All About Fishing Line
Ok, you’ve been asked to design a great fishing line. Here are just a few of the goals you have to satisfy:
1. It should be super strong, but not so strong that it can’t break. Better to break your line than your fishing rod. It has to stretch somewhat, but not too much.
2. It should glide through your guides during casting and rewinding with minimal friction, cast far and accurately, then come back in with little effort. But it also has to allow the drag mechanism to work effectively, to put resistance on a fighting fish. It has to hold a knot well, too.
3. It should be light enough to cast far, but have no ‘memory’. Memory is the feature of line that, for example, causes line to remain curled from being on the spool, kinked after being knotted.
4. It should be immune to cold, heat, sunlight, saltwater and slime.
And, oh by the way, all those (and many more) criteria come before even discussing that it has to be easy to make in large quantities and sell for only a few dollars. If a spool of fishing line could sell for $1,000 engineers would have a lot easier time designing it!
When working on the first goal, line designers have to carefully balance just when the line should snap. You don’t want to let that good one get away, but you don’t want to break a fishing rod when that big guy leaps up and runs away. As part of that effort, fishing line comes in different ‘test weights’. That is, it may be 4 lb, 10 lb, 12 lb, 20 lb and so on.
To satisfy the second goal, fishing line makers have to be sure that the line is abrasion resistant. It has to stand up well to scraping over rocks, the edge of the boat, and so forth.
To create a good knot, a fishing line has to have some inherent friction, though. Otherwise, the knot would slip right out the first time there was the slightest tug on it. Line also has to be somewhat flexible, lest the angler be forced to spend ten minutes trying to tie something that feels like wire. Imagine what a surgeon would have to go through tying stitches with bad surgical line, for example.
Creating line that has little memory is a whole combination of science and art all its own. Anyone has noticed, for example, that a string wound around a stick has no memory. Unwind it and it hangs limply. Plastic or nylon, on the other hand, may well be curled when it comes off the stick, especially if it was curled on in the sun and unwound after it cooled in the shade. Once kinked it stays kinked.
One aspect of creating line with no memory is to try different materials, manufactured in various ways. Materials scientists spend years experimenting to get just the right balance.
At the same time, those same scientists are looking for materials that don’t wear out from exposure to UV light, extreme temperature changes, being dipped in water that contains salt and other chemicals. They may devise a monofilament or a braid to add geometry to help that material do its job.
So, next time you’re asked to design fishing line, just say “No, thanks” and be grateful there are so many good ones on the market to choose from already.
About the Author
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Moen 1423 Balancing Spool $42.47 Moen 1423 Bal Spl Mnt Ts… |
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GB Electrical FTS-50B Streamline Fish Tape Reel & Winder $28.24 Gardner Bender FTS-50B Streamline Fish Tape Reel & WinderGardner Bender FTS-50B Streamline Fish Tape Reel & Winder Features:; For wire pulls through steel, aluminum and plastic conduit and BX raceways; 50′ x .060″ deluxe flat fish tape and reel; Carded… |
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SUFIX SIEGE CLEAR 3000YD 10LB $58.99 SUFIX, 10 POUND TEST, 3000 YARDS, CLEAR, BULK SPOOL, SIEGE…. |
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PowerPro RED 5lb test 150yd Spool – PowerPro 2100050150R, Fishing Line POWER PRO, BRAIDED SPECTRA-FIBER LINE, RED, 150YD, 5LB TEST, 1LB DIA…. |
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Zebco Omega Z03 Spincast Reel $51.71 Zebco Omega Z03 Spincast Reel boasts top features for serious performance. Tired of “ordinary” spincasters? Meet the Omega. It’s Zebco’s top-notch spincaster made for anglers who seek serious performance in a reliable, easy to sue design. Here’s the spin: Ultra-smooth wormgear drive with 6+1 stainless steel ball bearings; Continuous anti-reverse; Triple cam multi-disk drag; 3X positive line pick u… |
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Symetre 2500 FJ Spinning Reel $82.49 Symetre 250FJ Black… |
