Canal lb line

[markcw]

When I fished the Bridgewater around the Lymm and Warrington areas, a lot of time was on the pole to the far side against moored boats or on the narrower stretches.So I could fish light and rely on the elastic to do the work.
On the wider stretches out of pole range, it would be a 3bb waggler shotted with 3bb and number 4,6,and a couple of number 8 droppers. Mainline would be either 2lb or 2.8lb, hooklength would vary in length depending on conditions, this would be either 1lb or 1.8lb. I always worked on the principle of just going lower than the mainline bs.
If feeder fishing into the turning basins or in front of a moored up boat mainline would be 3lb down to either a 2.8lb or 2lb hooklength, I got snagged a couple of times and it was hard trying to pull for a break with a steady pull. If on the odd occasion I latched into a rogue carp I managed to land some but if they took off straight away I knew there was a chance the hooklength would go. This was a rare occasion because if the tip shot round I ended up playing the fish the the top of the rod under water to keep line going near propellers,that's why I always fished at the front of the boat.

 

[wetthrough]

I always worked on the principle of just going lower than the mainline bs.

The general principle I work on but it's only really reliable if you're using the same brand mainline and hooklength as manufacturers seem to have different ideas as to what a lb is!

 

[theartist]

Its much like hook sizes that vary wildly too, I'm assuming the breaking strain tests they do aren't scrutinized too much by trading standards?

 

[markcw]

Its much like hook sizes that vary wildly too, I'm assuming the breaking strain tests they do aren't scrutinized too much by trading standards?

It's not only breaking strains, it's diameters as well.

 

[108831]

Hmmmmm,must be a liar then,the only time the mainline breaks when floatfishing is when it has rubbed or hit a snag or obstruction,the amount of times i've used 4.6lb silstar h.length with a 3lb mono,or a 5.5lb silstar h.length with 4lb mono is impossible to count,any breakages are always on the h.length,purely as silstar is slightly pre-stretched and is a relative short length,compared to stretchy mono over many yards....also,strangely,I never liked floatfish,tried it a few times but....

 

[rayner]

I've always gone down the lighter side with lines, I still use 0.14 or 0.17 reel lines. I have turned to use heavier hook link lines. I was using 0.08 to 0.10 for waggler fishing, or pole up in the water. Now I've stepped up to 0.12 to 0.14 hook links.
Pole fishing has been lately 0.12 TO 0.14. hook links, the sole reason is it doesn't matter what baits I use I seem to be tormented with carp. Small match carp (5-8 lb) aren't too tricky to manage, but they take time.
Silver fish have been increasingly more difficult to find, everywhere I fish on the venue I have a ticket for I catch either F1s or carp.
Roach are conspicuous by their absence, Ide seems to be the same.

 

[theartist]

Hmmmmm,must be a liar then,the only time the mainline breaks when floatfishing is when it has rubbed or hit a snag or obstruction,the amount of times i've used 4.6lb silstar h.length with a 3lb mono,or a 5.5lb silstar h.length with 4lb mono is impossible to count,any breakages are always on the h.length,purely as silstar is slightly pre-stretched and is a relative short length,compared to stretchy mono over many yards....also,strangely,I never liked floatfish,tried it a few times but....

That's the whole point Alan, and you are contradicting yourself in saying that the 'only' time mainline breaks is when it's rubbed or hit a snag. My point to Gordon was exactly that, It does happen, very rarely but everyone has a mainline go once in a blue moon.

Unless you are fishing 6lb line and 2lb bottom of course, but even then It could happen

 

[108831]

I believe that unbalanced tackle is inferior to balanced gear,look we can use whatever we like,but we have all seen people struggling to float fish on stupidly heavy line,your 4.4 floatfish is imo inferior to my 3lb,but that's opinion,as Gordon said,he found 4.4lb floatfish to break regularly above the hooklink knot in his own tests,I don't know if that is applicable,because knotting,or care by the individual makes an enormous difference,and if told that I can only fish with floatfish,then I would,confidence in your gear is what counts,even if its unfounded,by all of us...

 

[theartist]

I believe that unbalanced tackle is inferior to balanced gear,look we can use whatever we like,but we have all seen people struggling to float fish on stupidly heavy line,your 4.4 floatfish is imo inferior to my 3lb,but that's opinion,as Gordon said,he found 4.4lb floatfish to break regularly above the hooklink knot in his own tests,I don't know if that is applicable,because knotting,or care by the individual makes an enormous difference,and if told that I can only fish with floatfish,then I would,confidence in your gear is what counts,even if its unfounded,by all of us...

I'm not syaing anyone should use floatfish, I've just said I do and I do ok on it, I doubt very much it is the best line out there but how can 4,4lb be weaker than 3lb line? That really is a job for trading standards if so

 

[RMNDIL]

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.

But at what actual B/S ?

And new FloatfIsh or old/original Float Fish ? They are different lines.

 

[wetthrough]

New, wet/soaked and knotted. The average-low-high for 3.2 4.4 and 5 respectively was A3.67 L3.54 H3.72, A4.28 L4.1 H4.43, A5.14 L4.62 H5.68

 

[theartist]

Which knots are you using for this test Gordon?

 

[wetthrough]

5 turn tucked blood but since it's likely to break away from the knot it's somewhat irrelevant.

 

[theartist]

5 turn tucked blood but since it's likely to break away from the knot it's somewhat irrelevant.

Most hooklengths are attached to the mainline loop to loop (at least they used to be, I don't know if time's have changed) and with that there's is a lot of stretch, it's like a shock absorber. Could lead to a different set of results with your test?

 

[wetthrough]

Possibly but it's not how I attach mine, I use a swivel so that's how I test as it's principally for my own benefit. I wouldn't claim the tests are lab standard but they're all done the same way which at least gives me good enough data to allow me to choose a hooklength suitable for any particular main line.

 

[rayner]

I bought a couple of spools of 3lb Maxima to change my reels from 4lb. As yet, I have not changed the lines over. I just can't get motivated to do it.
For connecting hook links to my main, I prefer a figure-eight knot.
Typically if I break a hook link I have to tie on a new rig. I carry wagglers made up on winders, like the shot I find them and my hook links too difficult to tie on the bank.

 

[108831]

Im afraid that some 3lb lines break at more than 4lb,especially old style monos,4.6lb silstar may break at its stated b.s. then again it might be more or less,but one thing I do know it breaks before my 3lb monos,I rely on it 100%,my confidence is total in my lines,if I hook a snag searching chub on 4.6 hooklink to 3lb mainline,most are coming out and if not the hooklink parts,unless it is wrapped around a log,then 6lb line will end up breaking....

 

[rayner]

I have the same confidence in Maxima. It stretches more than power gum, that is where the strength is.

 

[RMNDIL]

That just tells me that your hooklength material - whatever it was/is - is vastly under rated. E.G if you use 4.4lb mainline and a 3.3 hooklength and the mainline snaps first there is no way the 3.3 is 3.3.

 

[wetthrough]

The 4.4lb line breaks at a low of 4.1 and possibly less if more tests were done. I was using Supplex Fluorocarbon at the time and I did have one spool that measured 0.154 which would have given it a BS of about 3.4, I didn't measure the BS at the time. Too close for comfort IMO given that the mainline gets a lot of hammer and it's why I chose to settle on a main line with a bigger margin of safety. Although generally if the Supplex is it's stated diameter it breaks at about 2.8.