Canal lb line

[Deano24]

I was just wondering what lb line everyone uses when they canal fish, ive heard alot say 6 or 8 but which one.

 

[peter crabtree]

I mainly use 3lb main line on canals. Depends what you’re fishing for and how?

 

[Peter Jacobs]

You are best advised to chose line diameter (or B/S) based on the target species, or what you might expect to catch in that venue. In my local canals I rarely, if ever, go above 3lbs B/S with a 1.7 or 2lb B/S hook length, but then my target species are roach, dace and rudd but with the chance of a larger beam or tench.

 

[Deano24]

Thanks for the reply

 

[markcw]

As what Peter says, I use 2.lb mainline to either 1lb or 1.8lb hooklength.
A lot will depend on water clarity as well.
I fish a canal in the northwest that is a mid brown colour, I have had a rod set up with 6lb mainline to a 5lb hooklength because there are some decent carp in there and a few pike . I will still catch small skimmers and gudgeon on this set up. Another canal goes like tap water in the winter, That's when you really have to scale down.
Fish a pole and you can fish light 90% of the time.

 

[108831]

If you are fishing for the normal canal suspects,roach,perch,bream,gudgeon etc 2/3lb lines as stated,carp obviously need a heavier b.s.,if float fishing 6 or 8lb lines make for an unpleasant days canal fishing casting wise...

 

[wetthrough]

I use 6lb 0.2 for everything although I'll change the hooklength, canal lakes etc. How would using a thinner main line benefit me?

 

[Ray Roberts]

I use 6lb 0.2 for everything although I'll change the hooklength, canal lakes etc. How would using a thinner main line benefit me?

The line is thinner and less springy, which makes for smoother, longer and more accurate casts. It also cuts under the surface easier and it is easier to secure smaller shot to


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[wetthrough]

The Bridgewater is for the most part only 20M wide, maybe 25 in places (a guess) so distance has never been a problem for me and I can easily get No11s on the line, I don't use smaller. Not sure there'd be much advantage for me but might give something lighter a try to see ifg if it improves accuracy. - thanks.

 

[nottskev]

I can only imagine using 6 or 8lb line on a canal if after carp or jack pike. 2 or 2.5lb line is all I've ever used for float, and 3lb for exceptional jobs, like fishing a small feeder for bream across a very wide section. As Witty and RR said, such heavy lines will stop you casting light floats with ease and prove harder to cut under the surface. Light lines balance with the light floats, light hooklengths and small hooks which canals need.

 

[108831]

Gordon,if you are fishing the canal that is twenty metres wide a 2lb line would allow you to use a lighter float,cast underarm to the far bank,accurately,sink the line easier,presentation would be improved,similarly on lakes(and rivers)without the expectations of lots of carp,or big powerful fish,unless you load spools up and give it a go the benefits won't be comparable,Mark Pollard,Mark Bird,Paul Combes,Rob Hewison from the Blackhorse team used to fish 1lb 8oz Maxima mainline for waggler fishing the grand union canal,I preferred 2lb,but hell,I wasn't in their league,they wouldn't have done it if they didn't think it necessary,casting 2bb floats to within inches of the far bank,when needed...we only dream of being that good...

 

[theartist]

Going from using 6lb mainline to 2lb is going to a huge jump to get used to. I use 4,4 main and 3,7 hooklength and still get loads of bites even in winter, as long as the line is supple and the hooksize matches the bait the fish will take, also If your canal has big chub or tench then going too light isn't a good idea.

 

[wetthrough]

Didn't fancy going right down to 2lb so have some 0.14 4.6lb Silstar on the way to see how it goes. Not sure if there are any big chub or Tench in the Bridgewater but there are some Carp although I've yet to see one. 4.6lb should allow me to use my existing 2lb hooklengths without risking a mainline snap.

 

[108831]

I agree Rob,it is a big jump,but if you are using 2lb hooklengths then Gordon is already having to be relatively careful,a proper 2-3lb mono,like maxima would be strong,in fact you could use 4.6lb silstar hooklengths and it would snap before the 3lb maxima,no doubts,you use 4.4 mainline,but you use it for virtually everything I think don't you,i'm certainly not saying you can't do it,but for general float fishing for less hard fighting species lighter line does give lots of advantages,it is very noticeable in match fishing,not so much pleasuring as you don't have others to compare notes with.... Dont forget Gordon Silstar is what I class as a high tech line,old hat now,but the line doesn't compare to a proper mono,it is however a very good line and reliable(imo),it does float pretty well though,which for canals isn't really needed...what line do you use for hooklinks as most lines used for this will break before proper monos....

 

[nottskev]

I can see swapping 6lb for 2lb line would be a big jump - although why anyone would be using 6lb for general canal fishing is a mystery to me. There seems to have been a drift to stronger lines driven by the carp staple of commercials - but canals aren't carp-filled commercials.

When I mentioned 2, 2.5 and 3lb lines, I should say I was talking Maxima, and I wouldn't argue that Maxima is not both a bit thicker and a bit stronger than stated. Comparing Maxima with Silstar - I use both a lot - isn't straightforward, as one is a trad line, the other a stretched line. Wetthrough's .14 Silstar claims a 4.6lb breaking stress; Maxima 2.5 lb is also .14. For me, as a mainline, I like the extra durability of Maxima, it stands up to moving shot about better, sinks well, and it's relative stretchiness is useful when you hook any bigger fish. I've spools of Silstar in my box from .08 to .22 - great line, but not, for me, a reel line.

Just on the theme of people tooling up with strong lines these days: through the 90's. I'd go to Ireland several times year. I had reels with 3lb Maxima for floatfishing, and 4lb Maxima for feeder. It was normal to take very big catches of roach, bream and tench, and to use big floats and chuck feeders out into big, windswept waters. The fishing styles gave your tackle some stick. I don't remember breaking my mainline. Using lines twice as strong for canals can only hamper your chances imo.

 

[wetthrough]

The reason I use 6lb line is to give me a good margin between the main and hooklength, I use either 2lb or 3.3lb hooklengths. I've made the mistake of using a smaller margin in the past, pulled for a break and lost everything as the mainline snapped, 4.4lb FloatFish. I've since discovered by bench testing that FloatFish is more likely to break away from the knot than at the knot where it should break IMO. 3lb Maxima more often breaks away from the knot on the bench so I'm reluctant to try it even though I already have some. Let's see how I get on with the Silstar but might look for something else.

 

[theartist]

It's good that you are erring on the side of caution Gordon, you can only use whats comfortable and find out whats best through trial and error.

Interesting your finds on floatfish as I swear by it and have used it for decades. Very rarely do I have a mainline break but yes it can happen rarely though. I think most people will be lying if they say they have never had a mainline go despite using lighter hooklengths, all it takes is one weak spot be it a bad knot, poorly applied shot or even a unknown crimp. But if you got no confidence in a certain make you are right to not use it despite what anyone says.

By having the hooklength a closer diameter to the mainline there will be more stretch and with it often more strength and this may render your bench test not as reliable as using it at full stretch with a moving fish. For example your 6lb paired with 3lb bottom will not be as strong as 4lb paired with 3lb bottom as there is more load (and less stretch) on the hooklength with the heavier line. Also with such a large difference with any two lines you will have more fish come off I reckon as there's less balance.

 

[wetthrough]

Agreed that bench testing isn't the be all and end all but it's helpful to have some sort of metric. I haven't tested all gauges of FloatFish, just 3.2, 4.4 and 5lb. 4.4lb is the worst at 10 out of 10 breaking away from the knot, 3.2lb 7 out of 10 and the 5lb 1 out of 10. Compared to other lines 1 out of 10 ain't bad.

 

[theartist]

What knot are you using?

 

[nottskev]

The "moving fish" ( and other "shocks" like casting and striking) certainly adds a dimension missing from a test where weight is applied in steady increments. I'd guess we've all been surprised how hard it is to break a snagged line with a steady pull and how relatively easily the same line can be broken by playing a big fish badly.

I applaud testing to see how lines and knots come out even though I don't do it. Years of use with favourites and occasional fishing trials of various other brands are also valid tests, and that's how most anglers, I think, settle their choices. I'm sure I'm not alone in not using one brand for every application, but having favourites in different categories, The brand that has great performance (not just strength, but all round) in, say, 2-3lb can be a poor performer in 5 or 6lb. The brand that one angler swears by can end up in another's bin. It pays to be open to a new line improving on an old favourite. I've used the Silstar line for hooklengths for years, but tried D Harrell's Rig Line in lighter strains and found it more supple and looking like new at the end of a session with plenty of fish.