Right,I've just been on flyaway and bought a 1000m spool of 8 strand dyneema braid,10lb by for use for mullet spinning and playing around for mini species with artificial isome worms,I was going to buy 2 spools of Drennan feeder braid at around £13-15 per spool,the spool I've purchased was £17.02 post free,now I don't think I'm naive as I accept this stuff isn't going to be the bee's knees,but I'm thinking it will do the simple job I'm asking of it, your pros and cons please???
Cheaper braids question...
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mikench
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I really cannot comment as I hate the stuff and only use it for sporadic lure fishing forays. All of the stuff I have bought has been the cheap stuff except for a spool of 12 strand Daiwa braid in chartreuse. I just liked the colour.?
John Aston
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Some braid , just like some nylon and flouro can be nasty stuff to use. I use braid extensively and while I wouldn't use , for example, Fox Torque 10lb again ( unnecessarily thin, awfully prone to wind knots ) I have used Berkeley Whiplash and Wychwood Epic for years and both are excellent . Typically in 15 and 20 lb bs , even for light lure fishing . It is thin, of course ,but easily visible and as I invariably am using a flouro or wire hooklength anyway I like having a significantly stronger main line .
Cost isn't a factor for line for me - none of it will break the bank - and as braid lasts for ever I have no hesitation in paying more for decent stuff , as I do for every type of fishing . I endured years of crap when I couldn't afford quality gear and I've no desire to repeat the experience . Cheap doesn't always mean nasty , as my lovely Shakespeare Agility fly rod attests , but ...well ..it sort of does a lot of the time and my eyebrow is raised at 7 quid /1000m braid . Good luck with it , but it's not a gamble I'd take . Why buy 1000m when for the same price you can get 100m of the good stuff- which is all you need ? Any uses planned for the surplus 900m
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Cost isn't a factor for line for me - none of it will break the bank - and as braid lasts for ever I have no hesitation in paying more for decent stuff , as I do for every type of fishing . I endured years of crap when I couldn't afford quality gear and I've no desire to repeat the experience . Cheap doesn't always mean nasty , as my lovely Shakespeare Agility fly rod attests , but ...well ..it sort of does a lot of the time and my eyebrow is raised at 7 quid /1000m braid . Good luck with it , but it's not a gamble I'd take . Why buy 1000m when for the same price you can get 100m of the good stuff- which is all you need ? Any uses planned for the surplus 900m
?As the wrasse/mini-species fishing is done under the rod top wind knots wouldn't be an issue,so if push came to shove it would be used just for that,I don't lure fish for pike,they are a boring species to me,they just don't get my adrenaline flowing,if it doesn't work out,I won't use braid period,sticking to mono as I always have,as it goes money isn't an 'issue' to me,spending unnecessarily is,also as I don't know what is a 'decent' braid 15 quid might be spent on a load of garbage,I'm sure I can catch mullet on 6lb mono,I always have before...
p.s. seventeen pounds for 1000m,not seven....
p.s. seventeen pounds for 1000m,not seven....
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John Aston
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My bad- but only trying to help. Next time ask before you buy , perhaps ? I'd stick with braid for lure fishing as it is night and day more enjoyable , and effective to lure fish with than stretchy old nylon . I have tested braid v nylon back to back and wouldn't dream of not using braid .
No,your not bad,however,I was asking questions about braided reel lines,of which I have had no interest in using for anything,as I have not found it necessary,I am well read enough to know the advantages of its use,I would never,ever use it for feeder fishing,even though many do,nor for carp, barbel or chub,I'm there is no need for it,certainly in my angling situations,as I said I am not have no concerns on how much the stuff costs,apart from the idea that if I can buy an 18 carat ring for a fiver I would...so my post purchase question was asked out of interest more than anything else....
Probably be fine, might be a bit thick and have a much higher than stated breaking strain, but that would be it.
My only experience of cheap braid was ok, as above and a bit wiry, but it worked fine.
These days I just stick to ones I know and trust, those being power pro and Diawa j braid.
A recent one from holiday on .0.20mm jbraid....
My only experience of cheap braid was ok, as above and a bit wiry, but it worked fine.
These days I just stick to ones I know and trust, those being power pro and Diawa j braid.
A recent one from holiday on .0.20mm jbraid....
I hardly ever have problems with wind knots, in fact I cant remember the last time I had one.
Always put a few yards of mono on the spool before the braid, make sure the line roller is free running, wind it on tight through a damp cloth and you shouldn't have any bother.
Always put a few yards of mono on the spool before the braid, make sure the line roller is free running, wind it on tight through a damp cloth and you shouldn't have any bother.