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Sahara 2500 FD Spinning Reel $64.98 Sahara 2500 FD GRAY / SILVER t… |
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Tie Down Amber PVC Spool Type Keel Roller … |
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Power Pro Microline 4 lb X 150 Yd Spool White Braided line $17.99 Power Pro Microline 4 lb X 150 Yd Spool White Braided line… |
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Ready 2 Fish Telescopic Rod Combo SPN $33.49 This Telescopic Rod is a four section, telescopic, 5’6″ length, medium light spincast rod. It has fiberglass blank, ceramic guides plus tip and it has a comfortable EVA handle and graphite screwdown reel seat. Includes carrying case with adjustable straps, tackle and box organizer. Its everything you need to get started!There are two kits available to choose from depending on your needs:The SPN C… |
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Kipper Spool Tool – Fishing Access/equip $7.49 Ideal for casting and spinning reels Variable line tension adjustment Guaranteed not to rust The Spool Tool makes line spooling easier than ever! Ideal for casting and spinning reels, the Spool Tool features a variable line tension adjustment that eliminates loose spooling. Constucted from durable Delrin, the Spool Tool is guaranteed not to rust and is great for monofilament, braided and super lines. Ideal for casting and spinning reels Variable line tension adjustment Guaranteed not to rust The Spool Tool makes line spooling easier than ever! Ideal for casting and spinning reels, the Spool Tool features a variable line tension adjustment that e |
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Sufix Performance Braid? Fishing Line – 300 Yard Spool – 80 lb. – Terminal Tackle $32.99 Tested and proven under tortuous conditions, Sufix Performance Braid with exclusive Y6 Digital Braiding&153; Technology has emerged as one of the strongest, toughest, best performing fishing lines ever offered. Built with the high strength and durability needed for the toughest offshore battles and the unique handling features required by fresh water and light tackle anglers, this legendary braid handles beautifully in all conditions. 300 yard spool. Color: Green. Benefits of Sufix Performance Braid: Tough, durable finish withstands the perils of structure that damage ordinary linesUltra-thin diameter line leaves the spool smooth and straight for long accurate castsSmall diameter and superior strength make Performance Braid a natural for spinning reelsVirtually zero stretch&8212;the energy of your fishing rod is transmitted directly to the lure with minimal loss Tested and proven under tortuous conditions, Sufix Performance Braid with exclusive Y6 Digital Braidingamp;153; Technology has emerged as one of the strongest, toughest, best performing fishing lines ever offered. Built with the high strength and du |
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Berkley FireLine Crystal? Micro Ice Fishing Line – 50 yd. Pony Spool – 2 .50 lb. – Cold Water Lures $7.49 World’s first translucent superline Ultimate in low-visibility Incredibly thin, yet very strong and sensitive Supple enough to handle cold temps 50 yard spool Berkley’s FireLine Crystal Micro Ice Fishing Line is the world’s first translucent superline offering near invisibility underwater, and is also the smallest, strongest and most sensitive ice line every built! This smooth handling, premium super line is small enough to work the smallest micro fly, supple enough to handle the coldest temperatures and strong enough to bring home big walleye or trout. World’s first translucent superline Ultimate in low-visibility Incredibly thin, yet very strong and sensitive Supple enough to handle cold temps 50 yard spool Berkley’s FireLine Crystal Micro Ice Fishing Line is the world’s first translucent supe |
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40-Up Deluxe Wood Tip-Up With Line $20.99 40-Up Deluxe Wood Tip-Up With Line: Cross-pieces are 20″ in length Upright piece is 26″ in length Spool is 2″ in diameter and 1″ wide |
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Abu Garcia Cardinal 400I Spinning Combo $49.96 Abu Garcia Cardinal 400I Spinning Combo: Lightweight graphite frame Trademark Stealth Oscillation system allows for even line lay on the spool 7 ball bearings with instant anti-reverse Premium graphite rod with EVA handle Assembled dimensions: 84.5″L x 4.5″W x 5.5″H |
