Fishing line

fishing
fishing line
braided
monofilament
multifilament
power pro
knots
tackle
recreational

A Fishing line is any cord made for fishing. Factors that may determine what line an angler chooses for a given fishing environment include breaking strength, knot strength, UV resistance, castability, limpness, stretch, abrasion resistance, and visibility.

The most popular line is monofilament line made of a single fiber. Because of its thin diameter (less affected by current), abrasion resistance, little stretch (sensitivity to feel fish bite), braised line is used for deep sea fishermen. Wire lines, fluorocarbon lines, co-polymer lines, and other kinds of lines are also used for different types of fishing.

Fishing lines left in the water are hazardous to fish, birds, and other marine life. Toray Industries, Japan, developed biodegradable fishing lines & lures (FieldMate) which can naturally decompose in three months in both salt and fresh water.

Terminology

Fish are caught with a fishing line by encouraging a fish to bite upon a fish hook. A fishing hook will pierce the mouthparts of a fish and may be barbed to make escape less likely. Another method is to use a gorge, which is buried in the bait such that it would be swallowed end first. The tightening of the line would fix it cross-wise in the quarry's stomach or gullet and so the capture would be assured.

Fishing with a hook and line is called angling. In addition to the use of the hook and line used to catch a fish, a heavy fish may be landed by using a landing net or a hooked pole called a gaff.

Fishing line with hooks attached

Trolling is a technique in which a fishing lure on a line is drawn through the water. Trolling from a moving boat is a technique of big-game fishing and is used when fishing from boats to catch large open-water species such as tuna and marlin. Trolling is also a freshwater angling technique most often used to catch trout. Trolling is also an effective way to catch northern pike in the great lakes. It's also good for muskellunge in deeper lake using large baits also known as crankbaits or other big baits using strong line. This technique allows anglers to cover a large body of water in a short time.

Long-line fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line.

Snagging is a technique where the object is to hook the fish in the body. Generally, a large treble hook with a heavy sinker is cast into a river containing a large amount of fish, such as a Salmon, and is quickly jerked and reeled in. Due to the often illegal nature of this method some practitioners have added methods to disguise the practice, such as adding bait or reducing the jerking motion.

Early developments

Fishing lines were often constructed from horse hair or silk thread, with catgut leaders. From the 1850s, modern industrial machinery was employed to fashion fishing lines in quantity. Most of these lines were made from linen, silk, and more rarely cotton or flax, sometimes with a waterproofing compound added during line manufacture.

Modern lines

Modern fishing lines intended for spinning, spin cast, or bait casting reels are almost entirely made from artificial substances, including nylon, polyethylene, Dacron and Dyneema (UHMWPE). The most common type is monofilament, made of a single strand. Recently, other alternatives to standard nylon monofilament lines have been introduced made of copolymers or fluorocarbon, or a combination of the two materials. Flurocarbon in particular is well regarded for its refractive index, which is similar to that of water and as a result less visible to fish. There are also braided fishing lines, cofilament and thermally fused lines, also known as 'superlines' for their small diameter, lack of stretch, and great strength relative to standard nylon monofilament lines. Both braided and thermally fused 'superlines' are now readily available.

Monofilament fishing line

Monofilament line is a thin string made from a single fiber. Most fishing line is made from monofilament because of its strength, availability in all pound-test kinds, and low cost. It also comes in many different colors such as white, green, blue, clear, and fluorescent. Monofilament is made by melting and mixing polymers and which is then extruded through tiny holes, forming strands of line, which is then spun into spools of various thicknesses. The extrusion process controls not only the thickness of the line but also the pound test of the line.

Monofilament is not advisable for deepwater fishing since it can absorb water resulting in loose knots, and its sensitivity can decrease when it is wet. Monofilament degrades with time and can weaken when exposed to heat and sunlight. When stored on a spool for a long time, it may come off the fishing reel in coils or loops. It is advisable to change monofilament line at regular intervals to prevent degradation.

Monofilament is also used in medicine to test the sense of touch. It can be used in jewelry making to create 'floating' or 'illusion' beaded necklaces. Because it is difficult to see, it has often been used in movies for special effects where objects need to look like they are floating in thin air.

Discarded monofilament lines can present serious environmental issues. These lines are extremely difficult to spot when submerged in water, and fish, birds, and other marine life can easily become entangled. Monofilament lines also present a risk to swimmers and scuba divers.

Some manufacturers developed biodegradable fishing line and lure. For example, FiledMate, made of biodegradable polymer, decomposes in three months in both salt and fresh water.

