While most of the advertising and branding of fishing tackle targets rods, reels, lures and accessories, lines and leaders are an integral part of the equation.
The choices of line are varied but are mostly limited to monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon. While fluorocarbon, monofilament and braided lines were created to spool reels, monofilament and fluorocarbon along with wire are most often used as leader material. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and you’ll want to choose them based on how they perform in different fishing scenarios.
Monofilament has been around for decades and is the most commonly used line. It has many advantages and a few disadvantages. Chief among its advantages are affordability and the fact that it sinks slowly and is more forgiving (stretches) making it less likely to break when shocked. Its disadvantages include the fact that is less durable, stretches, and has a larger diameter.
Braided lines have made significant inroads since their introduction in the early ’90s. They are constructed of a special blend of polyethylene fibers. Some brands are wound loosely while others are fused. Braided lines are extremely durable, with no stretch. The unfused lines are generally suppler, while the fused ones are stiffer but less likely to wrap around guides and form knots during casting, one of the disadvantages of braided lines. When using braid, it’s important to be aware that no loops form on your reel, a sure sign of trouble to come. It’s also wise to raise the rod tip to tighten the line after a cast and before retrieving.
Braided lines are much stronger than mono lines, so pound for pound they have a much smaller diameter. In order to get the line to spool on the reel like mono, it is necessary to choose a matching diameter, which will be much stronger than the equivalent an angler is used to. Most anglers choose to go with a matching line test (i.e. smaller diameter line) and add a base of mono on the spool. That way you don’t have to use extra braid that will never see the light of day. The major advantage of braided lines is the lack of stretch which makes it easier to feel a bite and to set the hook on a fish. This is a big advantage when bottom fishing and targeting fish with subtle bites.
Fluorocarbon lines are expensive, and most anglers use them for leaders. Its most important advantage over monofilament is being less visible in the water. In addition, it is denser, sinks faster and is more abrasion-resistant. It’s important to carefully seat all knots after wetting them and this is especially true with fluorocarbon.
Wire leaders are used for toothy fish like Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and barracuda that can easily cut mono or fluorocarbon line. Traditional wire leader is hard to tie and kinks easily. While still being used, most anglers opt for wire that can be tied. These wires don’t kink readily and don’t require any other hardware like swivels.
Most choices are common sense. If you’re fishing shallow water or light floating flies and lures, you’ll want to opt for monofilament, which sinks slowly. If you’re interested in getting your offering down quickly, fluorocarbon would be a better choice. Fluorocarbon would also be a better choice for wary species like permit and bonefish. Generally speaking, you can get away with it earlier and late in the day when the sun is low or the water is off-color.
There are, of course, exceptions to all these rules, so my advice is to seek out local knowledge from anglers and tackle shops and try different lines and leader combinations to see which suits your fishing style.
