Fishing Line Goes High-Tech

It wasn't long ago that fishing line was fishing line. Yes, there were extra tough lines, extra limp lines, super abrasion resistant lines, etc. The trout fisherman may have chosen a 2 or 4 lb test XL from Stren or Berkley for its limpness and ability to achieve a more natural presentation. The bass guys might have gone for an XT line in 14-17 or maybe even 20lb. to stand up to the weeds and heavy cover they so often encounter. Many of us who predominately fish the salt stuck with our Berkley Big Game in 20-30lb. test.

During the late 1990's, along came spiderwire, and views and attitudes on fishing line began to change. At first, use of this new line made of braided spectra fiber was somewhat restrictive. There were special reels and rod guides made to withstand the abrasive qualities of the line. As time went by though, this became less of a concern.

It was the bass fishing crowd that was first to embrace this new line, and they sung the praises of its low stretch and increased sensitivity. Of course, like most innovations in technology it wasn't long before other companies were developing their own versions of super line, and its popularity began to grow throughout all of the fishing genres.

Today there are more types of super braid and hybrid lines on the market than you can count and they have all but replaced monofilament lines. Certainly there are still times when monofilament with its stretch and the other qualities it offers is desirable, but for many of us the braid is the new king of lines.

One of the things these lines have done is to allow those of us who require large amounts of line capacity on our reels to step down the sizes of reels we use. As you can imagine there can be a great advantage realized when you are able to get 20lb. test strength in an 8lb. test diameter.

Increased sensitivity and better sense of connection to the fish are some of the other advantages realized with these new lines.

Certainly there are some negatives associated with these lines as well. Some of the drawbacks are the same qualities that are often considered advantages. Low stretch is not always a good thing-a modest fish using the power of a moderate wave can almost certainly put any 20lb. line to the test, and if you have no stretch you just may lose that fish. Many compensate for this with a section of mono attached to the braid on the running end.

If you bring your own tackle on charter boats there are many captains who do not allow the use of braided lines-in this setting they can be hard to deal with and unforgiving, especially when fishing deep water with other anglers in close proximity.

Wind knots can also be a problem with some of these lines, especially when tossing very light offerings. You really have to try a few of them to figure out which one is going to work the best for you.

Overall these "new" lines can fill a very important role in your fishing arsenal. If you still haven't stepped away from conventional mono you should give them a try.

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