads from the teeth of toothy pike and pike perch.
Teeth protection leashes:
- metal braided leash;
- thin string of musical instruments;
- soft leader material.
Manufacturers and scammers
Taking advantage of the fact that fluorocarbon lines have become very popular and sell well, many unscrupulous manufacturers pass off their monofilament nylons as the popular fluorine. Without further ado, they simply write “Fluorocarbon” on the package or reel.
It's easy to spot a fake:
- real flurik does not stretch;
- has no memory.
Experienced fishermen recommend checking authenticity using matches or a lighter.
To test fluorocarbon for authenticity, set the end on fire!
Natural fluorocarbon will burn to soot and crumble when touched, while nylon will melt and drip in this process.
At the same time, some manufacturers produce their monofilament lines with fluorocarbon coating. This is done to protect the nylon from water or sunlight and is often used in ice fishing products, which is the best compromise on price and protection.
, a popular brand of winter line, coats the nylon with a layer of fluorocarbon.
The best rated manufacturers of fluorocarbon fishing lines are the following Japanese companies:
- Kosadaka,
- Antares,
- Trabucco,
- Sufix.
Attention! Recently, a lot of fishing lines have appeared from Chinese comrades. They don’t yet have a specific rating; each case needs to be examined separately: there are high-quality fleurs, and there are also outright disgusting things.
Monofilament line
Monofilament fishing line is a nylon thread with a smooth surface and a round cross-section.
It has a number of important positive properties:
- allows you to cast light baits far due to the low coefficient of friction;
- has little resistance in the water column;
- can be either invisible or clearly visible in the water;
- has stretchability, which makes it possible to dampen the jerks of large fish;
- is characterized by low cost.
The disadvantages of monofilament include:
- stretchability negatively affects the sensitivity of the tackle and the hooking of fish;
- has little strength.
We recommend buying only reliable Japanese or German fishing lines, for example, Shimano or Owner.
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Braid is stronger than monofilament and has virtually no stretch
Braided cord has recently burst into use among spinners. Among the positive qualities of braiding it is necessary to note:
- maximum tensile strength;
- low degree of stretch, improving the sensitivity of the spinning rod and hooking fish;
- long service life.
But braided cord also has serious disadvantages that negatively affect the equipment:
- high cost of the cord;
- increased demands on the quality of the rod and reel;
- failure when fishing on a rocky bottom.
We also recommend buying not the cheapest fishing lines. Sunline is a good choice. As a last resort Power Pro. Its price is quite reasonable.
Knots for fluorocarbon line
The result of fishing directly depends on the quality of the tie, so the knots must be durable and strong. Especially strong knots that will never come apart are obtained with multiple weaves.
Carrot Knot
With the help of such a knot, a fluorocarbon leash is tied to the main braided fishing line . This is done in the following way:
- At the end of the leash, a regular knot is tied into which the end of the braid is threaded.
- Starting from the knot, the braid is wrapped around the leash seven times in one direction and six times in the opposite direction.
- The knot is abundantly wetted and tightly tightened.
- The coils of the braid are treated with water and slowly pulled together. To do this, pull the tip and carefully ensure that the fishing line does not deform.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon - fishing line invisible in water
The new thing in the world of fishing lines is fluorocarbon. This is a monofilament line made of a special polymer material PVDF.
The properties of this material gave the fishing line several useful characteristics:
- invisibility in water due to the same refraction of light as that of water;
- resistance to sunlight and moisture;
- high resistance to abrasion.
But there are a number of factors that limit the spread of fluorocarbon:
- the breaking load of fluorocarbon is inferior to the similar diameter of nylon monofilament;
- most manufacturers produce rigid fluorocarbon fishing line, which is brittle;
- unreliable fluorocarbon nodes have to be strengthened with superglue.
Fluorocarbon fishing lines are used by fishermen both as a “base” and for making leashes.
What is fluorocarbon?
What is fluorocarbon fishing line, what is the basis of its production? In fact, this type of monofilament thread is made from a composite synthetic fiber that includes large amounts of fluorine and carbon. It was the use of these substances that made this thread such as it is valued by fishermen.
Fluorocarbon fishing line has increased rigidity and moisture resistance, qualities that are so successfully used in the fishing process. Its molecular structure is similar to another currently popular material - Teflon.
Main characteristics of fluorocarbon:
- rigidity;
- minimal stretchability;
- constant diameter along the length;
- zero adhesion, molecular adhesion to water;
- the refractive index of light is close to that of water;
- resistance to sunlight;
- lack of memory;
- unchanging strength during operation.
Fluorocarbon line is perfectly aligned along its entire length.
What diameter of fishing line is needed for spinning
The choice of fishing line diameter is dictated by two important conditions.
- What size fish is the angler going to catch? For medium-sized pike, pike-perch and perch, a 0.2-0.25 monofilament line or braided line with similar breaking characteristics is sufficient.
- In what areas of the reservoir will fishing take place? In clean places, you can use thinner lines than in thickets and snags, where bait snags are possible.
- What fishing line was the reel purchased for? This moment is important for completely filling the spool, which affects the casting distance.
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Advantages and disadvantages
Based on the physical properties of fluorocarbon, we will consider what positive and negative characteristics fishing lines made from this material have.
First, let's list the positive aspects of using fluorocarbon fishing lines in fishing:
- The rigidity of the lines allows them to be used as a material for knitting various rigs where the use of such an element is required, for example, instead of braids in feeder rigs.
- The inextensibility of “flurika” is used in spinning rigs, where constant tactile contact with the bait is important.
- The refractive index of light, close to that of water, makes it possible to best camouflage equipment at the bottom of a reservoir.
- The property of not absorbing moisture is used in gear that stays under water for a long time, for example, for a feeder or when fishing for carp.
- Abrasion resistance allows you to use fly when fishing in difficult places: on shell rocks or rocky bottoms.
- The properties of fluorocarbon, such as memorylessness, uniformity, resistance to damage from the sun and unchanging strength, are appreciated by anglers of all types of fishing.
At the same time, there are negative factors of using fluorocarbon:
- The high cost of fishing line is superior not only to monofilament, but also to braided line. This is due to the use of high production technologies and the choice of materials.
- The strength of lines with the same diameter is lower than that of nylon monofilaments.
- Fluorocarbon fishing line is very capricious at knots; as fishermen say, it “floats”. Therefore, special knots should be used and knitted with special care; it is important not to over-tighten.
Often, when tying knots, I melt the end of the flurry so that it does not jump out of the connection.
Attention! To connect fluorocarbon sections, they often use crimp tubes rather than knots.
The best manufacturers
Fishermen have already managed to evaluate the quality of fishing lines from different manufacturers.
Among the braids, the following products can be distinguished:
- Beastmaster from Shimano;
- Sunline Deep one;
- Steel Power Asama;
- Diamond Braid from Salmo.
The most popular monofilament lines are:
- Super Soft from Phantom Line;
- Technium Spinning Line from Shimano;
- Antares Silk Shock from Shimano;
- RXR Kameleon from Balsax.
With experience, each angler develops his own favorite fishing lines. Once you buy a fake, it will be difficult to trust even a well-known fishing brand. Therefore, any fishing line must be tested for tensile strength while still in the store. Then it will not be possible for a low-quality product to slip through the hands of a spinner.
How to check fluorocarbon for quality and resistance to external influences
This material has a significant price, but is still widely popular among spinning and feeder players. This is one of the reasons why counterfeits regularly appear on the market. When purchasing, you need to be able to determine the authenticity of the material. To do this, you can use the following criteria:
- Need to check for rupture. The original fishing line will have a high resistance close to that indicated on the reel.
- You can determine the authenticity using a needle file. The fact is that it is much more difficult to cut fluorocarbon than monofilament fishing line.
Another way to check is to use a lighter or a lit match. If you burn the tip of the fishing line, you can observe the following:
- When the thread lights up quickly, burns easily, and a drop forms at the tip, then we are talking about monofilament fishing line.
- Fluorocarbon behaves differently. Under the influence of fire, only that part of the fishing line that is inside the flame hardly ignites. When the burning stops and the thread cools, only the burnt tip will remain. It will crumble if rubbed between your fingers. A drop will not form on it. This situation is typical for fluorocarbon fishing line.
Checking what you have in your hands, the fluor only burns at the point of fire, the monofilament melts and drips, the braided line burns.
If you immerse the thread in water, the fluor will begin to sink much faster than the nylon from which the monofilament is made.