History

DuPont made public in 1938 that their company had invented nylon. This new invention was the first synthetic fiber, fabrics that are commonly used in textiles today. In 1939, DuPont began marketing nylon monofilament fishing lines; however, braided Dacron lines remained the most used and popular fishing line for the next two decades. DuPont seized the opportunity in 1959 and introduced Stren, a thinner monofilament line that could be used in a large range of reels, including newly introduced spinning and spin casting tackle. Stren's monofilament lines soon became the fishermen's favorite fishing line because of its ease of use. New materials, eg. Spectra or Dyneema, are finding growing use in monofilament lines.

Braided fishing line

Braided line is one of the strongest types of fishing line in relation to its diameter. Braids are made by braiding or weaving fibers of a man-made material like Spectra or micro-dyneema into a strand of line. Braided fishing lines are resistant to abrasion. This line is so strong that you have trouble breaking it when you get a snag. A fish is very unlikely to break it.

Discarded braided lines present some issues. This type of fishing line is so tough that they can really cause abrasion to other things like your hands, fishing rod, and fishing reel. Braided lines are opaque in the water. For this reason, fish can see it and move away. The lines may spook the fish, especially on certain lures where you are trying to trick a fish to bite a lure they can see for a long time. Thus, some attach a monofilament at the end of the braided fishing line to serve as a leader and to reduce the high visibility of the braided fishing line.

Specialty lines

Fly lines

Fly lines consist of a tough braided or monofilament core, wrapped in a thick waterproof plastic sheath, often of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In the case of floating fly lines, the PVC sheath is usually imbedded with many 'microballoons' or air bubbles, and may also be impregnated with silicone or other lubricants to give buoyancy and reduce wear. In order to fill up the reel spool and ensure an adequate reserve in case of a run by a powerful fish, fly lines are usually attached to a secondary line at the butt section, called backing. Fly line backing is usually composed of braided dacron or gelspun monofilaments. All fly lines are equipped with a leader of monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing line, usually (but not always) tapered in diameter, and referred to by the 'X-size' (0X, 2X, 4X, etc.) of its final tip section, or tippet.

Wire lines

Wire lines are frequently used as leaders to prevent the fishing line from being severed by toothy fish. Usually braided from several metal strands, wire lines may be made of stainless steel, titanium, or a combination of metal alloys.

See also

• Braided fishing line
• Fishing
• Fish hook
• Fluorocarbon
• Fly fishing
• Monofilament line
• Multifilament fishing line

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Books and journals:

• Creative Publishing International. Freshwater Fishing Tips: 300 Tips for Catching More and Bigger Fish. Freshwater angler. Chanhassen, Minn: Creative Pub. International, 2006. ISBN 1589232186 ISBN 9781589232181
• Dunaway, Vic. Complete Book of Baits, Rigs & Tackle. Stuart, Fla: Florida Sportsman, 2002. ISBN 0936240245 ISBN 9780936240244
• Fitzgerald, f-Stop. The Elements of Fly Fishing: A Comprehensive Guide to the Equipment, Techniques, and Resources of the Sport. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999. ISBN 0684845156 ISBN 9780684845159
• Henshall, James A. Book of the Black Bass. Cincinnati: Stewart Kidd company, 1923.
• Price, Steven D. The Ultimate Fishing Guide: Where to Go, When to Leave, What to Take, What to Wear, What to Know, How to Find Out & Other Indispensable Information for the Angler. New York: HarperPerennial, 1996. ISBN 0062732900 ISBN 9780062732903
• Wisner, William L. The Complete Guide to Salt and Fresh Water Fishing Equipment. New York: Service Communications, 1976. ISBN 0876902123 ISBN 9780876902127
• Cederberg, Göran. The Complete Book of Sportfishing. New York: Bonanza Books, 1988. ISBN 0517662191 ISBN 9780517662199

Online sources:

• Fishing lines-tips, ABC of Fishing, MaxLifestyle International Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Monofilaments: History and Importance, Medical Monofilament Manufacturing. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Creating Special Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey, American Cinematographer. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Trossarelli, L. THE HISTORY OF NYLON, Dipartimento di Chimica IFM dell’Università di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7 Torino, Italy. Commissione Centrale Materiali e Tecniche. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Nylon: 1935, In Depth, du Pont de Nemours and Company. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Fishing Line, The Internet’s Outfitter Anglers Lounge. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
• Toray biodegradable fishing line & lure, Travel & Nature, TreeHugger.com, December 4, 2004. Retrieved June 21, 2008.

External links

All links retrieved June 21, 2008.

• Line Test, Johnston Tackle Corporation. Compares most of the major brands of Nylon Monofilament fishing line available in the United States.
• MRRP Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Fishing_line  ^history
• Monofilament_fishing_line  ^history
• Braided_fishing_line  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Fishing line"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.