Weirdly the worst braid I ever used was the most expensive one I ever purchased I ..cant recall the make but I know I hated it.
I am not a huge fan of braid although the times I do use it are for lure fishing, drift float fishing and feature finding (leading about). Bearing in mind my occasional user status I think one of the pitfalls its easy to fall into is to get too hung up with the thin diameter especially when using it as a mainline and try and go too thin and fine which can lead to more tangles. The fact many people use it with quite long leaders, such as fluorocarbon means you dont need to go mega thin & can probably get away with a thicker braid behind.
One additional point I’ll add is that a while back I gave braid a good go while touch ledgering which I had been doing alot of. I had this idea that bite indication would be alot better using braid. As I say I did give it a very good go - probably best part of a year- but strangely I didnt actually notice any real difference in bite indication over mono. As I was suffering more tangles with it I eventually swapped back to mono and immeditaly felt happier again.
I am not a huge fan of braid although the times I do use it are for lure fishing, drift float fishing and feature finding (leading about). Bearing in mind my occasional user status I think one of the pitfalls its easy to fall into is to get too hung up with the thin diameter especially when using it as a mainline and try and go too thin and fine which can lead to more tangles. The fact many people use it with quite long leaders, such as fluorocarbon means you dont need to go mega thin & can probably get away with a thicker braid behind.
One additional point I’ll add is that a while back I gave braid a good go while touch ledgering which I had been doing alot of. I had this idea that bite indication would be alot better using braid. As I say I did give it a very good go - probably best part of a year- but strangely I didnt actually notice any real difference in bite indication over mono. As I was suffering more tangles with it I eventually swapped back to mono and immeditaly felt happier again.
I think sometimes if you are leadgering(or touch ledgering)on rivers you get better bite detection because of the bow that forms with the thicker diameter of mono,which along with the stretch gives a taking fish less resistance,therefore you get a better bite(of of better sized fish).
John Aston
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Be careful when legering with very short hooklengths and braid as mainline . I tried braid for winter chub fishing , when I habitually use very short hooklengths , down to 4- 6 inches . At first , I thought I was being bitten off , but I worked out that the strike was enough to break the 6/8lb nylon hook length . I didn't even feel any resistance but what was happening was all the power of the strike was transmitted suddenly to the only stretchy piece of line , which simply couldn't take it . I use braid for barbel exclusively , but with far longer hooklengths I have never had a problem .****
As Philip rightly points out , newcomers to braid are seduced by its low diameter, and that can cause problems if some of the very fine ones are used. It's not diameter that is the appeal , but its lack of stretch and its longevity . I never use below 15/20 lb and wind knots and tangles are just about non existent. And remember my fishing includes lots of lure work , with literally hundreds of casts .
**** Actually , I did have a problem when I was stupid enough to touch leger for barbel with braid . The result was a friction scarred finger and the smell of burning flesh
As Philip rightly points out , newcomers to braid are seduced by its low diameter, and that can cause problems if some of the very fine ones are used. It's not diameter that is the appeal , but its lack of stretch and its longevity . I never use below 15/20 lb and wind knots and tangles are just about non existent. And remember my fishing includes lots of lure work , with literally hundreds of casts .
**** Actually , I did have a problem when I was stupid enough to touch leger for barbel with braid . The result was a friction scarred finger and the smell of burning flesh
mikench
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Aah the beach at Dawlish Warren just as I remember it.?
spoonminnow
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Ray Roberts
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I bought a spinning rod made by a company called Sea Knight from Ali Express. It was a super little rod. I saw that the same company makes braid and bought some in a couple of different sizes. I have given it a good go and it’s as good as line that’s three times the price.
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spoonminnow
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John Aston
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Hmm - judging by my experience of buying fishing gear from outside the UK recently , you wait weeks for customs (or border force or whatever idiotic title we now use) , then pay an absurd amount of import duty . Those who voted for Brexit (of whom I was not not one ) doubtless see this as not only ...err... Taking Back Control but a marvellous boost for the many skilled artisans who still work in the UK fishing tackle industry . Both of them .
I wouldn't bother with cheap braid. I tried a brand maybe Drennan ? with weakened significantly when used just a couple of times. I don't particularly like using braid as a mainline unless predator fishing for pike and perch. I use Powerpro for deadbaiting in 50lb and an imported braid from Japan namely Sol X upgrade for drop shotting and jigging for perch. The 17lb stuff is like 1lb mono un like Nanofil which I have also tried usual knots don't slip.
YGK G-Soul Upgrade