spoonminnow
Well-known member
deleted
Last edited:
deleted
- Thread starter spoonminnow
- Start date
mikench
Well-known member
I wouldn’t disagree with what you say except that I just don’t like the stuff. It sways in the breeze, it produces wind knots and it’s more expensive than mono. I let my rod take the strain and tire the fish. Luddite I may be but I’ll stick with my chosen mono lines.
I can see that lure anglers and some others find it best for their needs. But as for "all types of fishing..... There are lots of UK styles where mono is preferable, particularly in the realms of floatfishing and pole-fishing (we distinguish rods from poles; rod have rings and reels on, poles don't have either and can be up to 16m long). Braid is unsuitable for any applications - we have lots - where multiple shot arranged on the line are key to bait presentation, and that's not on with braid. All kinds of anti-tangle bits and pieces need to be used for bait-fishing braid rigs, whereas mono is way less prone to issues. A degree of stretch can be positively helpful, in tandem with the rod's action, in playing fish on light gear. You can choose types of mono in line with the desirability of your line sinking easily, floating easily or somewhere in between according to the method you're using. Not to mention that braids are banned under many waters' rules here. As for cost, even high quality mono is cheap in relation to other angling costs, so I don't need a line to last for ages. I have more reels/spools than I can count without tracking them all down, and none have braid on them, so my view is pretty well exactly opposite - I don't find any good reason to use braid.
@Clive
Well-known member
I agree with your sentiments Kev. It is seems to be an American thing.
Regards braid; I do see uses for it in the sort of fishing that we do over here in Europeland. I have spools with braid on some fixed spool reels specifically for fishing at distance with float or ledger / feeder tactics. The finer diameter for the breaking strain is very handy when fishing the far side of a flowing river. And I like the lack of stretch when ledgering or float fishing for roach. Same when using a drifting float for pike and zander. Another use is for catfish when the diameter of mono required for the mainline would lead to coils springing off the reel.
When Spiderwire first came out I immediately saw the benefits for inshore boat fishing. While my club colleagues stuck with their 30lb class gear with 16 or 20 oz weights and had to wind 90 feet up after a bite to see if there was a fish on, I was using a 12lb class pier rod with an 8oz weight and getting wrap rounds from 3lb codling
Regards braid; I do see uses for it in the sort of fishing that we do over here in Europeland. I have spools with braid on some fixed spool reels specifically for fishing at distance with float or ledger / feeder tactics. The finer diameter for the breaking strain is very handy when fishing the far side of a flowing river. And I like the lack of stretch when ledgering or float fishing for roach. Same when using a drifting float for pike and zander. Another use is for catfish when the diameter of mono required for the mainline would lead to coils springing off the reel.
When Spiderwire first came out I immediately saw the benefits for inshore boat fishing. While my club colleagues stuck with their 30lb class gear with 16 or 20 oz weights and had to wind 90 feet up after a bite to see if there was a fish on, I was using a 12lb class pier rod with an 8oz weight and getting wrap rounds from 3lb codling
Last edited:
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
The first common skate I caught was in 300' of tidal water - on mono. It took me the first 20 minutes of the "fight" to take the stretch out of the line and realise there was something alive on my hook!I agree with your sentiments Kev. It is seems to be an American thing.
Regards braid; I do see uses for it in the sort of fishing that we do over here in Europeland. I have spools with braid on some fixed spool reels specifically for fishing at distance with float or ledger / feeder tactics. The finer diameter for the breaking strain is very handy when fishing the far side of a flowing river. And I like the lack of stretch when ledgering or float fishing for roach. Same when using a drifting float for pike and zander. Another use is for catfish when the diameter of mono required for the mainline would lead to coils springing off the reel.
When Spiderwire first came out I immediately saw the benefits for inshore boat fishing. While my club colleagues stuck with their 30lb class gear with 16 or 20 oz weights and had to wind 90 feet up after a bite to see if there was a fish on, I was using a 6lb class pier rod with an 8oz weight and getting wrap rounds from 3lb codling
After that I changed to braid and the first fish I caught on that was a 200 lb+ porbeagle, probably the first ever caught on braid. That fight hurt me despite my using a longer, more flexible rod than was the norm. But I had the porgie at the boat after just a 30 minute fight, quite quickly compared to some. After that I used the same Dynon brand braid for much of my sea fishing, shore and boat.
So I just got used to it, I guess, but found many awful brands along the way! Pick a bad braid and you will go back to mono very quickly!
seth49
Well-known member
I’ve used braid quite a lot over the years, when I used to trot a shrimp for salmon it was really good as it floated and was easy to mend, also for ledgering and feeder fishing I prefer it for bite detection, it is difficult when new as it soon tangles and is prone to wind knots, but it does improve with use, it goes a lot more supple and limp with use.
Berkley power pro is my braid of choice, I’ve used it for years and found it very good and long lasting, I’ve some which is twenty odd years old and still usable, and you can reverse it if needed as the braid at the other end will be like new.
it does cut of easy in rocky rivers if it catches a ledge under tension, but around ten foot of maxima solved that.
and it’s good in weedy swims too.
Berkley power pro is my braid of choice, I’ve used it for years and found it very good and long lasting, I’ve some which is twenty odd years old and still usable, and you can reverse it if needed as the braid at the other end will be like new.
it does cut of easy in rocky rivers if it catches a ledge under tension, but around ten foot of maxima solved that.
and it’s good in weedy swims too.
@Clive
Well-known member
No wonder you keep breaking your landing nets
spoonminnow
Well-known member
deleted
Last edited:
@Clive
Well-known member
But you said "all types of fishing". That is the issue. Lure fishing isn't all types of fishing and we do lots of types of fishing where braid would not be approriate 
spoonminnow
Well-known member
deleted
Last edited:
The Sogster
Well-known member
That chain pickerel is gorgeous, wow!
spoonminnow
Well-known member
deleted
Last edited:
Keith M
Well-known member
We aren’t allowed to use Jaw Spreaders/Gags in the UK as they are deemed as being inhumane and not even sold in our tackle shops.
We use a glove to open the lower jaw and long nosed pliers or forceps to unhook our Northern Pike.
Keith
Last edited:
spoonminnow
Well-known member
deleted
Last edited: