Monofilament

Here are a few lines, which I have used for the past few years in various situations. The lines featured here are suitable for general fishing purposes and are not considered to be specialist lines. Here are a few positive and negative points concerning each one. Although the diameters stated are fairly accurate, the breaking strain however, is not. For example the stated diameter for a spool marked up at 5lb plus may be .16. This is common with many lines on the market and is quite misleading to anglers. A rough guide for an angler buying line today is to go by the stated diameter, which at .16 the breaking strain will be nearer to 4lb.

This guide can be used for all line manufacturers except where hi-tech lines are used. The lower stretch factor of hi-tech lines usually means a lower breaking strain again.

0.09 = 1.lb / 0.10 = 1.5 lb. / 0.12 = 2.lb / 0.13 = 2.5 LB / 0.14 = 3.lb / 0.15 = 3.5.lb /
0.16 = 4.lb / 0.17 = 4.5.lb / 0.18 = 5. lb. / 0.19 = 5.5 lb. / 0.20 = 6.lb

These are rough guides only and should be treated as such but it may help to ignore the stated breaking strain to get a more realistic impression.

Silstar Match
Diameters used: 0.10 to 0.20
Price:£4.95 per spool

This comes in 100 meter spools and is light green in colour. It is a good line for pole rigs due to its stretch factor, which adds to the overall strength of the line. It has a certain amount of abrasion resistance and is quite versatile. Knot strength is very good and there is no need to treat this as a hi-tech line, which can be very fragile. As a reel line for waggler fishing however, it lacks the sinking properties of other lines and does not sink until it has been used several times, which can be a distinct disadvantage. I have experimented with it for running line fishing but have found that it shows signs of wear and tear when larger fish like carp or chub are the quarry and results in weak spots in the last few feet above the float.

Shakespeare Omni
Diameters used: 0.10 to 0.16
Price: £1.99 per spool

Again this line comes in 100-meter spools but is a clear line ideally suited to pole rigs and hook-lengths. I use Omni for the majority of my waggler fishing these days for a few good reasons. First of all there is a fair amount of stretch in this line and being clear it is difficult to see in water. Secondly, breaking strain is probably slightly stronger than stated which allows for a few mistakes. I tend to use lines which are thicker for fishing shallow because they sink slower and I think that hook size is more important to catching fish as they feed by touch rather than sight. Thirdly, it is less prone to line twist from repeated retrieving. My requirements are that a line must have a fair degree of stretch and subtlety.

As for main line forget it! It takes a long time to sink and by the time it does it needs to be changed. There are no rules for how long you use a line before changing it because it depends how often it get used. Out of direct sunlight it will last season at least. This is a good line with good value for money but it is by no means a versatile one.

Maxima
Diameters: .10 to .14
Price: £ per 100-meter spool

When I first started fishing competitions at the age of 14, I used this line exclusively but as I began to travel around the country to fish a wider variety of venues, I experimented with other lines. Ironically though, after trying most of them I am now using Maxima again. For running line fishing where the line needs to be sunk there is no better line. The stretch factor is incredible and the breaking strain would appear to be greater than stated on the spool. It does however have some negative aspects to it. I know many match anglers who would prefer not to use it for hooklengths due to its dark colouring, which does make it stand out in water. The other problem is that it sinks like a stone and keeps going, not a good point if you require a floating line. This is quite a serious problem too if there is a long pause between bites, as a considerable amount of force is needed to straighten the line and move the float. Nevertheless, I have yet to find a better line for general all-purpose fishing stillwaters.

Bayer perlon.
Diameters: .010 to .16
Price: £3.00 per 100 meters

Bayer is a clear line with a slight brown tinge to it, traditionally used as a floating line for stick float fishing this line has a very strong following, whereby many match anglers have complete confidence in it.

More commonly these days it is used as hooklengths but there are still a few who use it for main line. Personally I seldom require a line to float but this can be achieved by casting out and leaving it on the surface. There is a fair amount of stretch and once treated with a sinking solution can be used for waggler fishing, however, this line is fragile and it does not take much to damage it. Slide anything bigger than a BB shot along it and it will need changing. One solution is put the shot onto a length of silicone tubing, which allows them to slide easier. Another solution is to use Maxima instead.

Ignesti
Diameters .12 to .16
Price: £3.45 per 100-meters

Another clear line, which has performed well in the past few months. I have only ever used this line for pole rigs so far, but due to its subtlety I am well impressed with it. I don't think it is a general all-purpose line because I think it floats but it is a very hard- wearing line considering the battering I give it during a competition. Try it and see how you get on with it. Admittedly I probably would never have bought any but I was asked to try some and the results were impressive.

It is very much down to personal preference, but trial and error is the best way to sort out what suits you. The venues I fish these days will produce clear favourites when it comes down to choice of lines, but other anglers who travel to different waters will require lines with different properties for different reasons.

This is intended only as a guide to those who are considering going into any tackle shop, confronted by what can only be described as a assemblage of indecision. There are many lines on the market, which are suitable for general fishing, I have tried the majority of them and these, in my opinion are among the best.

Remember that there is a tendency to follow trends in this game and certain lines are totally unsuitable for what they are designed for. Just because a well-known angler promotes them (a 'name') doesn't necessarily mean it is used by that 'name'.

More importantly though, we tend to talk ourselves into fishing lighter than we need to. Certain anglers would have you believe that they are fishing lighter than they actually are so remember that anglers, by their very nature are liars and the stated breaking stain is usually less than the actual one.

Giles Cochrane.

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