To be honest I generally drop the spool in water and spool it from there with a damp wrag to give a bit of tension.

Good pointy about matching the line to the reel. The problem is that I have total confidence in the line.

I used synergy a few years back on a set of big pit baitrunners and didn’t get on with the line at all. Perhaps it wasn’t the line that was the problem.

Certainly food for thought

Cheers

Jamie

Several years ago whilst spending a lot of time fishing at Murphy’s pit in Leicester I used to carry two different rod set ups around with me (the car was in your swim with you).

One was a set of 2 3/4lb rods with SS3000 reels and the other was a set of 2 1/4lb rods with standard Shimano Bait Runner reels. The particular swim being fished would dictate the rod set up used.

It’s going back a long while now but at the time I used Pro Gold line on one set of reels and Synergy on the other set (can’t remember which way round but this is pretty irrelevant for the point I am going to make).

I liked both lines at the time but they only performed properly on the reels they were on. Both gave all sorts of twisting problems if I tried to use them on the other reels. Very much a case of having to find the line to suit the reel.

All I could put this down to at the time was the Shimano having the no-twist line rollers fitted and the Daiwa SS3000′s having standard rollers.

The way the line is loaded is oh so important too. Different makes of line are loaded differently at factory level. We also need to not only match the best line to the reel but also experiment with the best way to load it.

Gets very confusing doesn’t it?

Fortunately for 25 years of my working life I was surrounded by many different makes of line which made carrying out my own experiments a little easier than it would for the general public.

Unfortunately if you want the very best out of your line you need to help it to perform to its best. Find the right knot, find the right reel and make sure you load it correctly. Whos said fishing was a simple art form. Ah, I remember – it was that bloke who is always getting tangles and un-explained line breakages!

Have a good day.

Best fishes
Shaun

Just one other thing I would add is line twist. I have a set of Shimano baitrunner 4500 (old style but new build). These are one of the best reels I have ever used for the clutch, weight, size etc. The problem is that the line lay is not the best and I get horrific line twist from them. I use these reels with my 2 3/4 Century SP rods and find this set up perfect for my general fishing on most venues I fish in the uk.

Now I only use Big Game 12lb on these spools and due to the problems I face, I feel the need to change the line fairly regularly.
I wont ditch the line as I have total confidence in it and I am pretty sure I know it’s limits. With regard to knots I generally use a Palomar, although I am coming round to Shauns figure of eight knot.

When fishing long range I use my FMJ lites with TS5000t and 8lb Daiwa Tournament HT connected to Armacord if its allowed.

Cheers

Jamie

Just adding to Shaun’s comment, always choose a reliable knot that you find easy to tie. Knots that you find difficult to tie will be impossible with wet cold hands. Don’t cut the tag end too short as this can cause losses. Always test knots before fishing. I find that knots can weaken if the same end rig is left on between sessions. This could be due to a small amount of water trapped within the knot. Check it or regrete it. When testing line strength there can be a huge difference between dry and wet strength. To really test the breaking strain of your set up tie up a rig and leave it in water over night and then test its strength.
Line wise we all have our favourites that we have learnt to trust over time and only change if there is a reason.

Jim

I use different lines for different situations but take great strides to learn their natural limits. Some are good on abrasion, some are good for casting. I have yet to find a line which ticks both boxes.

I carry out experiments myself to find out what the lines actually break at. The labels on the spools are so inacurate that I measure the diameter of each line with a micrometer then check what that line breaks at with different knots tied.

This is another very important aspect when using a new type of line. I currently use three different knots for the different lines I use to get the best out of each. Interestingle sometimes even in the same make of line each different breaking strain will often perform better with a different type of knot.

There is one aspect of line which totally freaks me out and is the sole reason I won’t use a lot of the makes out there. This is the tendency of some lines to bounce the light back off of themselves. This gives the impression of a silver thread in the water regardless of the colour of line.

The two lines I have used for several years now are as follows.
The best casting line per diameter I have used to date is the P-Line Fluoro Clear. The most abrasion resistant line per diameter I have used to date is the Kevin Nash Bullet. There could be better lines out there but as of yet I haven’t found them despite constantly keeping my eyes open and testing lots of different labels.

Food for thought perhaps. We will never get a situation where everyone agrees as to the best line to use. There are many excellent lines discarded simply because they don’t perform well with the anglers favourite and often only knot.

Jim

i have to agree with jim on this one..
i dont change my line more then once’s a year.
i cant remember the last break off i had.
the line i use is the shimano technium 30/00
i have bin using it for years..and love it.
i personally dont think line suffers that much from weatherconditions.

i do feel the line for nicks…or weak spots,
and if neccesary..remove it.

i own the daiwa 6000T..holds a massive amount of line..so will not run out of it that soon.
the shimano technium line is doing the job on all of my fishing.
rivers, lakes and ponds.
only when fishing on mussels,gravelbars i will use a shockleader that will keep me from getting cut off..,

greetz roy

I couldn’t agree more about line and the need to change it regularly. Good line is relatively inexpensive compared to the rest of our tackle and bait and at the end of the day it is arguably the most important bit of kit we use.

In the early 1990′s I used to go to Africa a lot and fish for big Nile Perch in fast rivers with loads of rocks and boulders in them, catching fish to over 100lbs. Even 40lb main line took a real pounding in those conditions and I quickly learned that any weakeness in my line would lose me fish. Every day before fishing I’d carefully check the last 50 yards of line with my fingertips – any snicks or notches and I’d change it. Lessons learned then stayed with me. The section of line that tends to need checking most is the last few yards – it just takes a few seconds before fishing. If it’s damaged in any way, I strip that away and retie my end tackle.

I have tried loads of different monofilament line over the years and keep trying new products. Now I use different lines for different situations and different waters. For example, if I am fishing rivers for barbel or carp I will use Nash Bullet in 10, 12 or if it’s really snaggy, 15lbs.

For carp fishing at up to 50 or 60 yards I am a big fan of fluorocarbon as I love the way it sinks and stays pinned to the bottom. I have used X-line quite happily for a few years but this year I am trying P-Line Halo. So far so good. It casts better than X-line and sinks like a brick. If you are going to use fluorocarbon then use THE PALOMAR knot, this is by far the best for this type of line. For up to about 100 yards or in really weedy situations I find Nash Bullet in 12 or 15lbs totally reliable and it’s tough as rope. It also sinks quite well. When I want to reach maximum distance with shock leaders then I use P-line Floroclear in 12lbs and if no leaders are allowed, then I’ll step up to 15lbs. This really is a line that needs changing regularly, it casts like a dream but the down side is that it isn’t as tough as some other lines.

In a perfect world I would like a heavy monofilament line that sinks fast, is thin as 4 lb mono in 15lb breaking strain and casts like silk!! If you find some please let me know!

Best fishes

Elie G

Cheers,
Pat